Aupen Faces POFMA Correction Over Misleading IPO and Trademark Claims

Luxury fashion brand Aupen and its founder, Nicholas Tan, have been issued a correction direction under Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). The directive, issued on May 2 by the Ministry of Law (MinLaw), addresses several false statements made by Tan and subsequently published by media outlets regarding the company's business ventures and intellectual property.

The core of the issue revolves around three key areas where Aupen's claims were found to be inaccurate.

Firstly, Tan had asserted that Aupen was actively preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), signaling a significant move into the public market. MinLaw, however, clarified that Aupen had not, in fact, filed any documents for an IPO. This lack of any formal process directly contradicted the public statements made by the brand's founder.

Secondly, Aupen had claimed to possess trademarks in several countries, including the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

This claim painted a picture of broad international intellectual property protection. MinLaw's investigation revealed a different reality: Aupen only held trademarks in Singapore and Malaysia, and even then, these were limited to specific classes of goods and services. The assertion of wider international protection was thus misleading.

Finally, Tan had publicly stated that Apen's long-term strategy included targeting the lucrative United States market.

While ambition is common in business, MinLaw found this claim to be unsubstantiated and false. There was no evidence to suggest a concrete, long-term plan for Aupen's entry into the US market as presented.

In response to the POFMA direction, Nicholas Tan took to social media to issue clarifications.

He acknowledged the inaccuracies in his previous statements, specifically regarding the IPO preparations and the extent of Aupen's international trademark registrations. Tan also clarified that while expanding into the US market was an aspiration, it was not an immediate or fully planned 'long-term target' as previously portrayed.

The POFMA correction direction mandates that Aupen and its founder must carry a correction notice on their social media posts that contained the false information.

This ensures that users who encounter the original misleading claims will also see a clear, official correction, providing a more accurate understanding of Aupen's actual business status and plans. This incident underscores the strict enforcement of truthfulness in public statements under Singaporean law, particularly concerning corporate claims that could influence public perception and investment.