In a rare patent infringement case to go the distance in the Singapore courts, a lock maker, one Ng Kok Cheng, who has cornered almost half of the lucrative Housing Development Board (HDB) flat market with a patented lock has successfully sued a dealer for copying his lock’s design.
It was recently reported in the local press that dealer Chua Say Tiong was found by the High Court to have copied Ng’s two-bodied Duro lock as there was a "striking resemblance" between Ng’s Duro lock and Chua’s Castle lock. Judicial Commissioner Judith Prakash ruled that the Duro lock patent was a valid one and that Mr Chua's lock had infringed it. The assessment of damages will be heard later.
Mr Ng’s success with the Duro lock began in 1995 when he sought to improve the existing locks used on HDB gates. He finalised the design of the Duro lock in 1997. It consists of two bodies and a shackle bar which passes through one part of the body into the other. Its unique features are that it can clamp and
