Attempting to commercialise a patent before amendment can amount to seeking an unfair advantage

The decision in In the Matter of Proposed Patent Amendments by Hitachi, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Opposition to Amendment by Singapore Shipping Association and Association of Singapore Marine Industries (Intellectual Property of Singapore, 20 March 2018) marks the first time that a tribunal in Singapore has ruled that an attempt to commercialise a patent can amount to seeking an unfair advantage of the unamended patent and has refused the amendments sought on this basis.