In other words a FLOP invention. 
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Self-proclaimed Sinkie "Inventor" Gets Patent Revoked!
- Thread starter JohnTan
- Start date
Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
A doctor, a professor, a philanthropist, and an inventor. A man who believes in educating young Singaporeans to think and imagine, and not just to follow. A firm believe in putting Singaporeans first.
That’s Dr Ting Choon Meng. That’s the man that Singapore’s Ministry of Defence cruelly ripped off by stealing the rights to his design for a first-aid vehicle from right under his nose.
A short rags to riches story of Dr Ting
From young, he stood in for his seaman father, who was seldom home, while his seamstress mother toiled.
By age 11, he was cooking, ironing and tutoring his four younger siblings.
The Pearl’s Hill Primary, Gan Eng Seng Secondary and National Junior College student was the only one in his family to qualify for the University of Singapore medical school.
During National service, he attended Officer Cadet School as a medical officer, where his right index finger got sliced off by a bayonet.
He became a GP at a family health clinic, and later on invented a blood pressure monitoring watch that would shake up the medical world – the BPro.
In 2007, the device won a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award, which counts Google and PayPal among previous winners. Today, all the hospitals here, including some clinics, widely use his wireless monitoring devices.
Dr Ting has given out some 30 scholarships to students from Singapore Management University and Pioneer Junior College. The only condition – they pay it forward and help other needy students when they are financially-capable.
A serial inventor, Dr Ting and his partner would go on to develop a mobile first-aid centre in 2004. It was patented in more than 9 countries, including Singapore. That is, until MinDef conspired with an external vendor, Syntech, in 2009 to run with the idea force him to revoke all rights to the invention. Read the full story here.
The Great MinDef Heist
What happens if ordinary citizens really do come up with something novel, and this can be taken away in a flash? Or in this case, after years of legal wrangling?
Dr Ting received intellectual property rights to his invention in more than 9 countries. Even the SCDF acknowledged this and played fair by demanding that its vendor give Dr Ting’s company, HealthStats, its dues.
But MinDef and its legal battalion was allowed to run roughshod over this, and even the Singapore courts ruled in their defence.
Let’s not forget, this invention received IP rights in more than 9 countries, including Denmark, Britain and the US.
Are we truly that Uniquely Singapore?
No Country for Innovators
“All things being equal, we should get local brands. The Government should be the first and main customer of local enterprises, as in Japan and Germany.”
Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Dr Ting when he created his award-winning BPro blood pressure monitor.
Cardiologists here boycotted his talks. “I’ve been told countless times I’m only a GP… Re-learning is uncomfortable,” he concedes.
Economic Development Board officers asked him where he took the technology from, implying he copied it, and remarked: “You mean a Singaporean can do this?” Others took issue that he had no PhD, only a medical degree. And that his was a “local company, single product, with no track record”.
“But you got to start somewhere, isn’t it? It’s called colonisation of the mind.”
Dr Ting had to obtain patents from the US and other western nations, before the Singapore medical scene even bothered to take notice.
What does this spell for Singaporean innovators, then?
Can we blame Singaporeans for wanting to try their luck abroad, if their own country can’t even accept them?
And if they make it there, should we call them “quitters” or the reason for Singapore’s brain drain if they were to give Singapore the collective middle finger? Their homeland that refused to give them even the slightest of shots?
In Sum
The government continues to trumpet its desire for creativity and innovation in Singapore.
But following Dr Ting’s story, how can any Singaporean feel assured that anything they create will not be laid at the mercy of the bureaucratic meat-grinder, and they’ll be left with nothing except wounds to lick?
And even if they have the mind for invention, will they be given the support needed to develop their ideas without being stone-walled by unimaginative leaders who are grossly resistant to change?
It’s probably time to give this machine the collective middle finger.
http://redwiretimes.com/cow-beh-cow-bu/who-is-ting-choon-meng-mindef/
A doctor, a professor, a philanthropist, and an inventor. A man who believes in educating young Singaporeans to think and imagine, and not just to follow. A firm believe in putting Singaporeans first.
That’s Dr Ting Choon Meng. That’s the man that Singapore’s Ministry of Defence cruelly ripped off by stealing the rights to his design for a first-aid vehicle from right under his nose.
A short rags to riches story of Dr Ting
From young, he stood in for his seaman father, who was seldom home, while his seamstress mother toiled.
By age 11, he was cooking, ironing and tutoring his four younger siblings.
The Pearl’s Hill Primary, Gan Eng Seng Secondary and National Junior College student was the only one in his family to qualify for the University of Singapore medical school.
During National service, he attended Officer Cadet School as a medical officer, where his right index finger got sliced off by a bayonet.
He became a GP at a family health clinic, and later on invented a blood pressure monitoring watch that would shake up the medical world – the BPro.
In 2007, the device won a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award, which counts Google and PayPal among previous winners. Today, all the hospitals here, including some clinics, widely use his wireless monitoring devices.
Dr Ting has given out some 30 scholarships to students from Singapore Management University and Pioneer Junior College. The only condition – they pay it forward and help other needy students when they are financially-capable.
A serial inventor, Dr Ting and his partner would go on to develop a mobile first-aid centre in 2004. It was patented in more than 9 countries, including Singapore. That is, until MinDef conspired with an external vendor, Syntech, in 2009 to run with the idea force him to revoke all rights to the invention. Read the full story here.
The Great MinDef Heist
What happens if ordinary citizens really do come up with something novel, and this can be taken away in a flash? Or in this case, after years of legal wrangling?
Dr Ting received intellectual property rights to his invention in more than 9 countries. Even the SCDF acknowledged this and played fair by demanding that its vendor give Dr Ting’s company, HealthStats, its dues.
But MinDef and its legal battalion was allowed to run roughshod over this, and even the Singapore courts ruled in their defence.
Let’s not forget, this invention received IP rights in more than 9 countries, including Denmark, Britain and the US.
Are we truly that Uniquely Singapore?
No Country for Innovators
“All things being equal, we should get local brands. The Government should be the first and main customer of local enterprises, as in Japan and Germany.”
Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Dr Ting when he created his award-winning BPro blood pressure monitor.
Cardiologists here boycotted his talks. “I’ve been told countless times I’m only a GP… Re-learning is uncomfortable,” he concedes.
Economic Development Board officers asked him where he took the technology from, implying he copied it, and remarked: “You mean a Singaporean can do this?” Others took issue that he had no PhD, only a medical degree. And that his was a “local company, single product, with no track record”.
“But you got to start somewhere, isn’t it? It’s called colonisation of the mind.”
Dr Ting had to obtain patents from the US and other western nations, before the Singapore medical scene even bothered to take notice.
What does this spell for Singaporean innovators, then?
Can we blame Singaporeans for wanting to try their luck abroad, if their own country can’t even accept them?
And if they make it there, should we call them “quitters” or the reason for Singapore’s brain drain if they were to give Singapore the collective middle finger? Their homeland that refused to give them even the slightest of shots?
In Sum
The government continues to trumpet its desire for creativity and innovation in Singapore.
But following Dr Ting’s story, how can any Singaporean feel assured that anything they create will not be laid at the mercy of the bureaucratic meat-grinder, and they’ll be left with nothing except wounds to lick?
And even if they have the mind for invention, will they be given the support needed to develop their ideas without being stone-walled by unimaginative leaders who are grossly resistant to change?
It’s probably time to give this machine the collective middle finger.
http://redwiretimes.com/cow-beh-cow-bu/who-is-ting-choon-meng-mindef/
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
“I didn’t know that they infringed our IP until we saw the vehicle exhibited at National Day Parade 2011.”
Dr Ting took the case to court. He wanted MinDef to uphold the IP as it was MinDef that “drew up the specifications and decided on the vehicle.”
More was uncovered when MinDef’s lawyers from Wong and Leow LLC faxed Dr Ting a letter by mistake. The letter from Syntech, dated March 2009, indicated the company’s intention to sidestep Dr Ting’s patent.
“We noted your concern with regards to the possible infringement of their patent rights under their SG Publication Number 113446. Together with our legal advisors, we have studied their patent design as compared to our Medical Shelter design submitted under Tender Ref No. 7108105610. We have conclude that there is no infringement of their patent rights. Moreover, we have also concluded that their patent lacked novelty and/or inventive step… As such, it will be very difficult for them to defend their patent rights.”
Wong and Leow LLC frantically called Dr Ting to ask him to destroy the letter (here) :
http://redwiretimes.com/singapore-in-brief/ting-choon-meng-mindef-healthstats/
“I didn’t know that they infringed our IP until we saw the vehicle exhibited at National Day Parade 2011.”
Dr Ting took the case to court. He wanted MinDef to uphold the IP as it was MinDef that “drew up the specifications and decided on the vehicle.”
More was uncovered when MinDef’s lawyers from Wong and Leow LLC faxed Dr Ting a letter by mistake. The letter from Syntech, dated March 2009, indicated the company’s intention to sidestep Dr Ting’s patent.
“We noted your concern with regards to the possible infringement of their patent rights under their SG Publication Number 113446. Together with our legal advisors, we have studied their patent design as compared to our Medical Shelter design submitted under Tender Ref No. 7108105610. We have conclude that there is no infringement of their patent rights. Moreover, we have also concluded that their patent lacked novelty and/or inventive step… As such, it will be very difficult for them to defend their patent rights.”
Wong and Leow LLC frantically called Dr Ting to ask him to destroy the letter (here) :
http://redwiretimes.com/singapore-in-brief/ting-choon-meng-mindef-healthstats/
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
halo serve first later park off den kena park again ah
halo serve first later park off den kena park again ah
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
The path to riches and success for sinkies in sinkieland is to study hard and get govt scholarship then become a jiakliaobee in SAF. If porlampar skills and connections are good then promote to ultimate jiakliaobee as miw.
This is the one and only path to richest and success in Sg.
Frivolous occupations like inventor is digging your own grave destined to a life of destitute and failure
The path to riches and success for sinkies in sinkieland is to study hard and get govt scholarship then become a jiakliaobee in SAF. If porlampar skills and connections are good then promote to ultimate jiakliaobee as miw.
This is the one and only path to richest and success in Sg.
Frivolous occupations like inventor is digging your own grave destined to a life of destitute and failure
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
SAF stands for serve and fuck off. i have my own bad experience with many old guard crony occifers, regular soldiers are all waiting for opportunity to scote point only. i swear that they are really useless when there is war. this article just confirmed for me that sinkapur is not worth staying and defending. lky knows who i am, his cronies hatef me cos' i spoke the tooth. my story ended. my migration to australia is processing and good luck to pap and sinkieland...
SAF stands for serve and fuck off. i have my own bad experience with many old guard crony occifers, regular soldiers are all waiting for opportunity to scote point only. i swear that they are really useless when there is war. this article just confirmed for me that sinkapur is not worth staying and defending. lky knows who i am, his cronies hatef me cos' i spoke the tooth. my story ended. my migration to australia is processing and good luck to pap and sinkieland...
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
...............................Source: The Online Citizen
Inventor forced by Mindef to close company over patent rights
JANUARY 15, 2015 BY HOWARD LEE IN TOC REPORTS · 57 COMMENTS
By Howard Lee
Facing a long-drawn and uphill lawsuit with the Ministry of Defence over a patent issue, Dr Ting Choon Meng, an innovator and medical professional, decided to withdraw his case due to mounting legal costs and a battle for which he saw no end in sight.
Even worse, given that Mindef is now demanding about S$580,000 in legal fees, to have his patent revoked and assign the rights to the Ministry, Dr Ting is looking at the very grim prospects of closing down his company Mobilestats Technologies Pte Ltd, the company holding the patent rights to his invention, the Station With Immediate First-Aid Treatment (SWIFT) vehicle.
[video=vimeo;117022082]https://vimeo.com/117022082[/video]
[Video Credit: TOC TV]
“I am completely disheartened,” said Dr Ting. “After this incident, suffice to say that I have lost confidence in Singapore’s ability to be a global IP hub.”
What made his case even more poignant is that Dr Ting was appointed to the board of directors for the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) since April 2013. He has since stepped down in January 2014, after he withdrew his case against Mindef.
“It has come to a point whereby I am honestly convinced that there is no true conviction right at the top of our government for Singapore to be transformed into a Global IP Hub,” he had written in his resignation letter.
“Recent events and processes in my own encounter have unfortunately shown me that without real conviction and internalization from the top, what we are trying to do in IPOS are but lip service.”
International certification for innovation
Dr Ting and his partners invented SWIFT, effectively a quick-deployment first aid station for crisis use, after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US. Television footage of 9/11 made him realise that a vehicle-based medical facility would be a great game-changer in managing casualties during crises.
Subsequently, he applied for patent rights for his invention in no less than nine countries and successfully obtained the rights to intellectual property (IP) in almost all of them, including his home country Singapore.
His application to IPOS was filed on 27 December 2002, whereby it received a few rounds of checks through the reputed Danish Patent and Trademark Office, before it was finally approved on 6 July 2005.
Dr Ting and his partners continued to file for patent rights in eight other countries and regions, and received similar approvals in Australia, Japan, Israel, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United States of America and Europe.
During the long journey of certifying the IP for SWIFT, Dr Ting and his partners presented the concept to Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force Singapore Civil Defence Force, Mr James Tan, in 2004 and was asked to help build a prototype for trial purposes.
SCDF eventually called for a tender in 2006 for vendors to manufacture SWIFT, and within the tender documents, indicated that interested bidders need to first sign a licensing agreement with Mobilestats before SCDF would consider their bid. The SWIFT vehicles went on to serve its operational needs, and were publicised several times as an icon of “SCDF innovation”.
“It needs to be ruggedized”
However, Dr Ting had a less pleasant experience with Mindef. At a trade fair in 2005, Dr Ting spoke to BG (Dr) Wong Yue Sie, then chief of the SAF Medical Corps, about the SWIFT vehicle that was on display.
“He told me that changes would have to be made to the vehicle if it were to be adapted for SAF’s use,” recounted Dr Ting. “For example, the vehicle would have to be painted to camouflage and it needed to be ruggedized. I told him that such changes would not be a problem, but I informed him the vehicle was patented.”
“He told me that he would contact SCDF and said to me that, “maybe we can do it on our own” or words to that effect. I remember that clearly because I remember telling him that he could not do that because the vehicle was patented.”
Dr Ting never heard from Mindef since. However, in April 2009, the Defence Science and Technology Agency called a tender to procure a “Mobile First-Aid Post”. While the tender required bidders to obtain licensing agreements for IP, DSTA’s tender did not specifically mention Dr Ting’s SWIFT, as SCDF’s has done. The contract was eventually awarded to Syntech Engineers Pte Ltd for production, which did not contact Dr Ting or his partner about the patent.
“In fact, I didn’t know that they infringed our IP until we saw the vehicle exhibited at National Day Parade 2011,” said Dr Ting. It was supposedly the same vehicle that was featured in the 2011 National Day Parade, apparently as a fully operational model.
Intention to infringe?
Dr Ting decided to pursue the legal route with Mindef. “I can’t take it up with the vendor – they will just throw it back to Mindef, because they set out the tender. In any case, it was Mindef who drew up the specifications, they decided on the vehicle, so they should uphold the IP.”
Curiously, in the exchange of legal letters, Mindef’s representing lawyers from Wong and Leow LLC accidentally faxed him a letter from Syntech, dated March 2009 and addressed to Mindef, outlined the company’s clear intent not to pay any heed to Dr Ting’s patent. Syntech wrote:
“We noted your concern with regards to the possible infringement of their patent rights under their SG Publication Number 113446. Together with our legal advisors, we have studied their patent design as compared to our Medical Shelter design submitted under Tender Ref No. 7108105610. We have conclude that there is no infringement of their patent rights. Moreover, we have also concluded that their patent lacked novelty and/or inventive step… As such, it will be very difficult for them to defend their patent rights.”
After receiving the fax, Dr Ting said Wong and Leow LLC frantically called him to ask him to destroy the letter.
“It’s clear that Mindef is aware of potential infringement and had asked Syntech about it, but the company has decided not to obtain the IP license from us,” said Dr Ting. “Why did Mindef let that happen? Instead, they have effectively decided that our IP can be contested. And this was after IPOS has certified the patent!”
War of attrition
What Dr Ting did not count on was that the case would drag on for two years, costing him a fortune that effectively outweighed any licensing fee he would have been able to obtain from a successful case.
“It’s a war of attrition,” he said. “Mindef not only had the Attorney General defending them, they also contracted Wong and Leow. Why did they need so many lawyers? They kept delaying the case, claiming that their witness was not available. Meanwhile, every delay cost me in legal fees. I have no more money to fight this case.”
Eventually, Dr Ting decided to drop the case in January 2014, as the legal cost was too high for him to bear.
Just as perturbing was Mindef’s actions to “settle” the case. Dr Ting had offered them settlement terms indicating that each party pay for their legal fees, that he would not claim IP license fees for the vehicles Mindef has already built and allowing them royalty-free use for up to three years. However, charges will apply for subsequent vehicles built by Mindef. Fairly reasonable, he thought.
However, just two weeks before the scheduled trial, Mindef dropped a bombshell with their “counter-offer”: Dr Ting had to pay for Mindef legal costs, drop all claims to IP, and surrender his patent for SWIFT in Singapore as well as for the other seven countries the patent is registered in. This meant that Dr Ting not only lost the right to claim damages for the original infringement, but can no longer exercise his patent rights to SWIFT with other developers anywhere else in the world.
Just as strangely, although the courts awarded Mindef the right to revoke Dr Ting’s patent for SWIFT in October 2014, he heard from his sources that the agency has to date not gone to IPOS to complete the revocation.
“When I dropped the case, my conditions was that I would not claim for the vehicles Mindef has made, so long as they stop infringing on my IP,” said Dr Ting. “Instead, they countered by demanding that I pay their legal fees, and grant them free use of the patent.”
Meanwhile, Wong and Leow LLC slapped him with a legal bill of about S$580,000. Dr Ting had no more money to pay, and would likely have to put the company in receivership. Which means any party that takes over Mobilestats would still have the IP rights to SWIFT, until Mindef chooses to revoke it with IPOS.
“I honestly have no idea what Mindef is now planning to do with the IP for SWIFT,” said Dr Ting. “What I do know is that Mindef has produced up to 58 copies of the same vehicles. What for? I was a battalion commander in the Medical Corps before, and by my estimate, the entire SAF would only need about 12 to 14 SWIFT vehicles for its entire operational needs. Why produce 58?”
The Online Citizen has sent a request to Mindef to comment on this article. We will publish their response, if any, when they reply
End Of Article
Re: Dr Ting Choon Meng - Why You MUST Care that MINDEF Ripped Him Off
Don't invent, don't innovate and don't contribute to the SAF and its various defence related organizations.
Your attitude should be like Xu Shu under Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The only time when you should be proactively involved is to sabotage the entire hierarchy. In all other circumstances, stay off, remain low profile and switch off mentally and emotionally.
Oh yeah, happy SG50, motherfuckers.
Don't invent, don't innovate and don't contribute to the SAF and its various defence related organizations.
Your attitude should be like Xu Shu under Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The only time when you should be proactively involved is to sabotage the entire hierarchy. In all other circumstances, stay off, remain low profile and switch off mentally and emotionally.
Oh yeah, happy SG50, motherfuckers.
The corrupted system of Singapore gov and it's justice system.
It is not just the SAF. Most civil service departments 'innovate' in similar ways. They would invite someone they know who has innovative ideas for meetings / interviews. These innovators would innocently share their ideas and even give them details about how it could be executed, thinking perhaps they would get at least the first bite of the cherry.
The department then goes silent for a few weeks. And then, out comes an invitation to quote (ITQ) on GeBiz with exactly the same specifications that the innovators had shared with them. If asked / probed, the department would tell the innovators that because the project was above a certain amount, an ITQ was needed, and that the innovators could quote.
When results are announced, there would be a very good chance that the project would be awarded to the usual suspects.
The department then goes silent for a few weeks. And then, out comes an invitation to quote (ITQ) on GeBiz with exactly the same specifications that the innovators had shared with them. If asked / probed, the department would tell the innovators that because the project was above a certain amount, an ITQ was needed, and that the innovators could quote.
When results are announced, there would be a very good chance that the project would be awarded to the usual suspects.
the "mobile first-aid post" product built by syntech engineering pte. ltd. for mindef is conspicuously missing in their product and project portfolio on their website.
http://www.syntech.com.sg
http://www.syntech.com.sg
nothing surprising. they acquired swathes of privately owned land when they came into power in the name of national development under the land acquisition act. sold it back to sinkies on 99 year leasehold hdb. and resold prime plots to crony developers. if they can do it to your physical property, why not your intellectual property. One can sum it all up in one sentence: State controlled capitalism (fascism) and crony capitalism.
thats what facism mean?
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