TRADEMARK APPLICATION FILING IN
Singapore

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is in charge of all Intellectual Property matters and related concerns in Singapore. IPOS aims to come forth as a developing Global Innovation Hub. With a view to achieving so, their catch line is ‘ideas today, assets tomorrow.’ Singapore operates on a first-to-file basis when it comes to trademark registrations, and all trademarks must comply with the Trademarks Act 1998, Trademark Rules, and Trademark (International Registration) Rules.

The trademark registration before the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) can either be filed through the online portal or via offline mode.

Multi-class applications are allowed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS).

The requirements for filing a trademark application are as follows:

• Name, nationality, and address of the applicant;
• Mark representation (logo/device/word, etc.);
• Descriptions of goods and/or services;
• Certified priority document*;

*If priority is being claimed, details of priority like application no., country and date etc. are to be submitted.

The process of registering a trademark in Singapore begins with the submission of the application before the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). Once the TM application is filed, the application undergoes a formal examination to ensure it meets all the required standards. Following this, the application is subjected to a substantive examination based on absolute grounds for refusal, where examiners assess the trademark's eligibility for registration. If any issues or discrepancies are identified during the evaluation, the IPOS will notify the applicant and provide four months to reply to the issued office action/examination report. If no issues are found, or once corrections are made, the application moves forward, and the trademark is then published in the Trademarks Journal, initiating a two-month opposition period. During this time, third parties have the opportunity to raise objection/opposition to the application.

If no opposition is filed within said timeline, or if opposition is resolved in favour of the applicant, the trademark is officially registered, and a registration certificate is issued.

The opposition proceedings begins when an opponent files a notice of opposition. The applicant will receive the notice, and the IPOS will assess the admissibility. During this time, the applicant has the option to engage with the opponent to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement and can request for mediation at any time. If a resolution cannot be reached, the applicant is required to submit the counter-reply within two months. The parties would be asked to submit their statutory declaration and evidences. The parties would again be given option to amicably decide the dispute amongst themselves. If a resolution cannot be reached, the procedure would move forward to the stage of arguments. The IPOS will then make a decision on whether to accept or reject the application. The decision is appealable to the High Court within 28 days.

A trademark registration in Singapore is valid for a period of ten years. The trademark must be renewed before the end of six months of the current term to maintain protection for an additional ten years.

However, if the renewal is not submitted on time, it can still be processed within six months after the expiration date with a surcharge.

A registered trademark must be actively used within five years of its registration. If the trademark is not used continuously during this period, it may be subject to cancellation following a request from a third party.

Typically, the trademark registration process in Singapore takes twelve months in straightforward cases.

As a developed and highly competitive country, Singapore ranks in 4th position amongst 133 economies in the recent Global Innovation Index, 2024. According to the 2023 statistics of the World Intellectual Property Organization, an increase of approx. 7.8% was observed in trademark Madrid international applications of Singapore. Also, Singapore has positioned itself in 9th place in trademark filings in the Asian region. Additionally, other top countries like China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, etc., also request their trademark applications from Singapore. Also, it is evident from the WIPO stats that every year the number of trademark filing applications is increasing rapidly in Singapore. The statistics reveal that, in 2024, approximately 424,916 trademark applications are in force in their territory.