Singapore
| Legal Basis |
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| Major international treaties signed |
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| Costs of obtaining a patent | Please contact us at singapore@mirandah.com |
| Average time to obtain a patent | 12 – 24 months from PCT national phase entry, 42 – 54 months from priority date for Paris Convention applications |
| Official language for patent prosecution | English |
| Non-patentable subject matter |
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| Grace period for prior disclosure or sale | 12 months |
| Major prosecution events | Following the filing date – or earliest claimed priority date – whichever is the earlier:
Request for Search: 13 months National Phase Entry: 30 months Request for Search and/or Examination: 36 months Renewals: On the fifth anniversary of filing, and each succeeding anniversary thereafter |
| Filing and prosecution procedures | Stage 1: Filing
Stage 2: Formality Examination Stage 3: Publication Stage 4: Substantive Examination Stage 5: Grant Stage 6: Renewal/ Annuity |
| Extension of office action deadlines | Non-extendible |
| Necessary document for filing | None, if the application has already been published by WIPO and is in English. Otherwise, verified English translations of the specifications and the translator’s declaration of accuracy is required. |
| Pharmaceutical Data Exclusivity Laws | Available |
| Search and Examination | Local examination of patent applications having a filing date on or after 1 January 2020 is compulsory. |
| Opposition term | Not available |
| Term of patent protection | 20 years |
| Patent term extension | Available |
| Restoration of lapsed patent | Within 18 months from the day it ceased to have effect |
| Parallel Imports | Available |
| Other forms of patents (e.g. Petty/innovation patents) | Not available |
| Useful links | Patent Agents and Attorneys in Singapore www.ipos.gov.sg |
| Infringement offence | Civil and Criminal (in special cases) |
| Specialised courts for IP | No |
| Outline of the enforcement steps | Notice of Cease and Desist Infringement lawsuit |
| Relief against groundless threats | Available |
| Declaration of non-infringement | Available |
| Preliminary injunctions | Available |
| Time frame for various legal actions | Revocation – 1 to 2 years Infringement proceeding – 2 to 3 years |
| Alternative dispute resolution | Mediation Arbitration |
| Availability of damages and other relief for infringement | Injunction Delivery Up Damages Account of profits |
| Civil remedies | As per above |
| Criminal Sanctions | Not Available |
The supplementary examination route, which allowed applicants to obtain a patent expeditiously by relying on positive substantive examination results of an international application or a corresponding allowed/granted foreign patent application, has been removed for patent applications having a filing date of 1 January 2020. All patent applications in Singapore with a filing date on or after 1 January 2020 will, therefore, need to undergo local examination. The objective of this change is to ensure the consistent quality of patents granted in Singapore.