Trademark Registration Service in Singapore

In Singapore, registration is not strictly mandatory to obtain trademark rights, because prior use of a trademark can be recognized and may generate rights. However, in practice registration is strongly recommended because it:

• Grants a legal presumption of ownership.
• Makes it easier to enforce your rights and act against infringers.
• Helps avoid future disputes about who owns the mark.

Trademark applications must be filed with the **Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) IPOS.

Singapore is also a member state of the Madrid Protocol, so protection can be obtained either by:

• Filing a national application directly in Singapore, or
• Extending an International Registration to Singapore through the Madrid System. We offer services for trademark filing through the Madrid System.

To register a trademark in Singapore, you will generally need to provide:

• The name or logo you want to register
• The applicant’s details

No documents are necessary.

If any additional information or country-specific formalities apply, your iGERENT consultant will confirm the exact requirements and guide you through each step.

The average time for a straightforward trademark application to proceed to registration in Singapore is about 6 months from filing.

This is an estimated timeframe and may vary, especially if:

• The examiner raises formal or substantive objections (e.g. lack of distinctiveness, conflicts with earlier marks).
• There are delays in responding to office actions.
• Oppositions are filed by third parties after publication.

Once your trademark is registered in Singapore:

• It is valid for 10 years from the application date.
• It can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of 10 years each.

Renewal:

• May be filed at any time before the expiry date.
• Can also be filed during a grace period of six (6) months after expiration, subject to payment of a late renewal fee.

The registration certificate (and the IPOS register entry) serve as official proof of your rights and can be used in enforcement and commercial transactions (licensing, franchising, assignment, etc.).

Yes. Third party opposition actions can be filed against a trademark application in Singapore within two (2) months of its publication in the Trade Marks Journal.

Typical grounds for opposition include:

• Confusing similarity with an earlier registered or well-known mark.
• Lack of distinctiveness or other statutory grounds.

The probability of success will depend on the specific circumstances and evidence in each case.

A trademark does not have to be in use in Singapore in order to be filed or to obtain registration.

However, after registration:

• If the mark is not used for a continuous period of five (5) years, it becomes vulnerable to cancellation actions for non-use filed by third parties.

Key points:

• The amount of use required can be minimal, as long as it is genuine commercial use.
• In certain circumstances, non-use may be justified (e.g. legal obstacles, import restrictions).

To avoid vulnerability, it is advisable to maintain real, provable use of the mark in Singapore for the registered goods/services.