BFM Interview: Companies Bill 2015 – A Big Bang Approach

Lee ShihLeave a comment

About two weeks ago, I had a pre-recorded interview with BFM to share my views on the new Companies Bill 2015.

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This morning, the segment was aired as part of its Current Affairs series. You can click on to the podcast.

I generally shared why the new changes are to be welcomed and I traced the long process to arrive where we are at. On the one hand, we adopted the best practices from other jurisdictions. However, I also shared my personal thoughts on certain areas where we could have improved further. Finally, I shared how the different segments of the industry may be worried about the unknown and of the new.

The Hotshot Series: The Legal Line — the ultimate compendium for aspiring hotshot lawyers

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

This article was submitted by the authors of the book.

“Justice, Courts and Wigs” — That is what most of the bright eyed high school graduates would think about our overglamourised profession with the proliferation of dramas such as Damages and Suits. This perception translates into a generation of law students who got into law school and instantly realised that this profession is not for them.

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What these 6 businesses did right about Intellectual Property (Part 2)

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

This is a guest post by Esther Wee.

Find out what three other businesses did right about IP in Part 1.

4. NASA — Licensing of patented technologies to Start Ups.

The whole idea of the patent system is aimed at encouraging innovation, and NASA understands this very well.

Last year, NASA opened up an array of their patented technology to be licensed out on a non-exclusive basis to start ups with the aim of encouraging the growth of high-tech businesses and advancing American innovation.

David Miller, NASA’s chief technologist, said — “The Startup NASA initiative leverages the results of our cutting-edge research and development so entrepreneurs can take that research — and some risks — to create new products and new services.”

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What these 6 businesses did right about Intellectual Property (Part 1)

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

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This is a guest post by Esther Wee.

1. Daikin vs Panasonic — Matching the patent portfolio to the consumer needs.

We have heard countless times that patent protection can be costly. Indeed, to reap the rewards and return of investment from your patented product, you need to ensure that your patent has actual commercial value. In other words, you must study whether there is a consumer market need and demand for such a technology.

Daikin and Panasonic are two Japanese companies that have shown increasing domestic market share of air conditioner for home use in recent years, all because they know how to match their filing of patents to what their consumers really want.

A comparative study shows that each company has exclusivity over one another on different technical aspects: Daikin has technical advantages of almost all the humidification function and some specific filter cleaning functions whilst Panasonic has technical advantages of almost all the filter cleaning function and some humidification functions.

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Trans-Pacific Partnership and Intellectual Property: 4 Things You Should Know

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

TPP and IP

This is a guest post by Chua Sher Hann.

With our social media feed flooded with so much anti Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) literature attacking this contentious trade agreement in recent months, it can be extremely tempting to jump onto the anti-TPP bandwagon. The most highly contested component of the TPP is no doubt its intellectual property chapter. But how will this highly debated chapter affect the intellectual property protection regime in Malaysia?

Before we proceed, it should be highlighted that while some legislative changes are anticipated following Malaysia’s ratification of the TPP on 28 January 2016, many of the provisions of the intellectual property chapter of the TPP are consistent with the existing intellectual property legislative framework in Malaysia.

The four major legislative implications are as follows:

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