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Singapore

Legal Basis Trade Marks Act (Cap. 332, Revised Edition 2005) (Amended as of 10th June 2016)

Trade Marks (Composition of Offences) Regulations (Cap. 332, RG 1)

Trade Marks Rules (Cap. 332, R 1)

Trade Marks (Border Enforcement Measures) Rules (Cap. 332, R 2)

Trade Marks (International Registration) Rules (Cap. 332, R 3)

Application of Section 75 to Foreign States (Cap. 332, N 2)

Trade Marks (Application of Section 75 to Foreign States) Notification (Cap. 332, N 3)

Major international treaties signed
  • Paris Convention effective 23 February 1995
  • Madrid Protocol effective 31 October 2000
  • Nice Agreement effective 18 March 1999
  • Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
Costs of registering a trademark Please contact us at singapore@mirandah.com
Average time to register a trademark 6 to 8 months
Official language for trademark prosecution English
Registrable marks Any sign (including any letter, word, name, signature, numeral, device, brand, heading, label, ticket, shape, colour, aspect of packaging or any combination thereof) capable of being represented graphically and which is capable of distinguishing goods or services dealt with or provided in the course of trade by a person from goods or services so dealt with or provided by any other person
Filing and prosecution procedures Stage 1: Filing
Stage 2: Examination
Stage 3: Publication
Stage 4: Opposition (if any)
Stage 5: Registration
Stage 6: Renewal
Number of classes 45 (10th Edition of the Nice Classification)
Multiple class filing Available
Filing of series marks Available
Necessary document for filing None
Common objections Descriptiveness
Non-distinctiveness
Prior conflicting rights
Extension of office action deadlines Available
Opposition term 2 months (extendible)
Term of trademark protection 10 years (renewable)
Restoration of lapsed trade mark Within 6 months from the date of the removal of the trademark from the register
Parallel Imports Available
Parallel Imports Available
Minimum period of use to avoid non-use cancellation action 5 years of continuous use from the date of completion of registration formatlities, or from the date of last use.
Useful links Trademark Agents and Attorneys in Singapore
www.ipos.gov.sg
Infringement offence Available
Specialised courts for IP Not available. Be that as it may, the knowledge and competence level of the IP Registry and the specialist IP judges of the Supreme Court are extremely high.
Outline of the enforcement steps Infringement
Passing-off
Relief against groundless threats A declaration that the threats are unjustifiable
An injunction against the continuance of the threats
Damages in respect of any loss sustained by the threats
Declaration of non-infringement Available
Preliminary injunctions Available
Time frame for various legal actions Approximately 12 months (subject to the factual matrix of the case)
Alternative dispute resolution Mediation
Arbitration
Availability of damages and other relief for infringement As per below
Civil Remedies Injunction
Damages
Account of profits
Criminal Sanctions Trade Description Order
Monetary fines or imprisonment or bothBorder Measure
Prohibition of importation; seizure; detention; forfeiture of counterfeit trademark goods