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PATENTS

A patent can help you to protect your new product, process or technical improvement to existing technology. Read on to find out more about registering and managing your patents.

Practice Guidelines & Circulars


Circulars

Subscribe to our mailing list by emailing us at news@ipos.gov.sg and receive our latest circulars.

2024

19 Aug 2024PDF icon Circular No. 4/2024No Extension of Time Fee to File a Request for a Search and/or Examination Report
15 Aug 2024PDF icon Circular No. 3/2024Simplified Requests for Examination Reports and Other Legislative Amendments
8 May 2024PDF icon Circular No. 2/2024Excluded Days from 1 to 16 May 2024
1 Apr 2024PDF icon Circular No. 1/2024Excluded Days from 1 May 2024 to 13 May 2024 for business under IP Acts and Rules

2022

8 Jun 2022 PDF icon Circular No. 7/2022 Excluded Days and Alternative Filing Mode Via FormSG 
3 Jun 2022 PDF icon Circular No. 6/2022Excluded Days 
25 May 2022 PDF icon Circular No. 5/2022
IPOS Digital Hub Launch on 2 June 2022 
(Note: The Annex of this circular supersedes the Annex in Patents Circular No. 4/2022.)
28 Apr 2022 PDF icon Circular No. 4/2022 Information on Revised Launch Date for IPOS Digital Hub, Decommission Date for IP2SG, Effective Date of Legislative Amendments and Fee Updates, Excluded Days 
22 Apr 2022 PDF icon Circular No. 3/2022Extension of SG IP FAST Track Programme and Sunset of 12 Months File-to-Grant Programme
11 Apr 2022PDF icon Circular No. 2/2022  Information on Filing Requirements and Transition to IPOS Digital Hub 
11 Mar 2022PDF icon Circular No. 1/2022
Introducing IPOS Digital Hub, Legislative Amendments and Fee Updates


2021

5 Nov 2021 PDF icon Circular No. 5/2021  International Applications filed in Chinese with IPOS as the receiving Office or the International Searching and International Preliminary Examining Authorities
10 Sep 2021 PDF icon Circular No. 4/2021 Potentially Misleading Business Names of Non-official Entities 
10 Sep 2021 PDF icon Circular No. 3/2021 Introduction of Amendments to the Patents Rules and Electronic Filing and Service of Documents 
15 Jul 2021 PDF icon Circular No. 2/2021 Public Consultation on Intellectual Property (Amendment) Bill 2021 
1 Feb 2021PDF icon Circular No. 1/2021New IP2SG website address


2020

25 Aug 2020PDF icon Circular No. 6/2020Expansion of SG Patent Fast Track Programme on 1 September 2020
17 Aug 2020PDF icon Circular No. 5/2020Public Consultation on Proposed Changes to Simplify and Streamline Intellectual Property Processes and Improve User Experience with Digital Initiatives
2 Jun 2020PDF icon Circular No. 4/2020DOCX (Microsoft Word) File Format as an Alternative Format to File Patent Specifications
2 Jun 2020PDF icon Circular No. 3/2020Introduction of Amendments to Subsidiary Legislation in Response to COVID-19
27 Apr 2020PDF icon Circular No. 2/2020Launch of the SG Patent Fast Track Programme on 4 May 2020
17 Apr 2020PDF icon Circular No. 1/2020COVID-19: Further Information on Excluded Days


2019

31 Oct 2019

PDF iconCircular No. 3/2019

New Online Payment Platform on IP2SG and Revised Patents Formalities Manual

26 Apr 2019

PDF iconCircular No. 2/2019

Launch of AI2 : Accelerated Initiative for Artificial Intelligence - An Accelerated Application-to-Grant Service for Patent Applications in Artificial Intelligence

4 Mar 2019

PDF iconCircular No. 1/2019

One Year Extension of FinTech Fast Track till 25 April 2020


2018

21 Sep 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 10/2018

Electronic filing of Form CM12 for PCT applications and Clarification of PCT Operational Procedures

14 Sep 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 9/2018

100% e-Payment with effect from 1 November 2018

8 Aug 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 8/2018

Decommissioning of Email-Based IP2SG Accounts on 1 September 2018

1 Aug 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 7/2018

Revised Patents Formalities Manual and Formalities Procedures for Voluntary Amendments and Response to Written Opinion

18 Jul 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 6/2018

Updated Guidelines on Request for Correction of Error (Form CM4)

1 Jun 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 5/2018

Contact Information for Patent-related Enquiries

18 May 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 4/2018

Updated Guidelines on Request for Correction of Error 

26 Apr 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 3/2018

Launch of FinTech Fast Track Initiative: An Accelerated File-to-Grant Service for Financial Technology Patent Applications

19 Apr 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 2/2018

New Electronic Services on IP2SG for Managing International Applications filed under the PCT

3 Apr 2018

PDF iconCircular No. 1/2018

Changes Pertaining to Form CM8 wef 21 April 2018



2017

21 Nov 2017PDF iconCircular No. 8/2017Enhancements to Patent Application Process
6 Oct 2017PDF iconCircular No. 7/2017
Amendment to Patents Act and Rules To Enter Into Force On 30 October 2017 
22 Aug 2017 PDF iconCircular No. 6/2017
Examiner-initiated Informal Communications wef 15 September 2017
24 Jul 2017PDF iconCircular No. 5/2017
Launch of Patents Open Dossier on IP2SG and Patents Formalities Manual
5 Jul 2017 PDF iconCircular No. 4/2017
Unsolicited IP Services - Requests for Payment of Fees
17 Mar 2017PDF iconCircular No. 3/2017
Slides used in the Information Sharing Session relating to the Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) conducted on 10 Mar 2017
2 Mar 2017PDF iconCircular No. 2/2017
Information Sharing Session relating to the Implementation of Goods and Services Tax
3 Feb 2017PDF iconCircular No. 1/2017Revised Fees, Implementation of Goods and Services Tax and Change in Procedure for Amendment and Correction of Patents documents with effect from 1 April 2017

2016

23 Dec 2016 PDF iconCircular No. 6/2016
IPOS as the receiving Office under the PCT will be accepting International Applications in Chinese from 1 January 2017
7 Dec 2016PDF iconCircular No. 5/2016
Closure of Supplementary Examination Route as of 1 January 2020
1 Nov 2016PDF iconCircular No. 4/2016
Launch of eAlert facility in IP2SG
27 Oct 2016PDF iconCircular No. 3/2016Public Consultation on Proposed Amendments to Singapore's Patents Legislation
3 Oct 2016PDF iconCircular No. 2/2016
Two Pieces of PatentsLegislation to be brought into Force on 1 November 2016
30 Jun 2016PDF iconCircular No. 1/2016
Updated Guidelines on the Assessment of Patent Post-Grant Amendments

For pre-2015 circulars, please click here.

Practice Directions

2024

PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 2 of 2024Excluded days
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2024Excluded days 

2023

PDF icon IPOS Digital Hub Practice Direction No. 2 of 2023
Electronic Online System (EOS) and Alternative Filing Modes
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 2 of 2023
Day of Interruption to Electronic Online System, IPOS Digital Hub
PDF icon IPOS Digital Hub Practice Direction No. 1 of 2023
Electronic Online System (EOS) and Alternative Filing Modes
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2023Hours of Business and Excluded days


2022

PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 4 of 2022 Excluded days 
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 3 of 2022Excluded days 
PDF icon IPOS Digital Hub Practice Direction No. 1 of 2022Electronic Online System (EOS) and Alternative Filing Modes
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 2 of 2022
Excluded days 
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2022
Excluded days


2021

PDF icon IP2SG Practice Direction No. 1 of 2021
Electronic Online System (EOS)
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2021Alternative Filing Modes and Service of Documents

2020

PDF icon IP2SG Practice Direction No. 1 of 2020
Electronic Online System (EOS)
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 3 of 2020Alternative Filing Modes and Service of Documents 
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 2 of 2020Excluded days
PDF icon Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2020Excluded days


2019

PDF iconIP2SG Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019 Electronic Online System (EOS) 
PDF iconRegistries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2019Excluded days
PDF iconIP2SG Practice Direction No. 1 of 2019Electronic Online System (EOS)

2018

PDF iconIP2SG Practice Direction No. 1 of 2018
Electronic Online System (EOS)
PDF iconPractice Direction No. 3 of 2018Day of Interruption to the Electronic Online System, IP2SG
PDF iconPractice Direction No. 2 of 2018Day of Interruption to the Electronic Online System, IP2SG
PDF iconPractice Direction No. 1 of 2018Day of Interruption to the Electronic Online System, IP2SG

2017

PDF iconIP2SG Practice Direction No. 1 of 2017 Electronic Online System (EOS) 

2015

PDF iconPractice Direction No. 2 of 2015  Excluded days
PDF iconPractice Direction No. 1 of 2015 Excluded days

For pre-2015 practice directions, please click here.




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