KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Since the hoarding of The Chairman Group was spotted at the newly-opened Pavilion Damansara Heights Mall on October 9, there has been a lot of speculation about its "affiliation” to The Chairman Restaurant in Hong Kong.

After the initial euphoria that The Chairman Restaurant, a one-Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong renowned for its Cantonese cuisine and headed by Danny Yip, might be opening in Malaysia, there were more questions than answers.

There were many comments on social media. An Instagram post by @nicholasngkm said, "Sorry to disappoint you guys but got confirmation that this restaurant has nothing to do with the one in Hong Kong.”

On October 10, The Chairman International Limited, trading as The Chairman, issued a statement on their website and social media regarding the confusion over this news about their purported Malaysia outpost.

It read, "We do not have any branch, franchise or any other form of operation in or outside Hong Kong.

"In particular but without limitation to the foregoing, we do not have any operation in Malaysia and do not have any association with any restaurant opened or to be opened in Malaysia bearing the name, "Chairman” or "大班樓”.

"For the record, we have not authorised or approved any person or entity in or outside Hong Kong to use any of our English or Chinese names and/or any of our logos and related designs.”

South China Morning Post reached out to Yip to clarify after the statement was issued but he declined to comment.

In the South China Morning Post article, it was noted the logo for The Chairman Group on the hoarding in Pavilion Damansara Heights Mall with peach blossom outlines around the restaurant name’s Chinese characters "大班樓” there are five petals per blossom, compared to the four petals for The Chairman Hong Kong.

Subsequently, The Chairman Group Malaysia issued a statement on their social media.

It read, "In light of recent confusion surrounding the Chairman Group Malaysia and The Chairman Company Limited of Hong Kong, we’d like to clarify that we have no affiliation with the Hong Kong restaurant.”

They also added, "On a positive note, we are excited to share that Mr Chan, one of the founders of Chairman Hong Kong and our advisor, will soon be introducing a new establishment in Malaysia, showcasing exciting innovations and locally-inspired dishes.”

South China Morning Post also contacted The Chairman Group Malaysia Head of Operations Kelvin Leong who told them, "The Chairman Group Malaysia is an entirely separate entity from The Chairman Company Limited in Hong Kong. Both establishments operate independently, and there is no affiliation between them.”

As for Mr Chan, who is named as one of the founders of The Chairman in Hong Kong on The Chairman Group Malaysia’s social media, South China Morning Post reported Yip confirming that he is indeed one of the founders of the original restaurant.

The Hong Kong-based newspaper also went on to consult lawyers from King & Wood Mallesons in Hong Kong, who advised that brand owners who have registered their brand as a trademark can initiate trademark infringement claims against copycat establishments to prevent customer confusion and the unauthorised use of the brand. However, a trademark is territory based.

For an overseas case, the brand owner would need to make a passing off claim against the copycat establishment and to succeed in that action, it is crucial to demonstrate the legitimate brand owner’s goodwill in the relevant market.