Issue #68: Fresh Off the IPBA!
Welcome to the latest edition of OiA! This edition is fresh off the IPBA express with a contributed article and stories from a scholar.
We welcome articles from our community, so if you’ve got insights to share, slide into our inbox.
Here are the latest 🌶 headlines in APAC:
Ling Yah
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“Prompt + AI” ≠ Work
China draws a line between art and algorithm.
🍿 What Happened?
A designer used Midjourney to create butterfly-shaped chairs — think cute, glassy, jelly-textured vibes — and added stickers via Xingtu before letting AI finish the job. The result? Visually stunning. But when they tried to copyright it, the court said… no.
👀 Why Not?
The court found there wasn’t enough human creative input. The designer couldn’t show proof of decisions about layout, colour, or composition. Worse: the final image couldn’t be reproduced — a red flag in AI-generated work. The judge called it a “blind box” process, not original expression.
🧠 Bottom Line:
Just typing prompts into AI doesn’t make it your work. In China at least, copyright still belongs to humans — not the machine.
*This article was contributed by Claire Jiang Xinyan, who shared her insights during the “Big Tech Disputes – Now and the Future” panel at the recent 2025 Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Conference.
You Idiot!
In a significant win for free speech advocates, Indonesia's Constitutional Court has ruled that government bodies and corporations can no longer file defamation complaints against their critics.
🍿 What Happened?
The landmark decision stems from a petition by environmental campaigner Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan, who challenged the controversial Electronic Information and Transaction Law - widely criticised for stifling legitimate criticism.
While the Court didn't grant the entire petition, Judge Arief Hidayat delivered a crucial modification: only individuals directly defamed can now file complaints, effectively barring the government, companies, and institutional entities from weaponising defamation laws against critics.
👀 Impact
Looks like you can call your political rivals “idiots” without fear of jail time!
Cancelled… NOT!
PT Indo RX, an Indonesian shoe component manufacturer, has prevailed in international arbitration against German firm Rhenoflex GmbH (“Rhenoflex”) and its UK-based parent company Coats Group plc (“Coats“).
🍿 What Happened?
In January 2024, Rhenoflex GmbH unilaterally terminated their 14-year partnership with PT Indo RX. It then halted the supply of essential raw materials to PT Indo RX, forcing the latter to conduct operational shutdowns and workforce layoffs.
As if that wasn’t enough, they also attempted to capture PT Indo RX's customer base by spreading misinformation about the partnership's status and supplying components from China in violation of PT Indo RX's exclusive market rights.
👀 What’s Next?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the German Arbitration Institution panel has now declared this termination to be invalid.
Looks like unilateral decisions don’t always work out!
Spotlight: Abhilaash Subramaniam
This Malaysian Lawyer is one of four International recipients of the 2025 IPBA Young Lawyer Scholarship.
Food Reveal
Looking for some delicious pucuk paku salad and grilled squid?
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