Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations by a person. It is protected by the government. Intellectual property in Singapore is protected by patents, a copyright or a trademark.
Patents are granted to inventors of new processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter as well as improvements to these. Examples of patents are protection of a new way to produce protective face masks, the design of a new product or a new formulation for a drug.
Artists and writers can have their original works protected by copyrights. Examples of such works include a musical composition, literature, performance or piece of art.
A trademark grants businesses the exclusive rights to the name or symbol they use to mark their company and goods. It can be any word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. Examples of trademarks are McDonald’s and Starbucks.
If you or your company has IP and trademark you wish to protect, contact us today to find out how we can assist you in protecting your IP.
The estimated processing time ranges from two to four years from the date the application is filed. This is dependent on factors such as complexity of the invention, amendments made in the application and the search and examination processes.
To file for an international application under the Madrid Protocol, the trademark must be registered first in the country of origin.
You can use the ® symbol after the status of your mark has been updated as “Registered”.
The registration of a trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of application. It can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years at one time by paying the applicable renewal fee.