The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has
announced heightened checks to be introduced for declarations of
novelty in design applications. This change in practice is in line
with Singapore's continuing improvement to the quality of its
intellectual property (IP) systems, and advances its 10-year master
plan to become a Global IP Hub in Asia.
How are designs examined in Singapore?
Singapore design applications are examined only for compliance
with formal requirements. Substantive registrability is considered
only during revocation proceedings. However, there is a general
discretionary power that enables the Registrar to refuse an
application if 'on the face of the application, the design is
not new or is not registrable for any other
reason.'1
