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At-a-glance: Intellectual Property Office of Singapore 51 Bras Basah Road 04-01, Plaza by the Park, Singapore 189554 Tel: +65 6339 8616 Email: mlaw_ipos_enquiry@mlaw.gov.sg Website: www.ipos.gov.sg The Singapore government is working to develop... [more]

The Singapore government is working to develop the city-state into an IP hub. Parliament passed amendments to the Patents Bill, leading to fundamental changes that align Singapore to the patent systems in other countries.

Two major changes coming into force in 2013 are the shift from the self-assessment patent system to a new positive grant patent system, and liberalisation of the patent sector with particular emphasis on foreign patent agents. Both changes have been welcomed by the IP community.

Changes were necessary because Singapore's rather unique self-assessment patent system granted patents even when the substantive examination report cited a lack of novelty, inventiveness or industrial applicability. This meant that patents which would not have been granted in other countries were being granted in Singapore. Switching to the positive grant patent system will reassure companies and investors of the quality of Singapore-granted patents. This view is shared by a leading lawyer who says: "The positive grant system will increase confidence in the Singapore patent system. Examiners will need to be trained and this will take time, so it will be mid-2013 when we are likely to see the effect of the change." There will also be a change to the way examinations are handled. "Currently, local examinations are outsourced to overseas offices, but now Singapore is investing in local examiners and hopefully this will be in place in the second half of 2013," explains one patent agent.

Foreign-qualified patent agents will now be able to register in Singapore and undertake offshore patent agency work in Singapore. Previously, only Singapore-registered patent agents authorised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and lawyers with a practising certificate were allowed to undertake patent agency work in Singapore. This move is expected to broaden the range of patent services and increase the level of expertise in Singapore to better meet the growing demand for patent services.

Finally, the new legislation looks set to replace the title patent agent with patent attorney to recognise patent professionals who meet the local registration requirement.