Aupen told to issue correction notice over trademark posts

Founder Nicholas Tan claimed that IPOS told him not to pursue a trademark dispute with Target.

Singapore’s law minister has ordered bag brand Aupen and its founder to publish a correction notice for alleged falsehoods made in social media posts about intellectual property in Singapore.

Aupen founder Nicholas Tan is said to have made false statements regarding his interactions with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), as well as about Singapore’s trademark laws, in a series of Instagram posts made between September 9-16, according to a post by the Ministry of Law.

At the time, Aupen was facing a potential challenge by United States (US) retailer Target, against a trademark application in the US by Aupen.

Tan allegedly claimed that IPOS told him not to pursue a trademark dispute with Target in Singapore as there was a high chance of losing, according to a separate post in Factually.

Tan also reportedly stated that Singapore’s trademark laws are “designed to protect foreign businesses and not local businesses,” it added.

Tan also claimed that IPOS told him that legal reform to disallow bad faith trademark registrations in Singapore would not be possible; that IPOS provides support to foreign companies and not local companies in their trade mark disputes, and that IPOS “flip-flopped” on its advice given to Tan, based on a media statement published by IPOS on 11 September 2025, according to the Factually statement.

The Instagram stories were published by Tan on 9 September 2025, on 15 September 2025, and on 16 September 2025.

Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and second minister for Home Affairs, has instructed that correction directions be issued to Tan and Aupen.

Trademark issues
In the Factually post, the government said that IPOS did not tell Tan not to pursue a trade mark dispute with Target in Singapore “due to a high chance of losing the dispute.”

Instead, IPOS is said to have reassured Tan that its “AUPEN” trademark remained valid in Singapore.

IPOS is said to have initiated a meeting to offer support to Tan and Aupen following . a 25 August 2025 Instagram post by Aupen, where the company shared a letter from US retailer Target asking about the “AUPEN” trademark.

At the meeting, held on 1 September 2025, Tan is said to have shared more information about the potential US trade mark dispute, including that he was receiving legal advice regarding it.

Target had relaunched its “AUDEN” line of goods in 2024, with bags that Aupen said is similar to those it sold.

IPOS said that a potential US trademark dispute between Aupen and Target will not affect Aupen’s trade mark registration in Singapore, which remains valid, “unless and until there is a successful challenge in Singapore, whether by Target or any other party.”

Tan and Aupen are required to publish a correction notice on their Instagram pages.  These notices will have to state that the content communicated in the social media posts flagged contained false statements of fact, and provide a link to the government’s clarification.