SKIN RENEW PROFESSIONAL SOLUTION SDN BHD v 1. ) BEAUTE REFINE MARKETING (M) SDN BHD 2. ) KWAN MEI KIM 3. ) BEAUTE REFINE MARKETING 4. ) LEE KAH CHOON 5. ) IMS BEAUTY SUPPLY ENTERPRISE

wa-22ip-74-11-2020 High Court (Mahkamah Tinggi) 9 November 2023 • WA-22IP-74-11/2020 • 45 min read

15 cases cited (1 SG, 14 foreign)

Outcome

As such, the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed. [105] Following the dismissal of the plaintiff’s claim, the court allows defendants’ counterclaim for declarations that the use of the Skin Refiner Mark does not infringe and does not pass off as the Skin Renew Mark, and that the Skin Refiner Mark is used in good faith. [106] The court further allows the defendants’ counterclaim for reliefs for groundless threats of infringement proceedings, with damages to be assessed.

Quoted verbatim from the judgment of High Court (Mahkamah Tinggi) (wa-22ip-74-11-2020). Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal for the complete decision.

Catchwords

TRADEMARK: Invalidation – Whether defendants are aggrieved persons – Whether registration of trademark conclusive – s 47, s 53 of the Trademarks Act 2019 TRADEMARK: Infringement – Whether trademarks are similar – Whether likelihood of confusion – s 38 of the Trade Marks Act 1976, s 54 of the Trademarks Act 2019 TRADEMARK: Groundless threats of infringement proceedings – Whether defendants are aggrieved persons – Whether infringing acts fall within exemptions – Whether defendants entitled to reliefs – s 61 of the Trademarks Act 2019 TRADEMARK: Passing off – Whether goodwill established – Whether there was misrepresentation by defendants

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property Contract

Judges (1)

Adlin binti Abdul Majid Delivered

Counsel (6)

Ken St James Firm Vilasiny Gan & Co. Firm Alex Gan Yi Yang Counsel Plaintiff Jonathan Gerard Counsel Defendant Tan Jit Kai Counsel Defendant Vilasiny G. Counsel Plaintiff

Parties (6)

BEAUTE REFINE MARKETING Sdn Bhd Defendant IMS BEAUTY SUPPLY ENTERPRISE Defendant SKIN RENEW PROFESSIONAL SOLUTION Sdn Bhd Plaintiff Beaute Refine Marketing Defendant Kwan Mei Kim Defendant Lee Kah Choon Defendant

Statutes Cited

Bankruptcy Act 1967 (Cap 360)

s 5(3)

s 202

Trade Marks Act 1976

s 38

Trade Marks Act 1995

s 129

Trademarks Act 2019

s 47(1)

Cases Cited (15)

SLR (1)

[2016] 4 SLR 86

UK (3)

[1969] 1 WLR 1306 [2004] EWHC 302 [2011] EWCA Civ 618

MY (11)

[1979] 1 MLJ 69 [1996] 3 MLJ 7 [2006] 6 MLJ 445 [2009] 5 MLJ 741 [2012] 1 MLJ 585 [2012] 6 MLJ 609 [2016] 4 MLJ 302 [2017] MLJU 1011 [2018] MLJU 407 [2022] 2 MLJ 67 [2022] 3 MLJ 426

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal.

Read on eJudgment

Source: eJudgment (wa-22ip-74-11-2020)