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TECHNOLOGY LAW

Computer Law and Information Technology Law

The  firm's  Information Technology practice advises clients and negotiates with  clients'  partners  on  contemporary  legal and commercial issues on multimedia   law   including  computer  law,  the  Internet,  domain name protection,  web-site  protection,  technology  transfer and licensing of Information Technology.

Through  close collaboration with  clients' management as  well as their  engineers,  the  group places importance on achieving commercially practical legal solutions.

Protection of Works on the Internet

Singapore  has  98%  of   its households enjoying access  to  broadband   connectivity.  With  a  total  population of  3.53 million, it has 1.06 million  adult  Internet users, which  translates  into  about  40% of its population.   E-commerce  revenues  totalled  US$228.50  million in Singapore  in  the  year 1999. On 1st April  2000,  the telecommunications  industry became  de-regulated and between April  to-date, there are now about over 120 telecommunication companies in Singapore.  In such an open and  recently  de-regulated  playing field on-line piracy is expected to rise.  In a digital environment,  legal disputes range from unauthorised use by a user of a work protected by copyright,  the provision of infringing works by an ISP or NSP,  protection of content on  the  website;  the above-mentioned being the most prolific examples of activities which give rise to legal disputes.  More specifically,  the issues involve whether activities such as hyperlinking,  deeplinking,  framing,  imaging and metatagging are acts which the law permits or prohibits.
Singapore's  Copyright  (Amendment)  Act 1999  was passed in August 1999 and has the following 3 objectives:-
    -    to address  various  issues  arising  from   the  use  of  copyright  material in a digital
         environment;
    -    to give greater rights to performances under the Act;
    -    to make further amendments to give effect to TRIPS.
Amendment Act 1999 achieves the following:-
    -    clarifies  that  copyright  protection is applicable also to electronic and temporary  copying;
    -    clarifies the liability of network services providers and
    -    extends  certain  existing  concepts  in  the Copyright Act 1987 to make them applicable in the          digital environment.

Technology Protection & Management

Our clients approach us with their patents, trade secrets and know-how and confidential  information, seeking  our advice on how to protect, commercialise and use these IP rights as assets.  With the rapid pace of research and  development in Singapore, and the emphasis on investment in the information  and biotechnology industries, Intellectual Property assets assume an even higher  place in the scheme of a company's assets.  To optimise these assets, we offer  clients expert legal advice on the various schemes and options available to clients.

We draft confidentiality agreements, technology transfer agreements, technology  licenses escrow agreements,  and other transactional strategies to optimise clients' assets.  We work with clients to protect and manage their IP rights in commercially challenging environments.

Telecommunication Law

Recognizing Singapore's objective to become the leader in the telecommunication industry in South East Asia, the firm has  developed  a  practice in this area of law. The telecommunication industry  in  Singapore  was de-regulated  on  1 April 2000  to open the industry to competing telcos providing a full range of telecommunication services. These  comprehensive  services  raise legal  issues of  broadcasting,  audio   and   visual   recording   rights, performing  rights, performance rights   including   protection of the latest  multimedia   technology   used   in   entertainment   through computers under the recent Copyright Amendment Act.

Technology Due Diligence

We represent both techonology start-ups and investment  companies. An important pre-requisite to any commercial venture involving Intellecutal Property and industrial rights is the due diligence review of the IPR. Usig our experience and expertise, we conduct due dilegence exercises on behalf of clients seeking to obtain licenses or invest in emerging companies. We organise and arrange for patent searches as well as for the evaluation of technology.