Public Consultation on the Registered Designs Regime

Intellectual Property Office of Singapore

Consultation Period: 12 Oct 2015 - 07 Dec 2015

Status: Closed

Detailed Description

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) are seeking feedback on proposed changes to Singapore’s registered designs regime. The public consultation period is from 12 October 2015 to 7 December 2015.

Singapore’s current registered designs regime is governed by the following legislation: 

• Registered Designs Act (Revised Edition 2005) 

• Registered Designs Rules 

• Registered Designs (International Registration) Rules 

• Copyright Act

The proposed amendments put up for feedback involve issues such as:

• Scope of protection - whether IP protection should be extended to a wider range of subject matter

• Substantive examination - whether IPOS should conduct a search of prior art designs and an examination of the registrability of the design before granting registration

• Formalities and operational issues - improving the design registration process to align with international practices 

• Infringement and enforcement - enabling rights holders to more effectively enforce their rights

• Utility model protection - whether Singapore should grant IP protection for sub-patentable inventions which are not purely aesthetic in nature

Interested parties can view the public consultation paper online and submit their feedback to MinLaw or IPOS.

Intellectual Property Policy Division, Ministry of Law 

100 High Street, #08-02, The Treasury Singapore 179434 
Email: MLAW_Consultation@mlaw.gov.sg 

Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) 

51 Bras Basah Road, #01-01, Manulife Centre Singapore 189554 
Email: ipos_consultation@ipos.gov.sg