In addition to the existing CS&E programme with IP Viet Nam, IPOS has expanded its CS&E programme with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), Indonesia to expedite the prosecution process for parties who have an interest to pursue patent applications in both countries. This pilot programme was introduced on 2 January 2025 for 2 […]
Publications
Singapore – Fonterra Brands v. Consozio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano
In Fonterra Brands (Singapore) Pte Ltd v. Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano [2024] SGCA 53 (Fonterra), the Court of Appeal illuminated the Singapore courts’ position on the protection of geographical indications under the Geographical Indications Act 2014 (GIA). Fonterra Brands (a wholly owned subsidiary of a New Zealand-based cooperative company owned by 10,000 New Zealand dairy […]
IPOS-MyIPO PPH Pilot Program
Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a work-sharing program that accelerates the examination of a patent application in a country’s patent office (the Office of Later Examination, or OLE) by relying on the search and examination results from another country’s patent office (the Office of Earlier Examination, or OEE). On 18th January 2025, the Intellectual Property […]
Updates to Singapore’s regulations relating to patent linkage
Amendments to Singapore’s Health Products (Therapeutic Products) Regulations (the TPR) came into force on August 1, 2024, relating to patent linkage. By way of background, the patent linkage regime in Singapore under the TPR before the amendments came into effect on August 1, 2024, requires an applicant for product registration and marketing approval of a […]
An Amazon discovery
This recent Intellectual Property Office of Singapore decision delved into the registrability of an AMAZON-formative mark sought to be registered by a Singapore-incorporated company. Background Survivalverse Pte Ltd (the applicant) is a Singapore-incorporated company that principally develops videogames and software, which applied to register the mark (the application mark) in Classes 9 and 41, to be […]
SINGAPORE: IPOS Examiner Rejects Registration of Scientific Abbreviation
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has refused to register a scientific abbreviation as a trademark even though the applicant was the first to discover the substance. In the matter of a trademark application by BioMedical Research Group Inc. & Anor. ([2024] SGIPOS 3), BioMedical Research Group Inc. and Macrophi Inc. sought to register the mark in […]
Singapore: IPOS launches free deferment of patent prosecution as pilot initiative
In response to the growing interests of applicants in having more time to decide how best to prosecute their Singapore patent applications in alignment with their global patenting strategies and IP commercialization developments, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has launched a pilot initiative to allow eligible applicants to defer the filings of request […]
A sample of Singapore patents granted in 2024
While we are well into the second-half of 2024, contemplating milestones accomplished (or New Year’s resolutions broken) so far, it is interesting to note that by the end of June 2024 in Singapore, almost 4,000 patent applications had reached the critical milestone of an issuance of a certificate of grant by the Intellectual Property Office […]
Copyright infringement: A ground for invalidation and opposition of trademark in Singapore
Background Henkel Polybit Industries Ltd. is a Middle Eastern entity which develops and produces water-proofing and corrosion-inhibiting sealants and coating specifically for the construction industry. They operate in at least 25 jurisdictions worldwide including in Singapore. Initially known as Polybit Industries Ltd. which was incorporated in 1995 in the United Arab Emirates, they were acquired […]
Protecting AI inventions in Singapore
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is profoundly impacting business and society, with AI now possessing the ability to write code, design drugs, develop products, and overhaul processes, among other innovations. This emergence of AI has sparked inquiries into the role of patent laws in protecting AI inventions. Patent protection can significantly enhance the commercial […]