Client Perspectives
What our clients say about working with us
From Kota Kinabalu SMEs to university research teams — how clients describe the experience of working with Mutiara IP on their intellectual property matters.
Return Home600+
Matters Completed
4.9
Average Client Rating
94%
Trademark Acceptance Rate
15+
Years in Practice
Client Reviews
In their own words
"We came to Mutiara IP with a fairly urgent need — a third party had started trading under a name confusingly similar to ours. The team drafted a measured letter that resolved the situation without escalation. What I appreciated was that they explained the options and the likely costs of each before acting."
Khairul Wahab
F&B Business Owner, Kota Kinabalu
March 2025
"The patent prosecution process is not something most people encounter in the ordinary course of business. Ahmad Razif walked through the specification drafting in a way that made sense to me as the inventor — and was genuinely interested in understanding the technical details to ensure the claims were as strong as possible."
Dr. Jennifer Sim
Researcher, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
February 2025
"We needed a licensing agreement for our illustration work that covered digital use, print, and merchandise separately. Lim Yee Shan took the time to understand how we actually operate and drafted something that reflects our real business model. The process was slower than I had hoped, but the result was worth the patience."
Nurul Aina Che Mat
Creative Studio Founder, Sabah
January 2025
"What separates Mutiara IP from other firms we have dealt with is the availability of written advice before decisions are made. We registered three trademark classes and received a written registrability assessment for each before any filing fee was committed. That is not the norm in my experience."
Raymond Tan
Managing Director, Sabah Trading Group
March 2025
"As a software developer with limited legal background, the copyright landscape felt opaque. The advice I received was written in plain language and addressed the specific contract terms I was worried about rather than giving me a general lecture on copyright law. I have since referred two colleagues."
Faizal Harun
Independent Software Developer, KK
February 2025
"We engaged Mutiara IP for a patent portfolio review after our company grew to holding seven patent families. The review identified two that were close to lapsing and one where the claims scope was narrower than intended. The cost of the review was easily justified by the problems it caught."
Stephanie Lau
Head of Legal, Borneo Agritech
January 2025
Case Studies
Matters in detail
Challenge
Trademark Opposition Faced Before Registration
A Kota Kinabalu food producer filed a trademark for their premium sambal brand, only to receive a third-party opposition during the publication period from a KL-based competitor claiming similarity to an earlier mark.
Our Approach
Evidence-Based Counter-Statement
We filed a detailed counter-statement distinguishing the marks on conceptual, visual, and phonetic grounds, supported by evidence of commercial use and the distinct trading channels of the two businesses.
Outcome
Opposition Withdrawn, Registration Completed
The opposing party withdrew their opposition following the counter-statement. The trademark proceeded to registration. The matter resolved within four months of the opposition being filed, without formal hearing.
"I was not expecting opposition — it was a stressful period. But the advice was measured and the outcome was everything we needed."
Challenge
Software Commissioned Without IP Assignment Terms
A Sabah e-commerce startup had paid a developer to build their platform but discovered that under the Copyright Act 1987, copyright in the software code vested in the developer as author, not in the company as commissioner.
Our Approach
Negotiated Assignment Agreement
We drafted an assignment agreement covering the completed works and put in place a forward-looking development agreement with proper copyright and data provisions for ongoing development. The developer was willing to execute both documents.
Outcome
Rights Secured, Future Projects Protected
The company obtained full ownership of the platform code. A templated development agreement was put in place for future work. The matter was resolved within three weeks of instruction, without dispute.
Challenge
University Patent Filing with Complex Multi-Inventor Ownership
A research team at a Sabah university developed a novel agricultural treatment process involving five inventors from three different departments. Ownership and commercialisation rights needed to be clearly structured before any filing could proceed.
Our Approach
Invention Assignment Framework Before Filing
We advised on an inventor assignment framework, coordinated sign-off from all inventors, then proceeded with a patentability search and specification drafting in close consultation with the lead inventors. A PCT application was filed to preserve international priority.
Outcome
Filed at MyIPO and PCT with Clean Ownership Record
The application was filed with a clean ownership record, avoiding the co-ownership complications that typically arise in multi-institution research filings. PCT priority secured options in six export markets relevant to the agricultural technology sector.
"The team understood the complexity of working with multiple inventors across departments and kept the process from getting derailed."
Reach us directly
Office
Lot 2-3-11, Wisma Sabah
Jalan Tun Razak, 88000 Kota Kinabalu
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The clients above came to us with questions and left with their IP protected. We are glad to have the same conversation with you — with no obligation to proceed.
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