SGfiling code

Singapore

IPOS · Intellectual Property Office of Singapore

Efficient, English-language and predictable. Frequently the anchor filing for an international registration covering the rest of the region.

Trademarks
System
First to file
Madrid Protocol
Member
To registration
~9–12 months
Term
10 years, renewable
Patents & designs
PCT
Member
Utility model
Not available
Hague (designs)
Member
Design term
15 years

No utility model system — it is a full patent or nothing. Singapore's examination can rely on foreign search results, which shortens the road if you already have a granted patent elsewhere.

What to watch in Singapore

Four things that decide whether the filing holds

  • A good base for a Madrid application

    If you are filing across several ASEAN markets, the route through Singapore often costs less than a stack of national filings.

  • Passing off exists, but registration is easier to enforce

    Unregistered rights get some protection. Proving them is slow and expensive compared with producing a certificate.

  • Customs recordal is available

    Worth doing where goods transit the port, which for this region is often.

  • Specifications should be precise

    Broad claims invite objections and later non-use exposure.

Also on the desk