Dear Students,
You may have seen a report in The Straits Times (3rd November) entitled “Stansfield wins copyright claim without legal battle”. The title and contents of the report may have given an inaccurate impression as to what actually transpired. At our request, The Straits Times published a clarification on 7 November.
As a further note:
-ICPAS has always maintained throughout the lawsuit that Stansfield College’s claims are unmeritorious and was ready, willing and able to defend them.
-As in all lawsuits, it is in a defendant's interest to avoid expending unnecessary time and costs by exploring settlement without admission of liability.
-Solely on this footing, ICPAS together with the other defendants decided to offer to settle at a nominal sum of $20,000 without admitting liability.
-It should be noted that the monetary limit for High Court claims is $250,000 and above.
-Although the offer to settle was made before the trial started, Stansfield College persisted in going for trial..
-It was only on the third day of trial, after several of Stansfield College's key witnesses were cross-examined rigorously, that it finally accepted the offer.
-This delay in accepting the offer has certain costs consequences against Stansfield College. Had Stansfield College persisted further, the offer would have been withdrawn.
-Stansfield College’s acceptance of the offer means that it has not proven its case, and that it has to wholly discontinue the lawsuit without any finding of liability against the defendants
