Facts of closure – dates
All Singapore patent applications filed after 31 December, 2019
will be subject to substantive examination. Reliance on
Supplementary Examination based on allowed corresponding foreign
patent applications will no longer be possible.
Impact
Patent applicants have for a long time enjoyed the low cost and
speed associated with electing Supplementary Examination for
Singapore patent applications. This option enables grant of a
Singapore patent based on positive examination results of a
corresponding international application or a corresponding foreign
application.
As previously
reported, as a result of some recent changes to the Patents
Act, all Singapore patent applications filed after 31 December,
2019 will be subject to Substantive Examination. The Supplementary
Examination path is being closed. This will likely increase the
cost involved with prosecuting patent applications in
Singapore.
