In the wake of The Real Singapore's closure last Sunday, new socio-political site Straits Times Review was quickly launched — and Singapore Press Holdings are furious over the parallels in name with the nation's biggest newspaper The Straits Times.
So furious that they're taking steps against the site for allegedly borrowing their newspaper's name. According to The Straits Times (how meta), the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) media group are exploring all options — including legal options — against the Straits Times Review over the name.
The Straits Times Review was recently registered on Apr 18 by The Real Singapore founder and former editor Alex Tan, who describes the new venture as an independent news site based in Australia.
Tan has reach out to SPH over them taking issue with the name, insisting that he will change the name of his site should they contact him in amicable terms without resorting to legal action.
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Sent to Singapore Press Holdings stonline@sph.com.sg:Hi Singapore Press Holdings,I was notified that your company is...
Posted by Straits Times Review on Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Unfortunately, it seems like they can't do anything much about it. Being based in Australia, Tan has not infringed any trademark or intellectual property rights. In fact, he simply had to pay $120 to register the trademark for Straits Times Review.
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I have applied for Trademark registration for "Straits Times Review". $120 only.A search on trademarks with IP Australia revealed that there is no trademark on "Straits Times".
Posted by Straits Times Review on Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Even the Media Development Authority wouldn't be able to do much about the Straits Times Review, as the site is out of their jurisdiction. The authority had ordered The Real Singapore's editors — 26-year-old Singaporean student Yang Kaiheng and 22-year-old Australian fiancee Ai Takagi — to cease operations of the website and their social media accounts on May 3, and were banned from resuming operations under any other name.
Both are currently charged with seven counts of sedition and one count each under the Penal Code for failing to produce documents related to their site to a police officer. Their lawyer have confirmed that they had nothing to do with Straits Times Review.
Photo: Straits Times Review screengrab
In the wake of The Real Singapore's closure last Sunday, new socio-political site Straits Times Review was quickly launched — and Singapore Press Holdings are furious over the parallels in name with the nation's biggest newspaper The Straits Times.
So furious that they're taking steps against the site for allegedly borrowing their newspaper's name. According to The Straits Times (how meta), the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) media group are exploring all options — including legal options — against the Straits Times Review over the name.
The Straits Times Review was recently registered on Apr 18 by The Real Singapore founder and former editor Alex Tan, who describes the new venture as an independent news site based in Australia.
Tan has reach out to SPH over them taking issue with the name, insisting that he will change the name of his site should they contact him in amicable terms without resorting to legal action.
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Sent to Singapore Press Holdings stonline@sph.com.sg:Hi Singapore Press Holdings,I was notified that your company is...
Posted by Straits Times Review on Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Unfortunately, it seems like they can't do anything much about it. Being based in Australia, Tan has not infringed any trademark or intellectual property rights. In fact, he simply had to pay $120 to register the trademark for Straits Times Review.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
I have applied for Trademark registration for "Straits Times Review". $120 only.A search on trademarks with IP Australia revealed that there is no trademark on "Straits Times".
Posted by Straits Times Review on Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Even the Media Development Authority wouldn't be able to do much about the Straits Times Review, as the site is out of their jurisdiction. The authority had ordered The Real Singapore's editors — 26-year-old Singaporean student Yang Kaiheng and 22-year-old Australian fiancee Ai Takagi — to cease operations of the website and their social media accounts on May 3, and were banned from resuming operations under any other name.
Both are currently charged with seven counts of sedition and one count each under the Penal Code for failing to produce documents related to their site to a police officer. Their lawyer have confirmed that they had nothing to do with Straits Times Review.
Photo: Straits Times Review screengrab