Kuek Pei Yee Partner

Contact
T +603 2081 3999 ext 853
E kpy@skrine.com
 

Overview


Pei Yee is a partner in the Intellectual Property and TMT practice and her work focuses on intellectual property disputes. She advises and represents local and foreign clients across numerous industries, including automotive, apparel and footwear, food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, education, life sciences, healthcare, medical devices, insurance, entertainment, media and technology.
 
Pei Yee has acted as lead counsel in litigation matters that cut across all IP subject matters, some of which have served to define milestones in the Malaysian IP landscape.
 
Besides contentious matters, Pei Yee regularly advises clients on transactions involving IP subject matters. Her work in this area include drafting and reviewing agreements relating to assignment, licensing, research and development, brand endorsement and others. She also assists clients in refining their IP protection strategies and policies.
 
Pei Yee has been described by IAM Patent 1000 as a “quick-witted litigator” and a “home-grown talent” who is “a steady anchor” in the field. In 2020, Pei Yee was also ranked as an Up and Coming lawyer in Chambers Asia Pacific for Intellectual Property.
 

Key Practice Areas

  • IP Litigation and Enforcement
  • Advertising and Product Liability
  • Consumer Protection Disputes
  • IP Registration and Prosecution
  • TMT Disputes
 

  • Represented a Malaysian producer and distributor of rice in a claim for trade mark infringement, copyright infringement, passing off and unlawful interference with trade. In this case, the High Court accepted arguments with respect to the issue turning on the availability of a trade description order (prescribed under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011) as a relief where a plaintiff succeeds in proving trade mark infringement under the Trade Marks Act 1976. This was the first case in which a court of law in Malaysia had ruled on this interplay between the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act and the Trade Marks Act.
  • Represented a German manufacturer of electrical components in an action commenced at the High Court for the cancellation of a trade mark wrongfully registered in the name of its Malaysian agent or licensee. The Malaysian Court held that an agent or licensee of a foreign principal cannot claim to be entitled to the trade mark registration in Malaysia.
  • Represented a general merchant in an ownership dispute over a trade mark applied to industrial rubber gloves and successfully expunged trade mark registrations in the name of the supplier engaged by the general merchant to manufacture the gloves.
  • Represented a local palm oil mill operator in successfully defending against a claim for patent infringement of a vertical steriliser apparatus.
  • Represented a leading kitchen appliances company in Malaysia in relation to non-infringement for patents. The decision is important as the Court of Appeal: (1) accepted the application of the Improver questions as an aid to the construction of patent claims, and (2) confirmed that in doing so, all the three Improver questions have to be answered and not just one or two of them.
  • Represented a foreign manufacturer of semiconductor devices testing machines and equipment against employees and former employees for copyright infringement, breach of confidential information and breach of fiduciary duties, obtained and executed an ex parte Anton Piller and interlocutory injunction order.
  • Represented a number of UK registered Design holders in a class action and obtained a declaration in respect of the extension of the validity of their registered designs for a 25-year period.
  • Represented a trade association in the cancellation of two industrial designs for prayer coils and joss-sticks, on a pro bono basis.
  • Represented a local motorcycle assemblers and distributors in its defence to a copyright infringement suit over a motorcycle design brought by a foreign motorcycle producer and in response to the subsequent appeal.
  • Represented various local and foreign clients, in raids and investigations carried out by regulatory authorities. The clients span across a range of industries, including fashion, footwear, apparel, electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical and healthcare, automotive, food and beverage and fast moving consumer goods.

  • Advised clients on legal compliance relating to advertisements for various products and services, including pharmaceutical products, food and beverage, apparel, automobiles, toys and others.

  • Advised and represented clients in matters arising from consumer claims against supplier or manufacturer of various goods, including fast moving consumer goods, automobiles, electrical goods and others.
  • Represented foreign automobile manufacturer in product liability claims by consumers.

Qualifications:
  • Registered Patent Agent
  • Registered Trade Mark Agent
  • Registered Industrial Design Agent
  • Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya (2000)
  • LL.B (Honours), The University of Melbourne (1999)
  • Bachelor of Commerce, The University of Melbourne (1999)
Professional Affiliations:
  • Committee member, Malaysian Bar Intellectual Property Committee
  • Committee member, ICC Intellectual Property Committee, Malaysian Chapter
  • Member, Malaysian Intellectual Property Association

  • Listed as “Future Stars” in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2020
  • Listed as “Up and Coming” in Intellectual Property by Chambers Asia Pacific 2020
  • Described as a “home-grown talent” who is “a steady anchor” in the field, by IAM Patent 1000.