Archives for September 2013
Soy Milk Scrimmage : Ronic Corporation VS Cadware Sdn Bhd
Soy milk, a lactose-free alternative to cow milk, takes considerable time and effort to prepare. Sensing a business opportunity, several companies have decided to capitalize on this by making appliances that make soy milk without the hassle.
Two companies selling such devices, Ronic Corporation (“Ronic”) and Cadware Sdn Bhd (“Cadware”) found themselves in a legal dispute when Ronic claimed that Cadware infringed upon their patent rights by distributing and marketing a soy milk machine that mirrored theirs. Cadware counter-claimed that Ronic’s patent was invalid and therefore, there was no infringement.
Ronic owns Patent No. MY-134058-A (“‘058 Patent”) for a soy milk making device, which discloses a circuit for sensing presence of water in the device and warning the user when there is an absence of water.
The “KENZO” Dilemma
Kenzo Tsujimoto (hereafter known as “the Applicant”) is the proprietor of a winery in Napa Valley, California, USA. He filed for a trademark application in Singapore for the word mark “KENZO ESTATE” for “wine, alcoholic beverages of fruit and western liquors” in Class 33. When the application was published, Kenzo (“the Opponent”), the proprietor of a fashion house that also dabbles in perfumery and cosmetics, filed an opposition against the Applicant’s mark.