The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has released a Public Consultation Paper outlining proposed changes to Singapore’s intellectual property (IP) regime. The consultation period, originally set to close on 11 November 2025, has been extended by two weeks and will now end on 25 November 2025.
IPOS is seeking feedback on revisions across patents, trademarks, geographical indications (GIs), and other IP rights, aiming to enhance clarity, efficiency, and alignment with international practices.
Key Proposed Changes
Patents: Formalising Basis for Amendments & Revising Burden of Proof
Applicants will be required to provide a basis for amendments to patent specifications. Failure to do so may result in a registrar’s notice allowing one month (non-extendable) for compliance, after which amendments may be refused.
Section 68(1) of the Patents Act will be amended to remove the term “new” before “product,” clarifying that the rebuttable presumption in process patent infringement applies in both the “new product” and “substantial likelihood” scenarios, aligning with TRIPS Article 34.
Trade Marks: Introducing a Final Examination Report (FER)
A new Final Examination Report (FER) procedure will be implemented to resolve examination impasses. This applies where applicants’ repeated submissions fail to address substantive objections or where a mark is clearly non-registrable.
Upon receiving an FER, applicants have four months to either remove non-registrable goods/services or request an ex parte hearing. Limited extensions and reinstatement options will be available.
Geographical Indications: Harmonising Deadlines with Trade Marks
Opposition and amendment objection deadlines for GIs will be aligned with existing trade mark procedures.
Key updates include extending the deadline to file a notice of opposition or objection to two months (extendable to four months), and introducing a right of appeal to the General Division of the High Court for interlocutory decisions.
Cross-Cutting IP Updates
Filing Dates on Sundays/Public Holidays: Applications filed on non-working days will be accorded the actual date of submission, matching practices in major IP offices such as those in the US, EU, China, and Japan.
Scale of Costs: Fee schedules for trademarks, patents, designs, plant varieties, and GIs will be updated, with a new power for the Registrar to award off-scale costs in cases of unreasonable conduct.
Extension of Time: The Registrar’s discretion to extend deadlines in “special circumstances” will be narrowed to “circumstances beyond the control of a party,” removing the broader “other special circumstances” provision.
Call for Submissions
IPOS invites stakeholders to provide feedback via FormSG by 25 November 2025. Submissions should include the respondent’s name, email, organisation, and designation. Confidential treatment may be requested for sensitive information.
These proposals reflect IPOS’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a forward-looking and robust IP regime in Singapore.
Source: https://www.ipos.gov.sg/news/news-collection/circular--public-consultation-on-proposed-changes-to-intellectual-property-regime/
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