The Singapore Trade Marks Act of 1998, last revised in 2007, and the Singapore Trade Marks Rules of 1998 provide the legislative framework for Singapore trademark regulation. The law covers a variety of topics, including the requirements for trademark registration, the reasons for refusal of registration, the registration process itself, the duration of and procedures for renewing registered trademarks, the rights, and remedies of trademark owners, licensing of marks, crimes involving trademark activities, international registration of marks, and other issues. The IP “common law,” according to which trademark protection is granted by registration, was integrated into these regulations. Additionally, they implemented many international intellectual property accords.

STEPS TO REGISTER TRADEMARK

Step 1. Trademark Name & Industry.

Identify the trademark class and assets you need to protect. IPOS is a signatory to NICE.

Step 2. We will verify if your Trademark Name can be registered.

Our trademarks specialists will check for potential trademark conflicts. Other firms call this “search,” We offer this for free as part of the process. You can also try your hand at searching for yourself.

Step 3. Paperwork and Application Submission.

Processing and completing the paperwork. It takes an average of 6-9 months to register a trademark. Our fee includes all the relevant IPOS trademark government fees. We will act as your agent in Singapore and receive communications related to your mark at our office in Singapore.

Step 4. Objection and Appeal Handling.

We will handle any objection and appeal, liaising with IPOS in the trademark registration. Note that if your application receives an IPOS office action or opposition, our response to those is not included in the initial fee, and we will charge an additional fee if you ask us to respond.

Step 5. Be Protected.

Your business is now protected from competition to identify theft and misuse. We will receive an IPOS digital certificate of registration and forward that to you.

Read: Procedure to Register a Trademark in Singapore

Registration proceeding

The application is filed with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. Foreign applicants do not need a local agent. However, an address for service in Singapore is necessary.

An applicant seeking a multiple-class system may divide the trademark application into two or more. The division is done so those classes of goods or services do not face any opposition or objection and can proceed to registration.

Period to Oppose

Third parties affected by the trademark application can file an opposition within 2 months of the publication date.

Additionally, the total extension of time the registrar may allow filing the notice of opposition cannot exceed 4 months from the publication date.

Trademark Validity

Trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of application. The registration is renewable for periods of 10 years indefinitely.

If the registrant fails to file the renewal on the due date, they have a period of 6 months after expiration.

Requirement of Use

It is important to know that if the trademark has not been used within 5 years from the issuance of the registration certificate or if it has not been used for any continuous 5-year period, it may be subject to revocation.

The owner may show subsequent use of the trademark to restore protection.

However, third parties can request a revocation of the trademark due to non-use.