Patentability Requirements from a Patent Drafting Perspective
Introduction As discussed previously, for your invention to be eligible for patent protection, it must meet subject matter eligibility requirements. This should be determined early in the patent drafting process to avoid wasting unnecessary time and effort and perhaps most importantly money to attempt to protect something that may not be fundamentally patentable to begin […]
Myanmar IP Update: “Soft Opening” Trade Mark Re-filing Continues Amidst Ongoing National Crisis
The ongoing crisis in Myanmar following the military coup d’état on 1 February 2021 has devastated the country. The progress of this emerging ASEAN nation’s new trade mark regime has not been spared from the ensuing reverberations. Amidst the political and economic uncertainty, a summary update on the current state of play pertaining to trade […]
COVID-19 Update: Singapore and Malaysia
With the COVID-19 pandemic situation continuing unabated in many parts of the world, Singapore and Malaysia have not been spared the tightening of control measures. Please note the current state of play below: Singapore: Due to a recent spike in COVID-19 community cases in Singapore, the government has implemented tighter control measures from 16 May […]
IP Webinar – Combating Trademark Infringement in the Online Marketplace
Complimentary Webinar The internet offers exciting opportunities for companies to communicate their brand, but also presents new challenges for brand owners to guard against trademark misuse. In the upcoming webinar, our speaker, Tan Guodong, will talk about Intellectual Property (IP) dispute resolution in the online marketplaces. The speaker will provide an informative overview for […]
Impact of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (“RCEP”) on the Intellectual Property Framework in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN”)
The RCEP is the world’s largest free trade agreement established to broaden and deepen the engagement among the 15 participating parties and enhance their participation in the economic development of the region. Participating countries include all ASEAN member states, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Together, they constitute approximately 30 percent of global GDP and a third of the world population. The RCEP includes a chapter on intellectual property (“IP”).[1] This IP chapter aims to reduce IP-related barriers to trade and investment […]
Keeping Out Counterfeit And Pirated Goods In The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN”)
A. Introduction According to the World Integrated Trade Solution[1] powered by the Word Bank Organisation, the annual worldwide exports of goods between 2013 and 2018 hovered between US$ 17.6 and 21 trillion. During the same period, the annual worldwide imports of goods hovered between US$ 15.7 and 19 trillion. However, a report[2] published in 2019 […]
Leveraging on Intellectual Property in a Post-Pandemic World
Introduction As countries around the world prepare to open up their economies following months of lockdown, businesses large and small will need to find their feet as they seek to adjust to the new normal that confronts them. In what is being described as the worst global decline since the Great Depression of the 1930s, […]
COVID-19 ASEAN Update: Malaysia – 27 January 2021
Dear friends and colleagues, As our latest update on an escalating COVID-19 pandemic situation in Malaysia, the Malaysian Government has imposed a second Movement Control Order (MCO) from 13 January to 4 February 2021, in order to combat the rising number of cases in the country. This MCO may be subject to further extensions at […]
What Is A Patentable Invention Anyway
Introduction Once granted and in force, a patent can serve as a strong deterrent to competitors from commercially benefiting from the patented product or process. An unauthorised party performing acts in relation to a product/process that falls within the scope of protection infringes the patent. Our previous article discusses the scope of protection as being […]
Intellectual Property Considerations for the Emerging Designer and Freelancer
Introduction As part of the National Design Centre’s “Next Gen” programme 2020, the DesignSingapore Council recently organised an event in partnership with Ella Cheong, aimed at increasing intellectual property (“IP”) awareness amongst Singapore’s own young and emerging designers. As human creativity continues to shape the world we live in, ideas and designs are regulated by […]