Sesdaq listed engineering solutions provider, Trek 2000 International Ltd (“Trek” or “the Company”) today announced that it has received approval from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) for the grant of the patent for one of Trek’s renowned ThumbDrive solutions.

This patent is for a portable storage device, which includes a universal serial bus (USB) coupling device and an interface device also termed a driver. This device is coupled to the USB coupling device and also has a memory control device and a non-volatile solidstate memory device (flash memory base). The memory control device is coupled between the interface device (the driver) and the memory device (the flash memory base) to control the flow of data from the memory device (flash memory base) to the USB coupling device.

Commenting on the approval, Mr Henn Tan, Chairman and CEO of Trek said, “with this approval, we are now better assured of our intellectual property protection. Since its introduction into the market, the ThumbDrive has created tremendous interest around the world in both IT product manufacturers as well as corporate and individual consumers. Over the last few years, copies of the ThumbDrive solution have emerged indiscriminately in the markets in Asia and across the world. While physically resembling the ThumbDrive, the copies of the product in the market differ in many areas for instance, in shape, nomenclature, quality and reliability. In order to prevent the public from being misled, it is important for us to protect the intellectual property rights of the ThumbDrive solution. With the approval of the patent, we are now ready to reduce products that adulterate the ThumbDrive solution in the market.”

Presently the ThumbDrive is sold and distributed in many countries including
Singapore, Japan, Korea, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, the Middle East, US, Canada and Europe. Trek also undertakes OEM and ODM activities for major
international IT brands aiming at integrating the ThumbDrive solution into their existing products like laptops and PCs. With this latest patent approval, Trek is optimistic that it will see increased opportunities to work with other major IT names in the world, taking into account the emphasis placed by international MNCs on respecting intellectual property rights for the solutions they use and incorporate into the products, which carry their brand names.

This is Trek’s first patent since its ThumbDrive solution entered the market more than 2 years ago. Following this patent, the Company is also awaiting for the approvals to other patents that it has filed. In FY2001, the Company and its subsidiaries filed a total of 6 patents in addition to the 5 patents filed in FY2000. Certain patents filed in 2000 are at the advance stage for awarding.

“As we develop an increasing number of new engineering solutions to meet the rapidly changing IT storage solutions demands in the market, it will be our practice to protect all our investments in our research and development knowhow through the use of patents. The value of the patents will eventually be incorporated and reflected in the price of our products. This will deliver our promise to raise the value of shareholders’ investments in Trek 2000.” Said Mr Henn Tan, “The success of Trek today is a living example of Singapore’s capability to develop into an IP Hub and it corresponds with the new initiative, Human + Intellectual Property (“HIP”) Alliance recently announced by IPOS.”
he continued.

Trek’s patent approval for the ThumbDrive solution underscores the rising awareness and respect of intellectual property rights in Singapore. In 2001, Singapore saw an 11% increase in the number of patent applications filed over that of the previous year, totaling 8,594 patents. Singapore residents filed a total of 6% or 523 patents of the total number of applications filed last year. (Source: Business Times dated 4 April 2002). It also reflects the increasing importance for both businesses and individuals in Singapore to protect their inventions through the use of patents as Singapore moves towards its goal
of becoming a knowledge-based economy with emphasis on research and development in different areas ranging from technology to life sciences.

In 1995, Singapore joined the Patent Corporation Treaty (“PCT”), an international treaty to facilitate patent applications. This means that a Singapore resident can file his patent application in Singapore and nominate various PCT contracting states where he also wishes to obtain patent protection. Detailed examination then follows, including national examination in accordance with the laws of each PCT state nominated. The advantage of being part of the PCT system is that the applicant saves substantial costs and time which would have otherwise been expended initially if individual patent applications have to be filed in various countries. The PCT enables an inventor who has filed an application for a Singapore patent to receive the same priority date when he seeks to file
patent applications in other member PCT countries.