Unsolicited IP Services

We have noticed an increase in the number of unsolicited services being offered to Intellectual Property (IP) rights holders by private companies. In most cases, recipients are invited to make hefty payment for the registration or renewal of their IP on record. You are not obliged to engage their services or pay their fees.

What are these unsolicited services?

In exchange for a fee, these companies will offer to:

• Register your IP

• Renew your current IP on record

• Publish your IP on the register

• Monitor your IP

Please note that these companies are private commercial entities. They are not affiliated with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) or the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

You may also refer to the full list of IPOS’ official forms and fees below:

• Trade marks forms and fees

• Patents forms and fees

• Registered designs forms and fees

• Plant varieties forms and fees

• Geographical indications forms and fees

How can I identify unsolicited notices?

Unsolicited services may reach you in the form of requests and/or invoices. These notices may give the impression that they are sent on behalf of government IP offices or organisations. It only becomes obvious that they are sent from commercial entities after reading the terms in fine print.

These notices may also be worded in a way that will strongly suggest you engage their services. You are not obligated to accede to any of these requests.

For samples of unsolicited notices, you may refer to the following links by WIPO:

• Madrid System (Trade Marks)

• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

What you should be receiving from us

All official correspondences will be issued electronically to your IPOS Digital Hub account by default. Notifications will be sent to your registered email to notify you of the electronic correspondence received. You can then check your IPOS Digital Hub account and retrieve the correspondence from your IPOS Digital Hub account “Inbox”.

Correspondence from IPOS will have these features:

• IPOS’ official logo printed in the letterhead

• IPOS' official contact details

• Any fees payable stated in the notice will match the official fees indicated on our website

• Notes or terms not worded in fine print

• We do not send “offers” in any of our matters

How can I protect my IP?

You may do so via our eServices portal, IPOS Digital Hub, where you can file, apply, monitor and renew IP yourself. You may also do so through your appointed IP agent.

You may refer to a list of guides regarding the different filing processes below:

• Trade marks guides

• Patents guides

• Registered designs guides

• Plant varieties guides

• Geographical indications guides

Still unsure?

If you are still in doubt and wish to verify if the notice you have received is an official document issued by IPOS, please feel free to contact us.

A circular on "Unsolicited IP services - Request for Payment of Fees" was issued on 5 July 2017 to inform of the abovementioned phenomenon and advise our customers to be cautious when attending to such mails.

You may also wish to refer to a related circular on "Potentially Misleading Business Names of Non-official Entities" issued on 10 September 2021 for more information.