High Court rejects bid to bring ST Engineering unit into trademark infringement suit over RSAF aircraft parts

The High Court in Singapore has dismissed a request from wholesale trader United Shipping Services (USS) to hold ST Engineering Aerospace Systems (Steas) jointly liable for trademark infringement allegations over allegedly counterfeit aircraft components. USS had sought to add Steas as a third-party claimant in its lawsuit against US-based Timken, arguing that Steas should share legal responsibility if infringement was proven.

However, Assistant Registrar (AR) Gerome Goh ruled that USS's claims were "manifestly groundless" and dismissed the third-party proceedings, ordering USS to pay S$15,000 in costs and disbursements. Steas had previously added USS to its list of approved vendors after USS vouched for Timken's suitability following a quality survey.

Questions about the authenticity of the bearings arose in March 2024 when Steas discovered some did not meet specifications. USS attributed this to a design change by Timken and later provided letters from the US manufacturer explaining the change, which Steas subsequently verified as counterfeit. Timken subsequently filed a lawsuit against USS on Nov 17, 2025, alleging trademark infringement in the import and sale of counterfeit bearings to Steas and the provision of falsified certificates with Timken's trademarks.

USS attempted to include Steas in the case through third-party proceedings, arguing that Steas should bear some responsibility if infringement was found. However, AR Goh found that USS's contractual relationship with Steas did not demonstrate that the latter had encouraged the alleged infringement, nor that Steas had persuaded USS to supply counterfeit bearings.