
WHY US?
When deciding on an IP or trademark firm to work with, it is quite natural to ask:
​
-
Is this firm any good? Are they reliable?
-
How's the quality?
-
Are they prompt?
-
Are they reasonably priced?
-
How long have they been around?
Well, to get your answers, the best option is to go to the firm's website to find out more. ​Most of the time, you will find very informative and detailed information about the firm, telling you exactly what you want to hear, i.e. that the firm has been around for many years, provides prompt, quality, reliable and cost-effective services.
This may be true of most firms, of course, but then how do you decide on which firm to work with when most of them have the same qualities and attributes? One way is to ask for a referral from a friend or colleague. Another, more effective way is simply to try out the firm and let the work speak for itself. This is what we, at Seiter IP Consultants LLP, advocate. Like most other trademark and IP firms, we too offer high quality, prompt, reliable and cost-effective trademark, design, copyright, domain name and other business-related IP services in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. But, we have three important differences.

Our clients come to us because they are frustrated in dealing with multiple agents in Southeast Asia and prefer working with one firm, one contact, without the hassle of dealing with various agents, inconsistent reporting styles, language barriers and below-par legal advice.
Although we do charge about 10% to 20% more in professional fees, there is certainly no double charge because our size allows for more flexibility with costs. ​As we have structured our business differently, we hope that you will give us the opportunity to show you how we work.
What's in a name? Everything.®
Licensing & Franchising
What is a license?
​
A license is permission to do something. In the case of IP, it is a form of consent from an IP owner to use the rights to a trademark, patent, copyright or design. There can be an exclusive or non-exclusive license granted. A licensing agreement is a legal contract between two parties, known as the licensor and the licensee. In most licensing agreements, the licensor grants the licensee the right to produce and sell products/services, to apply for a brand name or trademark, or use patented technology owned by the licensor. In exchange, the licensee usually adheres to a series of conditions regarding the use of the licensor's property and agrees to make payments known as royalties.
​
Licensing agreements cover a wide range of well-known situations. For example, a small manufacturer might license a proprietary production technology from a larger firm to gain a competitive edge rather than expending their own time and resources to develop its own technology.
How can we help you? Our scope of services include:
-
Drafting licensing agreements.
-
Advising on licensing disputes in different Southeast Asian countries..
-
Advising on licensing contracts.
What is a franchise?
​
A franchise is a form of expansion of an existing business. It is a business opportunity given to one party from another whereby business ideas, concepts, expressions and processes are shared. Franchising is a type of business model, where a business relationship between a franchisor, the owner and grantor of rights, and franchisee, a receiver of said rights, are created. A product or service is marketed and distributed based on the rights granted by the franchisor to run a business using the owner's trademark or trade name in a specific way for a specific amount of time.
The International Franchise Association has defined franchising as being a "continuing relationship in which the franchisor provides a licensed privilege to do business, plus assistance in organising training, merchandising and management in return for a consideration from the franchisee".
​
"Franchising" is also used to describe a number of business models, the most commonly identified of which is "business format franchising". There are other models which are also dependent on franchise relationships and these include:
​
-
Manufacturer-Retailer: Where the franchisee sells the franchisor's product directly to the public.
-
Manufacturer-Wholesaler: Where the franchisee is under a license to manufacture and distribute the franchisor's product.
-
Wholesaler-Retailer: Where the franchisee purchases products for retail sale from a franchisor wholesaler (frequently a cooperative of the franchisee retailers who have formed a wholesaling company through which they are contractually obliged to purchase, for example hardware and automotive product stores).
-
Retailer-Retailer: Where the franchisor markets a service, or a product, under a common name and standardised system, through a network of franchisees.
How can we help you? Our scope of services include:
-
Drafting a franchising agreement.
-
Advising on franchising rules and regulations in different Southeast Asian countries.
-
Advising on franchising disputes in different Southeast Asian countries.
​