Singapore

Trademark registration in Singapore – a member of Paris convention and Madrid system.  The application process includes a formal examination, an examination of distinctiveness and a search for prior trademarks. It takes approximately 6-12 months from first filing to registration. Singapore is following first to file system.

Legal Basis about trademark registration in Singapore

• 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)

What is a Trademark in Singapore?

A trademark is a letter, word, name, signature, numeral, device, brand, heading, label, shape, colour, an aspect of packaging or a combination of these, which is used in the course of a business or trade to distinguish a person’s goods or services from those of others.

Over a period of time trademarks also gain a strong recall value and command significant monetary value. A registered trademark is a form of property and it can be licensed or assigned.

How do you identify a Trademark in Singapore?

Commonly-used symbols to identify a trademark are ® and TM. The 2 symbols are different in the following ways:

• refers to a registered and protected trade mark pursuant to trade mark laws; whereas
• merely identifies that the mark is being used as a trademark by the owner, but the mark is not necessarily registered or protected under trademark laws.

Why should you register a Trademark in Singapore?

A registered trademark grants the owner of the mark, the statutory right to use and exploit the mark in the jurisdiction of its registration and certain priorities and advantages in registering the trademark in other jurisdictions.

Some of the key benefits include:

• Right to exclusive usage of the mark
• Barring others from copying it
• Benefiting from the increasing market value of the mark
• Quality assurance for your customers
• Branding through mark recognition
• License for commercial use by third parties thus creating a source of revenue

Up to 400% tax rebates from the Singapore Government under the Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme to offset costs you incur for registering your Trade Mark.

Required documents for trademark registration in Singapore

• Applicant’s name, address, nationality / company’s registered country;
• Specimen of the mark to be applied;
• List of goods/services to be applied, and the class(es);
• Translation & transliteration of foreign language in the mark; and
• Priority document, if any.