Following the well-known SKB Shutters case another local patent dispute has reached Malaysia’s Federal Court, this time to answer questions of law on the proper approach to be taken for the assessment of inventive step. The Federal Court’s judgement is reported as Spind…
For several years, the ASEAN region has been touted as the next economic powerhouse possibly overtaking the European Union. With a combined population of approximately 620 million which is larger than the whole of European Union or North America, the…
Famous personalities refer to people who have gained fame and public attention. They may be a singer, actor, comedian, television host, sport personality, model or even a business person. These famous personalities are often treated as role models by the…
Patent litigation The patent infringement case of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp & Anor vs Hovid Bhd [2017] MLJU 77 – 06 January 2017; Suit no. 22IP-72-12/2014 of 2017 centered around Malaysian patent MY-118194-A (194 patent). This case is the…
It is commonly known that businesses and companies often undertake brand investment in order to increase their market share, which in turn will further enhance their reputation and goodwill. What is lesser known perhaps is that brand investment has the…
Legislative changes to Singapore’s registered designs law were made by the enforcement of the Registered Designs (Amendment) Act 2017 (“RDAA 2017”) on 30 October 2017. The salient changes are as follows: (I) BROADENING SCOPE OF REGISTRABLE DESIGNSScope of registrable designs…
The processes for allowance and grant of patents in Malaysia differ significantly from those in many other jurisdictions. They are a common source of confusion and uncertainty. So, here are ten pointers that should help clarify the local practice. 1.…
Patents and trade secrets seem like opposite sides of a scale. Trade secrets derive their legal protection from their inherently secretive nature whereas patents can only be protected through disclosure of the invention – the specification in a patent application…
What are parallel imports? The court in Tien Ying Hong Enterprise Sdn Bhd v Beenion Sdn Bhd [2010] 8 MLJ 550 stated that parallel imports refer to goods, which are lawfully manufactured overseas but imported and distributed in Malaysia by a person…
In the case of Ceramiche Caesar Spa v Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd [2017] SGCA 30, the Singapore Court of Appeal had to consider, inter alia, whether Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd.’s (“Caesarstone”) trademark “CAESARSTONE” in Class 19 was similar to Ceramiche Caesar SpA’s…