In Singapore, the specialized agency of trademark is Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) which is responsible for the registration of patents, trademarks, designs, and plant varieties.
01 Singapore trademark application conditions
1. Single country application
2. Designating Singapore as one of the applying countries through the Madrid trademark.
02 Materials required for filing of trademark application
1. Company application: Copy of certificate of incorporation
Individual application: ID card copy with front and back.
2. Applicant's name and address with Chinese and English
3. A clear graphical representation of the trademark
4. Classes of trademark applications and goods / services (According to Nice Classification)
03 Application time
About 6-8 months. The application time will be extended if a reply of rejection is required.
04 Application process
1. Application
After submitting the required documents and fees, the applicant will get an application receipt.
2. Formal examination
Review the submitted documents for errors. If they do not meet the basic requirements, applicants should file a correction within 2 months.
3. Substantive examination
If there are any reasons for unregistrable during the examination, a reply must be made within 4 months of the official issuance of the refusal. If the answer is not answered, the application is deemed to have been withdrawn.
4. Registration and announcement
After the examination is passed, it enters the two-month announcement period. Within the time limit, anyone can file an opposition procedure for the trademark.
If no one raises an objection or the objection is not established during the announcement period, the official will issue an electronic certificate after the announcement period.
※Notices:
1. A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of application date and could be renewed for 10 years before the expiry date. The renewed date starts 6 months before the expiration, and the grace period is within 6 months after the expiration.
2. After registration, the trademark will not be used for 5 consecutive years without justifiable reasons. Anyone could file a trademark cancellation procedure.
05 Apply for Singapore trademark through Madrid trademark
1. In October 2000, Singapore joined the Madrid system. When applying through Madrid system, the power of attorney doesn't need to notarize.
2. After the applicant submits the application to the original country, the intellectual property bureau of the original country submits the application to WIPO for examination.
※Because Taiwan isn't an agreement or negotiated country for Madrid trademarks, Taiwan companies or individuals who want to apply for Madrid trademarks need to have the trademark of one of the Madrid Agreement countries as the basic case (usually based on China) before applying.
※Notice: if the basic case is rejected, Madrid trademark registration cannot register.
If the application meets the requirements, WIPO will register the trademark in the international register book and publish it. Then, WIPO will notify the office of each designated Party for examination. Generally speaking, since Singapore receives the application, the time required for registration is 18 months (Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement). The international trademark right is valid for 10 years.
