[Business Today] Taking Your Business to the World?
Manchester Derby in Singapore Court
With many Southeast Asian countries being involved in tobacco farming, it is easy to see how trademark protection over cigarettes would be important in the region. Cigarette manufacturer Jamal Abdulnaser Mahmoud Al Mahamid (“the Plaintiff”) and Global Tobacco Manufacturers (International) Sdn. Bhd. (“the Defendant”) clearly exemplified this when they brought their dispute to the High […]
When Fame is Not the Name of the Game
Are all shoes, all stars? It seems like popular shoe brand, Converse Inc., would prefer being the only one. The American shoe giant recently filed an opposition at the IP Office of Singapore (IPOS) against the registration of the “” mark by Malaysian company, Southern Rubber Works Sdn Bhd. The latter was accused of trying […]
Patents for New Plant Varieties in Europe?
By P. Kandiah & Samini Thiruchelvam A common dilemma amongst plant breeders is how to protect their new plant variety. In general, there are two ways to do this – by patent or by plant variety protection. New varieties of plants can be created by genetic engineering. Can such new varieties be protected by patents? […]
[The Petri Dish] Patents for New Plant Varieties in Europe?
[Franchise Asia] Too Pedantic with the “P”?
[Indonesia Update] “Gudang” Wars
By Carola Monintja For well-known trademarks, particularly those consisting of two or more words, each part of the trademark can be just as valuable as the others. This was clearly shown in the Gudang Garam vs Gudang Baru case. In Indonesia, Gudang Garam is a very well-known trademark for rokok kretek or clove cigarettes. Most […]
What in the name…!: A tale of two AMCs
In a recent Singaporean case, AMC Live Group China Pte Ltd (“AMC Live”) successfully used the “Own Name Defence” in response to infringement proceedings. The plaintiff, The Audience Motivation Company Asia Pte Ltd (“AMC Asia”) claimed that the defendant, AMC Live, had infringed two of its registered trademarks and also brought a claim against them […]
IP in Music: Shake Your Money Maker
By Rebecca Chong “Seems like everybody’s got a price, I wonder how they sleep at night when the sale comes first and the truth comes second…” – Jessie J quite aptly describes the music industry in the 21st century in that opening line from her massive hit, “Price Tag”. Traditionally, artists assign the copyright of their […]
[BFM] Marketing Mojo: How to Select an Awesome Trademark
Trademarks, as we know, are the face of any brand. Naturally, something so prominent needs to be chosen carefully, lest the brand or business be stuck with an unfortunate trademark. On this BFM89.9 Marketing Mojo podcast, Vincent Teh, Assistant Manager of the Trademarks & Designs Division at KASS, shares the art of selecting the best […]