S'pore slide-&-swing door inventor wins lawsuit against rivals after private investigator conducts 'trap purchase'

Singapore’s High Court ruled in favor of Ng Say Keong, the inventor of the 'SK Door,' a space-saving slide-and-swing door, in a lawsuit against Jia Le Aluminium and 9 Power Aluminium & Glass. Ng sued the companies for passing off their 'SD Door' product as his patented design. While the court found no patent infringement, Justice Dedar Singh Gill determined that the defendants had engaged in passing off, demonstrating goodwill, misrepresentation, and resulting damage to Ng’s business.

The case stemmed from customer reports and a 'trap purchase' orchestrated by a private investigator, who was offered an 'SK Door' by a 9 Power employee and shown a door labeled as such in their showroom. The court noted the defendants’ use of 'SD' for their product was likely a deliberate attempt to mislead customers, given Ng’s company had used the 'SD' prefix for their 'SK Doors' prior to the defendants’ company establishment.

The judge acknowledged the defendants’ argument that no damage was done as the investigator received a door, but countered that their actions likely harmed Ng’s goodwill. The amount of damages will be determined in a separate hearing in 2026.

(Source：Mothership.)