Food For Thought

Recent events involving Uniqlo and Singapore creators have raised questions around shared culture and originality, but experts say it is the expression and not the subject that matters

- Amanda Chai

A few years ago, the ang ku kueh cushion was a staple in almost every Singapore millennial household.

It was created in 2015 for SG50 by home-grown souvenir brand Red Republic (now called Nom.sg), which also originated paraphernalia such as the iced gem biscuit plushie and Kopibag Mug.

The larger-than-life kueh was not just kitschy, but to have it in your home also represented a quiet patriotism and nostalgic pining. Thanks to the SG50 demand for all things hyperlocal, it spawned countless knock-offs.

Yet, the brand said in an interview with SG Magazine in 2018 that it would not pursue patenting its creations, as a few minor changes—such as changing the Chinese character on the cushion—would allow copycats to get away scot-free.

Some 10 years later, the intersecting relevance of local food, art and originality is a topic of public interest again.

In the past week, Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo has faced allegations of intellectual property (IP) theft from Singaporean brands Musoka Club and PointyRice for its local food campaign. It was launched in May as part of Uniqlo's annual Thank You Festival.

The home-grown brands raised similarities between their products and Uniqlo's: Musoka Club for the UTme! Local Delights Collection of local food-themed T-shirts, which feature dishes like kaya toast and chilli crab; and PointyRice for Uniqlo's customizable cai fan (economy rice) keychain and pop-up stall.

Musoka Club's T-shirt collection was launched in July 2023, while PointyRice debuted its stickers of mixed rice dishes with a pop-up stall in April.

Uniqlo has rejected both claims and denied taking inspiration from either brand.