Read Article - Samuel Seow Law Corporation

The SSLC Newsletter
October 2008
Volume 3, Issue 5
Samuel Seow Law Corporation is a law corporation incorporated with limited liability in the Republic of Singapore
From The Desk of Samuel Seow
Special Interest Article:
Intellectual Property
Office of Singapore
(IPOS) - Intellectual
Property Management
(“IPM”) diagnostic tool
“SCOPE IP™”
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Welcome to the October edition of the SSLC Newsletter!
In this Issue
Director’s Message
1
Updates on IP
3
Special Interest Article
5
Speaking Engagements
6
Events & Happenings
7
News from New York
17
Upcoming Events
18
As I write these words, the stock markets across the world seem to be in free
fall and Singapore has officially announced that after 2 straight quarters of
decline, she is in technical recession. Memories of the hard times during the
Asian financial crisis remain eerily close to the mind…still this time; this one
seems much, much worse. I hope this edition of the Newsletter finds all its
readers very well and I pray that all of us be shielded from as much of the
adverse effects of this downturn as possible so that when it all rises again,
hopefully soon, we may all reach even greater heights.
Looking back, when I first joined the industry as a young lawyer, it too was
during tough economic times, but Mr David Chong of David Chong & Co.
nevertheless took me on as a legal associate and allowed me the opportunity
to learn so much of what I know today from him about legal practice. Till today
I recall with much fondness my years at David Chong & Co. and when I go
back, the girls still treat me as their little kid. (Mental note to go back more
often to visit.)
Samuel Seow Law Corporation was also born during economic tough times,
and Trina and I remain grateful to the clients and friends of that time, who
stuck with us, as we with them. I recall when our doors were first opened, the
fears I had in relation to what the future would bring, and how the corridor
seemed cold and lonesome. Yet within a few hours from those fears
materialising, that same corridor, and indeed the whole office, was filled with
flowers, balloons, messages, chocolates, wine, champagne and an
overwhelming sense of support and love. I have never forgotten that day with
Trina and Sam Lee, and I shall never forget how good it felt when all of you
reached out.
Which is why in the midst of all the uncertainty now, I hope to bring home the
message that it is important to remember to reach out to the people around us
in love.
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Trina and I have always found that it is in giving that we have received. This
law corporation will be known not only for our work but for how much we give
back. Having that in mind, we have always made it a point to give of our time;
effort and money to causes we believe in and that we hope make a positive
change in the world. I look back with pride at how our people have been
active in the support of organisations such as “Habitat for Humanity” and the
“Singapore Street Festival”; and I also appreciate all the arts and media
organisations we help. These are manned by vibrant volunteers who are
driven less by economic considerations than by an overwhelming need to
reach their artistic dreams. I have learnt so much from them.
This month, our law corporation will be awarded with the prestigious “Patron
of the Arts” award. I truly am humbled and speechless. Years ago, when I
looked down that corridor, never did I imagine that today would be like it is. I
am grateful for the blessing which is all of you.
So stay positive my friends and strive on. This month, the Asian Patent
Attorneys Association holds its annual meeting in Singapore, and I look
forward to seeing so many of my overseas friends in my hometown, and
giving you a chance to experience the warmth only we people from the tropics
know how best to dispense. . As I write this I am also internally hollering out
to cold and wet Trina who is now in New York engaged in a futile attempt to
thaw out her wintry …hands. We look forward to having you home soon.
Take care, all, and thanks again for all of you. The next edition will be a
bumper Christmas issue so there shall be cheer yet! There shall be cheer
yet.
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UPDATES ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
HONG KONG
“Naked” for Condoms not allowed
“NAKED”, a trade mark which Creative Resources LLC sought to register over “condoms”,
has been refused by the Hong Kong Trade Marks Registry on the grounds that the mark:
 consists exclusively of a sign that might serve to designate the characteristics of the
goods applied for; and
 is devoid of any distinctive character.
Creative Resources however argued that the word “NAKED” merely alluded to a form of
sensation experienced by users of their products.
In a surprising decision, the learned Registrar rejected this submission, claiming that “NAKED”
was a descriptive term as it relayed an immediate message that users will be naked when
using the goods. The Registrar concluded that the mark is “descriptive” as it consisted of just
a plain word mark with no logos or stylization to distinguish it from others.
The Registrar refused to be persuaded by the fact that the mark had been registered in
several other territories but instead maintained that “national trade mark rights are territorially
limited and granted independently of each other”.
INDIA
YAHOOOO!
The famous yodel of the search engine YAHOO! widely known by internet users around the
world has been accepted for registration by the Indian Trade Mark Registry, making it one of
the few sound marks, in the word, to be registered.
Sound marks, along with colour marks were introduced in the Trade Marks Act 1999 in 2003.
Yahoo! filed an application for its yodel with the Registry in 2004. The sound mark was
represented in the form of musical scores. After thorough examination by the Registry, the
application was then accepted on the grounds that the Yahoo! yodel has acquired
distinctiveness in India and was well known worldwide.
PHILIPPINES
RADIO IDOL opposed by the owner of IDOL
Fremantle Media Limited has successfully opposed the registration of Audio Visual
Communications Inc's “RADIO IDOL” mark on the grounds that “RADIO IDOL” was
confusingly similar to Fremantle's “IDOL” marks and use of the “RADIO IDOL” mark was likely
to mislead consumers into believing that “RADIO IDOL” is somehow related to Fremantle.
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Fremantle‟s “IDOL” is a widely known and used trade mark around the world, and based on this,
the learned Registrar at the Bureau of Legal Affairs concluded that Audio Visual had applied
for “RADIO IDOL” on bad faith, and seemed to be trying to gain fame and monetary returns from
“IDOL”.
Though Audio Visual may argue that marks in comparison must be considered in their entirety
and that the opposition should not stand simply because the word “IDOL” appears in all the
marks, the Registrar highlighted that the term “IDOL” is considered to be the predominant
feature in the series of IDOL marks, i.e., AMERICAN IDOL, SINGAPORE IDOL, INDIA IDOL
etc. Mentions of the term “IDOL” would automatically swerve the general public‟s thinking to
Fremantle‟s “IDOL”.
Consequently, the bureau upheld Fremantle‟s opposition on the grounds that Audio Visual
deliberately intended to free-ride on the reputation of the IDOL marks.
BRUSSELS
eBay vs. Lancôme
Our previous issue presented you with the successful win of eBay over Tiffany when Tiffany
attempted to take action against eBay for having infringed its intellectual property rights. In this
issue, we bring news of another one of eBay‟s successful wins, this time against a suit filed by
Lancôme.
The grounds raised by Lancôme were similar to those filed raised by Tiffany. Lancôme had filed
suit against eBay on the grounds that:
 a high number of goods infringing its trade mark rights (among others) were offered for
sale on the Belgian auction website; and
 eBay had failed to implement appropriate measures to fight such activities.
Lancôme had sought damages in an amount of €500,000.
eBay argued that it was just acting as an intermediary service provider (ISP) in accordance with
the guidelines as set out by E-commerce Directive (2000/31/EC). Lancôme was of the view that
eBay provided other ancillary activities other that as required of an ISP. However, since
Lancôme‟s claims were directed only at eBay's hosting activities and did not refer to the ancillary
services, the court concluded that, eBay was to be considered only as a provider of hosting
services and, consequently, could rely on the exemption.
The court rejected all of Lancôme's claims.
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SPECIAL INTEREST ARTICLE
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) has developed an Intellectual Property
Management (“IPM”) diagnostic tool named “SCOPE IP™”. The objective is to help
organisations assess the strengths and weaknesses of their IP deployment and management
system. Consultants who are trained in the SCOPE IP™ methodology will examine an
organisation‟s IPM systems in eight key areas of assessment and prepare a report identifying
areas for improvement, bearing in mind its current and future needs. Such organisations will
benefit as it helps them better understand the state of their IPM systems and to improve on them
based on recommendations provided by the consultants.
Small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) who wish to manage and commercially exploit their IPs
more effectively, may obtain a subsidy for the cost of conducting a SCOPE IP™ assessment.
Such subsidy will be provided under the IPM for SMEs Programme which is jointly managed by
SPRING Singapore and IPOS. This Programme is meant to help SMEs manage their IPs
holistically, in line with IPOS mission to provide the infrastructure, platform and environment for
the greater creation, protection and exploitation of IP.
If you are interested in SCOPE IP™ and the IPM for SMEs Programme, please contact us
without delay. We will be more than happy to assist as Ms. Laura Liew of our Corporate Practice
Group is a qualified SCOPE IP™ consultant. She may be contacted via email at
[email protected] or by phone at 6887 3257.
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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Training for Times Educational Pte Ltd
On 20 August 2008, our Mr Samuel Seow was invited to conduct a half day workshop for Time
Educational Services Pte Ltd on intellectual property law issues in the publishing industry. A
wide range of intellectual property law topics were covered. Apart from an introduction to the
various types of intellectual property rights, the audience was also informed of other related
issues such as how to obtain clearances and how grant of rights clauses in publishing contracts
were drafted. It was a talk that was well received by the audience.
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EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
Launch of Asian Film Archive Collection: Singapore Shorts Volume 2
In October 2008, the Asian Film Archive launched a much-awaited DVD collection – Singapore
Shorts Volume 2, the second instalment in their anthology of acclaimed Singapore short films.
The Singapore Shorts anthology contains the following 9 short films. It is the first to give film
lovers the opportunity to own these acclaimed titles on DVD, when they were previously only
available at select festival screenings. The DVD collection also contains director biographies,
director‟s notes, film screening histories and other special features through which the Archive aims
to empower viewers with a deeper understanding of Singapore cinema.
Film
Labour of Love – The Housewife (1978)
Absence (1997)
Gourmet Baby (2001)
Un Retrato De Familia / A Family Portrait (2004)
Yesterday‟s Play (2005)
Match Made (2006)
Imelda Goes to Singapore (2006)
Wet Season (2007)
Autopsy (2007)
Filmmaker
Rajendra Gour
K. Rajagopal
Sandi Tan
Boo Junfeng
Ryan Tan Wei Liang
Mirabelle Ang
Brian Gothong Tan
Michael Tay Hong Khoon
Loo Zihan
Singapore Shorts Volume 2 will be available through the following channels:
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Major retailers such as HMV and Kinokuniya.
AFA Online Shop (for local and worldwide sales) at http://www.asianfilmarchive.org/Shop
Shops of film-related institutions such as Sinema Old School and Earshot Café at The
Arts House
Local and international libraries
Through this collection, the Archive seeks to honour, promote and share Singapore‟s rich film
heritage, and also to raise funds to support the preservation and cultural mission of the Archive.
Our law corporation is proud to be a sponsor of this invaluable DVD collection.
Above: Cover of the Singapore Shorts Volume 2 DVD.
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Miss Earth Singapore 2008 Swimsuit Competition
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On 30 August 2008, our Mr Samuel Seow was invited to be a judge of the Miss Earth
Singapore 2008 Swimsuit Competition. Temperatures ran high as the Swimsuit Competition
kicked off with an opening dance and the introduction of the contestants as they paraded and
cat-walked for the crowd and judges at The Arena @ Clarke Quay. Each contestant paraded in
2 swimsuits each – one retro swimsuit and another golden swimsuit, and the results were later
announced on the Miss Earth Singapore 2008 Coronation Night, which saw Ms Ivy Leow
walking away with the title of „Best in Swimsuit‟.
Miss Earth Singapore 2008 Coronation Night
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On 9 September 2008, our Mr Samuel Seow returned to The Arena @ Clarke Quay as a
judge for the grand finals of the Miss Earth Singapore 2008 pageant, initiated and organised by
C. T. Hansen International Pte Ltd to mobilise young and vibrant green ambassadors to
become trendsetters and spokespersons in raising awareness on the current environmental
crises.
Samuel was accompanied by an entourage of friends and family of Samuel Seow Law
Corporation, including our Mr Shahiran Ibrahim, Ms Laura Liew, Mr Benjamin Mak, Ms
Esther Seow, Mr Dominic Ha, Ms Vivienne Eng, Ms Junaidah Binte Arifin, Ms Shereen
Ong, Ms Fiona Phang and Ms Beatrice Liew. As Samuel judged the pageant, his entourage
chilled out at the VIP section of the club, enjoying food and house pours as they witnessed the
various rounds of competition, from the flower-themed opening number to the swimsuit and
evening gown competitions. The night ended with none other than Ms „Best in Swimsuit‟ Ivy
Leow being crowned Miss Miss Earth Singapore 2008-09. Samuel Seow Law Corporation
congratulates Ms Leow on her double victories, and wishes her all the very best as she travels
to Manila, Philippines to represent Singapore in contending for the title of Miss Earth
(International) on 9 November 2008.
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The Tour of Misia Discotheque Asia
On 13 September 2008, our client Kosmic Film Entertainment presented Singapore‟s first ever
concert of a Japanese Pop Singer, Misia. Her tour was called “The Tour of Misia Discotheque
Asia” and it was held at the Singapore Expo Convention Hall 1. It was held in conjunction with
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the 10 Anniversary of Misia‟s career in the music industry. She is a very talented singer who
possesses an impressive five-octave range of vocals (The Whistle Octave). Misia‟s amazing
singing talent made it an unforgettable night for those who attended. It was a shame that the
concert was only for one night. The ambience of the concert was exuberant from the beginning
and many of the audiences were dancing while singing along with Misia throughout the concert.
Our Mr Samuel Seow and Ms Esther Seow attended the concert.
Return of the Contenders
Following the success of The Contender Asia Season 1, our valued clients Riaz Mehta and
Joel Lin of Imagine Omnimedia Pte Ltd very kindly gave our Mr Samuel Seow and Ms Laura
Liew VIP tickets to attend the “Return of the Contenders” event on 17 September 2008 at
Jurong East Stadium. The event featured 5 professional bouts and a few local amateur
undercards. One of the notable personalities spotted at this event was Tony Danza, the star of
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the sitcom “Who‟s the Boss”. Tony Danza will host the 4 season of The Contender Versus
Edition.
The highlight of the event was the bout featuring Yodsaenklai, the champion of Season 1 of
The Contender Asia. He was up against Madua, the Kind‟s Cup Champion. Other Contender
Asia fighters who participated in this event included Soren, Naruepol and Zach.
Overall, it was an exciting and thrilling event – there is nothing like watching the action live!
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Grand Opening of AQUA by Grandstand
On 24 September 2008 our Mr Samuel Seow, Mr Benjamin Mak, Ms Esther Seow and Ms
Shereen Ong attended the Grand Opening of AQUA by Grandstand at Merchant Loop. AQUA
is the world‟s first luxury container bar cleverly constructed using an innovative concept created
and developed by the founders of Grandstand Pte Ltd, Mr Alex Hascher, Mr Gerhard Lanyi
and Mr Markus Krill. The Grand Opening of AQUA was an immensely popular and wellattended event, with the mobile bar and party venue packed with guests who partied and
mingled while enjoying free flow of beer and champagne. Samuel Seow Law Corporation
congratulates the Grandstand team on the resounding success of the launch!
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The Opening Party of “Grand Prix The F1 Legend Through Photography”
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On the evening of 25 September 2008, our Ms Laura Liew and Mr Jonathan Yuen attended
the Opening Party of “Grand Prix The F1 Legend Through Photography” exhibition held at The
Cathay on behalf of the firm at the kind invitation of our clients Phish Communications, in
particular, Ms Shirlene Noordin. The event had a distinctive French flavour as the magnificent
photography came courtesy of Bernard & Paul-Henri Cahier; and H.E. Pierre Buhler,
Ambassador of France to Singapore was the very special guest of honour. Making the event
more exciting was the fact that Paul-Henri Cahier was there in person to showcase and explain
his photographs. Special limited edition prints of the F1 photographs on display were available
for purchase and many event attendees rushed to get their hands on some of the more popular
shots.
We also managed to meet old friends like top local photographer Mr Dominic Khoo at the event
who was there to also admire the F1 photography exhibition. Event attendees were treated to
good food, and a lavish free flow of champagne. On centre-staged display was also a Renault
race car that got all the amateur shutter-bugs oohing and aahing and all the camera flashes
going.
Stylo Mercedes-Benz Singapore F1 Party
This must have been one of the most widely-touted social events of the year. Our Mr Samuel
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Seow attended the Stylo Mercedes-Benz Singapore F1 Party on 26 September 2008 at the
Mercedes Benz Centre in Singapore, which was for that night, renamed as and redecorated to
become the Scarlet Mansion.
Local and international celebrities and the who‟s who of the social world descended upon the
Mansion in their beautiful vehicles. All was beautiful and glamorous until the valet service went
terribly wrong and the bold and the beautiful were left stranded for up to 2 hours to retrieve their
cars. That certainly was a night to remember.
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FireFives: A Mixed Bill by Singapore Dance Theatre
Our Mr Samuel Seow was honoured to attend the FireFives: A Mixed Bill by our client the
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Singapore Dance Theatre on 26 September 2008 at the University Cultural Centre Hall of the
National University of Singapore. Jointly organised by the NUS centre for the Arts, FireFives
showcased six contemporary pieces by Singapore Dance Theatre that are reminiscent of the
slow-burn appeal and vivacity of fireflies. Also in attendance were Ms Laura Liew, Mr Benjamin
Mak, Ms Vivienne Eng and Ms Fiona Phang, who were all treated to an evening of creative
and captivating contemporary dance by some of the most renowned and talented
choreographers.
Those in attendance were particularly impressed by the piece entitled Piano Concerto No. 2
Opus 102 by Edmund Stripe, Ballet Master of the Alberta Ballet in Canada – a vibrant and
spectacular 20-minute piece which commanded the audience‟s attention in appreciation of the
sheer skill, technique and elegance of the 7 female and 9 male dancers whose performances
were both exciting and enchanting.
The Opening Ceremony of movie "Autumn in March" (烟花三月)
On 21 September 2008, our Mr Samuel Seow and Ms Esther Seow attended the Opening
Ceremony of our client Red Group Film‟s new Chinese movie production Autumn in March at
781 Mountbatten Road. This new movie production featured interesting stars Nathaniel Ho,
Sheila Sim, Phyllis Quek, and Bernard Tan, and also our client and friend Mr Huang Yiliang,
a veteran actor last seen in “12 Lotus”, who is also making his directorial debut in this film.
The opening ceremony kicked of with a brilliant lion dance presented by a professional troupe in
Singapore. Soon after, the main cast members gave short speeches before the traditional
prayer and chopping the suckling pig as a symbol of good fortune.
“Autumn in March” consists of a tale about Xinjie, a mysterious young owner of a large house
which she leases at ridiculously low rates. The skeletons in the closet start to emerge when
Xinjie‟s past slowly unravels as it intertwines with the lives of her three tenants.
“Autumn in March” is expected to be released early next year.
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The Official Opening of Singapore International Story Telling Festival
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On 28 August 2008, on behalf of the firm, our Ms Esther Seow attended the Official Opening
of Singapore International Story Telling Festival organized by the National Book
Development Council of Singapore and The Arts House at Front Lawn of the Arts House. It
was not only an opening of the Singapore International Story Telling Festival officiated by the
Guest of Honour, Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister‟s Office, but there was also a
short performance by one of the International Story Tellers, Eth-Noh-Tec for the attendees to
enjoy.
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The Festival was held at the Arts House from 25 August – 9 September 2008.
Beach House Pictures
Singapore-based production company Beach House Pictures is charting new territory as
they produce Zoo Life News, which casts the spotlight on wildlife and global conservation for
its target audience of 2 – 11 year old children by engaging a special team of animal puppet
reporters to present the issues in a news programme format, complete with animation shorts,
game shows and magazine programmes on animal behaviour.
The production company, which specialises in factual television entertainment, is taking 2
steps forward with its edutainment concept and exploration of new platforms such as IPTV
and multi-platform broadcast. The move has given content creators and providers to re-edit
and re-version existing content and develop fresh new content to take advantage of the webviewing platform. In order to navigate the exciting challenges brought about by the
advancement in technology, Beach House Pictures intends to leverage on its strong ties with
producers and broadcasters around the world to collaborate on developing new programmes
while maintaining the focus on the production company‟s core strengths of great storytelling
and quality content.
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K.O. Night Grand Finals
K.O. NIGHT is the first of its kind two-on-two dance battle in Singapore which seeks to raise
dance fever to the max through a six-month long competition with 11 intensive rounds of two-ontwo battles. The Grand Finals of the competition were held on 5 September 2008 at the
Singapore Post Centre auditorium, where 8 teams are battled it out on a simulated boxing ring
platform to emerge champions in their respective dance genres – hip-hop, b-boy, popping and
locking.
The vibrant high-energy competition was judged by several international dance artistes such as
Acky (Japan), Hilty & Bosch (Japan) and Gonzo (Thailand) and attended by a 400-strong crowd.
The entire event was also filmed and uploaded on O School‟s website and YouTube, generating
online presence. The event‟s unique format and reach in the youth community also successfully
raised the standard of dance and contributed to the building of a strong dance community in
Singapore.
5th Annual Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E & I) Day 2008, Celebrating
the Spirit of Entrepreneurship.
Samuel Seow Law Corporation was invited as a featured guest of the 5th Annual
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E & I) Day 2008, Celebrating the Spirit of
Entrepreneurship. This is an annual event organized by the Nanyang Technopreneurship
Center (“NTC”) of the Nanyang Technological University (“NTU”) to promote and foster the
culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. The theme chosen for this year was "A New Dawn
for Entrepreneurs - Entrepreneurship for the New Age." Our Mr. Samuel Seow and Ms. Laura
Liew both attended this event and met renowned entrepreneurs from various industries ranging
from finance to retail to technology. Other guests at the event included Dr Michael Leong
(Director, ShareInvestor), Mr Richard Eu (Group CEO, Eu Yan Sang International Pte Ltd), Mr.
Han Keen Juan (Chairman, Old Chang Kee) and Mr Jeffery Goh (CEO, Lightspeed
Technologies Pte Ltd). The aim of this event was to inculcate a creative “think out of the box”
mindset in budding entrepreneurs and discuss how business have adjusted themselves to stay
relevant and competitive in this new globalised and wired world.
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High Tea with Austfilm, Screen Australia and SSLC‟s Producer Clients
On 3 October 2008, Samuel Seow Law Corporation hosted a High Tea get-together session
with Austfilm‟s representatives, Chief Executive Officer Caroline Pitcher and Nick Coyle,
Executive (Policy and Corporate Services), Screen Australia's representative, Alex Sangston,
Head of the Producer Offset and Co-Productions, and some of Samuel Seow Law Corporation‟s
esteemed producer clients.
Austfilm is an organisation funded by the Australian government to market the Australian
Screen Production Incentive (ASPI). The organisation is responsible for marketing Australia's
locations, capabilities and incentives overseas to attract screen production to Australia and
seeks to promote co-production opportunities with Australia.
Screen Australia is the successor organisation to the Australian Film Commission, and is
charge of administering the Producer Offset aspect of the ASPI, under which producers of
official co-productions and productions with Significant Australian Content may benefit from
funding of up to 40% of Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure.
Samuel Seow Law Corporation‟s producer clients operate many of the major production
companies in Singapore and were keen to meet Austfilm and Screen Australia to learn more
about State and Federal incentives, how they work and the interface between them. Instead of
a sterile straightforward presentation by the foreign guests, the gathering was a decidedly
casual, friendly and informative networking session for all who attended.
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The Inaugural Singapore International Photography Festival
Our Ms Laura Liew and Mr Benjamin Mak attended the opening of the Inaugural Singapore
International Photography Festival on 8 October 2008 held at 2902 Gallery at Old School,
Mount Sophia.
The Guest-of-Honour for this Festival was Rear Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of
State, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. An
exhibition of more than 800 prints from 26 countries across 7 venues selected by 4 curators
through an open call submission process was featured. By bringing together some of the
biggest names in photography and exhibiting the works of some of the brightest new talents in
photography, it is hoped that others will be inspired to continue to create new works and
generate a greater appreciation for photography. Keep a look-out for this Festival in the years
to come – it is poised to become one of the biggest and most important photography events in
Southeast Asia
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NEWS FROM NEW YORK
Service Nation Presidential Candidates Forum on 11 September 2008
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On the evening of 11 September 2008, the US presidential candidates made their first joint
appearance at the ServiceNation Summit in Alfred Lerner Auditorium at Columbia
University, New York to speak in turn about their views on the role of citizenship and service.
Our Ms Trina Ha was privileged to be present at this occasion and joined the thousands of
students thronging the lawn of the university to watch the event “live” on a big screen.
Each candidate took turns to go on stage and field questions from moderators TIME Managing
Editor Rick Stengel and PBS's Judy Woodruff on his views and plans for encouraging and
facilitating national service. While the candidates found common ground in making national
service a priority in their presidential administrations, the audience, especially the enormous
student crowd, was definitely more supportive of Barack Obama, a Columbia University
alumnus. The crowd in the auditorium erupted into prolonged applause at his first appearance
on stage and the student crowd on the lawn roared their approval intermittently throughout his
45 minute session. His proposal to provide college tuition aid in return for student community
service met with huge cheers and applause from the crowd.
The forum also featured appearances by celebrities such as Usher, Leonardo DiCaprio and
Tobey Maguire who gave a moving speech lauding community service and the positive
impact it had during his difficult youth.
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46 New York Film Festival
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The 17-day 46 New York Film Festival (NYFF) was held from 26 September to 12 October
2008. Organised by The Film Society of Lincoln Centre, the festival showcased 28 films from
18 countries. The NYFF Centrepiece was Clint Eastwood‟s Changeling and the main slate
included films from our part of the world such as Ashes of Time Redux from Wong Kar-wai
and 24 City from Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Drama Box Presents „David the Best‟
Drama Box Pte Ltd will present popular disc jockey Huang Wen Hong‟s stage debut in David
The Best, a collaborative effort by some of Singapore‟s most creative and talented individuals
and co-created by Kok Heng Leun, Tan Kay Ngee and Huang Wen Hong.
The play will be performed from 19 – 24 November 2008 at the Drama Centre Theatre on the
third floor of the National Library Building and promises to be a spectacle of laughter, acting,
song and dance. Tickets are currently available through SISTIC.
Photos Courtesy of Drama Box Pte Ltd
Das Experiment: Black Box
Blank Space Productions in collaboration with The Goethe-Institut Singapore presents the
World-Wide Premiere of Mario Giordano‟s acclaimed novel and film Das Experiment: Black Box,
a play directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall and produced by Claude Girardi.
Based on the real life events of The Stanford Experiment in 1971, the play follows a group of
men as they take part in a scientific study discovering the fine line between play-acting and
reality. Volunteers arrive at a makeshift prison to take part in a two-week experiment analyzing
behaviours of a controlled prison environment – half the volunteers pose as prison guards, the
other half prisoners. Two days into the experiment personalities and situations begin to get out
of hand with the threat of complete chaos and death. The play stars Beatrice Chia-Richmond,
Gerald Chew, Claude Girardi, Jimmy T, Jonathan Lim , Rodney Oliviero, R Chandran, Koey
Foo, Andrew Lua Dai Jun, Per Theodor Paulsen, Rick Macivor, Sazali Othman, Oliver Pang,
Edric Hsu and Karl Chaundy and will run from 14 – 29 November 2008 at The Pavilion at Far
East Square. Tickets are currently available through SISTIC.
Photos Courtesy of Escape Theatre Ltd
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Areas of Practice
541 Orchard Road
#18-01 Liat Towers
Singapore 238881
PHONE:
(65) 6887 3393
FAX:
(65) 6887 3303
E-MAIL:
Managing Director:
[email protected]
(Personal Assistant:
[email protected])
We are a full-service law corporation providing legal and advisory
services in Singapore as well as internationally. Our areas of
practice include:
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Office Accountant:
[email protected]
TV/Film/ Corporate:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
benjaminmak @sslawcorp.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
Music/ IP:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Litigation:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Arts/ Theatre:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Marketing Communications:
[email protected]
We‟[email protected]
d love to hear from you.
Write us at
[email protected]
We‟d love to hear from you.
Write to us at
[email protected]
Page 19 of 19
Art Law;
Media and Entertainment Law;
Corporate and Commercial Law;
Incorporation of local and offshore entities and provision
of Corporate Secretarial Services;
Intellectual Property Law, including copyrights, trade and
service marks, designs and patents;
Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Resolution;
and
Wills, Probate, Estates and Trusts.
In addition to the above, we have entered into association with a
few strategic legal partners to ensure that we offer to our clients a
comprehensive range of essential legal services.
Within Singapore, we are associated with Balkenende Chew &
Chia. With their support, our practice areas in Singapore now
extend to and include Conveyancing and Property Law.
In Malaysia we are in association with the Media consultancy
company Samuel Seow Corporation Sdn Bhd.
In Australia, we are in association with Feinauer Commercial
Lawyers, which provides a full range of legal services for clients
from around Europe and the Asia Pacific. Dirk Feinauer is also
Special Counsel to SSLC.
Internationally, we have forged strong alliances and a wellconnected network with foreign legal counterparts in territories
like the People‟s Republic of China; the Hong Kong SAR;
Malaysia; Indonesia; Thailand; Australia; the United States of
America; Taiwan; and the European Union.
Accordingly, we are well-poised to offer our clients compelling
and cost-effective legal solutions and services around the globe.