Patent in Singapore. Patent and utility models protect the technical aspects of inventions. To receive a patent or utility model, the invention must be novel and industrially applicable.
Patent in Singapore must be novel, industrially applicable and inventive step
Novel
The invention should not be publicly known in any way, anywhere in the world. Owners of inventions should be careful to keep the invention secret until a patent application has been successfully made. If the idea has already been talked about, commercially exploited, advertised or demonstrated then the novelty of the invention may be compromised. If the invention needs to be disclosed to a third party, e.g. marketing consultant, before an application for a patent has been made, a non-disclosure agreement should be drawn up.
Once a Date of Filing has been obtained for the patent application, the invention can claim a “Patent Pending” status and the applicant can proceed to disclose the invention as indicated in the patent application to interested parties. As part of the application process, the patent application will be published after 18 months and if the statutory requirements are met. Once published, details of the invention will be made available for public inspection.
Inventive step
The invention must be something that represents an improvement over any existing product or process that is already available. The improvement must not be obvious to someone with technical skills or knowledge in the invention’s particular field. If an invention is new yet obvious to a person skilled in the art, the invention would not fulfil the inventive step requirement.
Industrial applicable
The invention must be useful and have some form of practical application. It should be capable of being made or used in some form of industry.
The following is not a patentable invention:
An invention of a method for the treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy, or of a diagnosis practised on the human or animal body.
An invention that could encourage offensive, immoral or anti-social behaviour, even if it satisfies the key criteria for patents.
