Do you want to secure your brand identity with a registered trademark in Singapore? If yes, then you need to obtain Trademark Registration in Singapore from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS).
A registered trademark grants the owner the exclusive legal right to use, license, and sell the mark within Singapore for the specific goods and services it is registered under. A trademark is a unique word, logo, symbol, or combination thereof used by an individual, business, or legal entity to help consumers identify the origin of goods or services. It plays a key role in distinguishing one entity’s offerings from others and strengthens overall brand recognition.
In Singapore, registering trademark in Singapore is governed by the Trade Marks Act, which provides the legal framework for trademark registration, protection, and enforcement within the jurisdiction. The Act ensures that businesses can safeguard their intellectual property and prevent misuse of their brand identity. Our experts at Enterslice will help you with trademark registration in Singapore.
Some important aspects of the Singapore trademark system include:
Nice Classification
Paris Convention
Madrid System
Multi Class System
Trademark registration in Singapore helps secure your brand’s exclusive rights, prevents others from misusing your brand, and enhances your business's reputation and competitiveness in the Singapore market.
Registering a trademark in Singapore offers numerous advantages that go beyond simple brand recognition. A trademark not only distinguishes your products or services from others but also helps build trust and customer loyalty over time. Here are the key benefits of online trademark registration in Singapore:
Trademark registration grants you exclusive ownership and the right to use the ® symbol next to your mark. It allows the owner to retain full control over their brand while authorizing others to use it under agreed terms. This exclusivity prevents others from using identical or confusingly similar marks in Singapore.
A registered trademark serves as a powerful legal tool against infringement or counterfeiting. It gives you the right to take legal action against unauthorized use of your brand and to seek remedies such as monetary compensation, injunctions, and destruction of counterfeit goods. Trademark registration also gives you access to specialized IP courts for faster and more effective resolution of disputes.
Using the ® symbol enhances your brand’s credibility and consumer trust. A registered trademark projects professionalism, reliability, and authenticity, helping your business stand out in the competitive Singaporean market.
Online trademark registration in Singapore helps protect your brand from unauthorized use or exploitation on social media and e-commerce platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
You can license your registered trademark to third parties, creating new revenue streams. It can also be sold or assigned for a profit, allowing you to monetize your intellectual property effectively.
A trademark is an intangible asset that adds measurable value to your business. It can be used to attract investors, raise equity, or secure business loans. Over time, a strong trademark enhances your company’s market reputation and brand equity.
Through the Madrid System, businesses in Singapore can extend their trademark protection internationally. Online trademark registration in Singapore ensures your brand remains protected across multiple jurisdictions if your products or services are exported abroad.
Registering your trademark helps secure your market share by preventing competitors from imitating your brand identity. It also blocks later applications for similar marks from being registered in Singapore.
A registered trademark allows you to request that customs authorities monitor imports and exports, preventing counterfeit or infringing goods from entering the market and maintaining your brand integrity globally.
The step-by-step process to apply for trademark registration in Singapore is as follows:
Before filing a trademark application in Singapore, it is essential to verify that your mark complies with the legal requirements for registration. The mark must be capable of graphical representation and possess a distinctive character that sets your goods or services apart from others. It should not consist solely of descriptive terms, such as "best" or "cheap," or of signs commonly used in trade or everyday language. Additionally, the mark must not conflict with existing registered trademarks to avoid potential legal disputes and rejection.
A comprehensive search on the IPOS Digital Hub or the IPOS Go Mobile App is strongly recommended before submitting your application. This step helps identify any identical or similar trademarks already registered for related goods or services. If a conflicting mark is discovered, obtaining a letter of consent from the existing trademark owner can help mitigate objections and streamline the registration process.
Trademark protection is granted specifically for the goods or services listed in the application, classified under the Nice Classification system, which includes 45 categories. Using the IPOS Classification Database to draft your descriptions can minimize objections and qualify you for a discounted application fee of $280 per class when filing online. Accurate classification is critical to ensuring comprehensive protection and avoiding unnecessary delays.
Before submitting your application, ensure you have completed the pre-filing checklist: confirm your mark’s eligibility, address all prerequisites, and pay the statutory fees. Applications are filed online via the IPOS Digital Hub, and the entire process typically takes around 12 months, provided no major objections or oppositions arise.
After submission, IPOS examiners review the application for compliance with formal and substantive requirements. If the application meets all criteria, it proceeds to publication. If issues are identified, an examination report detailing the objections is issued. Applicants have four months to respond, which may involve submitting evidence, amending the application, or requesting a hearing.
Accepted applications are published in the Trade Marks Journal for a two-month period, allowing the public to review and oppose the registration if necessary. This stage ensures transparency and provides an opportunity for third parties to protect their existing rights.
If an opposition is filed, the registration process is suspended pending resolution. The applicant will receive a notice of opposition and must participate in proceedings to defend their application. A successful defense allows the application to proceed, while an unfavourable outcome results in refusal.
Once all stages are completed successfully, IPOS issues a certificate of registration. The trademark is protected for 10 years from the filing date, providing exclusive rights to use the mark for the specified goods or services in Singapore.
The process of online trademark registration in Singapore typically takes 6 to 12 months, depending on examination outcomes and objections raised.
Conduct a search on the IPOS Digital Hub or IPOS Go Mobile App to check for identical or similar marks before filing.
Prepare and submit the trademark application in Singapore through IPOS, ensuring all details and classifications are accurate.
IPOS reviews the application for compliance. If objections arise, applicants have four months to respond or amend.
Once accepted, the mark is published in the Trade Marks Journal for public opposition.
Third parties may oppose within two months. If no opposition is filed, the application proceeds to registration.
Upon approval, IPOS issues the Certificate of Registration, valid for 10 years from the filing date.
The list of documents for online trademark registration in Singapore is as follows:
Name and address of the applicant
Clear geographical representation of the trademark
List of goods and services
Declaration of use or intention to use the mark
Yes, registering a trademark in Singapore provides protection for a period of ten years from the date of registration. After this period, the trademark registration in Singapore can be renewed for successive ten-year terms by paying the prescribed renewal fee. The renewal application must be filed by the owner or their authorized agent before the expiration of the current registration.
If the renewal is not completed within this period, a grace period of six months is granted, allowing the applicant to renew the trademark by paying the renewal fee along with an additional late fee. Failure to renew within this grace period will result in the trademark being removed from the Register. In such cases, the applicant must file a fresh trademark application in Singapore to re-register the mark, following the same process as a new registration.
Once renewed, the registration remains effective from the date of expiration of the previous term. Therefore, timely renewal of your registered trademark in Singapore is essential to ensure continuous brand protection and legal rights.
Classifying different types of trademarks is a fundamental step for successful registration in Singapore. A clear understanding ensures proper application and avoids errors that could lead to potential legal and commercial challenges. For businesses with unique products or branding, applying for the appropriate type of trademark is essential, as classified below.
A word mark, also known as a standard character mark, makes use of words, letters, numbers, or any combination thereof, without claiming any specific design, font, or graphical element. They are simple and protect the brand name in its most basic form, like "Google," "Samsung," or "Amazon."
A figurative mark, also known as a logo mark, is a logo, design, symbol, or any other graphical representation. The figurative mark ensures the protection of the unique visual identity of a brand, relying mostly on the graphical elements separate from any word elements.
A composite mark, being a combination of both words and figurative elements, offers complete protection for the integrated text and graphics used by the brand. The combined mark is essential for brands where the logo and word are intricately linked in their public presentation.
A collective mark acts as a badge of origin to distinguish the services or goods of members of a particular association from those of non-members. It indicates that the user of the mark is part of a specific group, such as an association of artisans or professionals.
A certification mark acts as a badge of quality, guaranteeing that the services or goods have been certified to have a certain standard, characteristics, or quality. It signals to consumers that the product meets specific standards set by the certifying body, for example, the "Singapore Green Label."
The three-dimensional (3D) shape of the goods themselves or the packaging and containers in which they are sold can be registered as a trademark, provided they are capable of distinguishing the goods of one trader from another.
A single colour or a combination of colours with no pictures or words can be trademarked in Singapore, provided it is demonstrated that the colour serves exclusively as a source identifier for the goods or services.
Sounds can be registered as a trademark provided, they can be represented graphically, typically by a musical stave or an audio spectrogram. A classic example is the sequence of chimes used by a broadcasting corporation.
Hologram mark, which makes use of more advanced visual communication techniques, presents a company’ logo in contemporary forms. However, the hologram mark, which somehow covers the three-dimensional picture, is especially attached to add further security and protection to the brand name.
This category includes movement marks (a short sequence of movements), hologram marks, and other types of marks. Registration is permitted provided they can be represented graphically and are capable of distinguishing goods or services in the marketplace.
The list of non-eligible marks for trademark registration in Singapore is as follows:
With over a decade of experience, Enterslice provides end-to-end support for registering trademark in Singapore with ease and efficiency. Our team of IP professionals ensures full compliance with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) while simplifying each step of your trademark application in Singapore. Here’s why Enterslice is the trusted choice to help you register trademark Singapore:
The ‘TM’ symbol is used to show that a logo, word, or name is being claimed as a trademark, even if it has not yet been registered under trademark law. It simply indicates that the owner considers the mark their brand identifier. In contrast, the ‘®’ symbol indicates that the trademark has been officially registered and enjoys legal protection under the trademark law. This symbol can only be used after registration. Using the ‘®’ symbol without registration may result in legal penalties.
A registered trademark in Singapore is valid for 10 years from the date of filing the trademark application.
In Singapore, a registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of application. To maintain protection, the trademark owner must renew it before the expiry of this term. The law allows a 6-month grace period after the expiry date for renewal upon payment of the prescribed fee. Once renewed, the trademark remains valid for another 10 years, granting continued exclusive rights to the owner.
Yes, you can apply for a trademark before launching your product or business on a proposed-to-be-used basis, provided an early filing is recommended.
A priority claim allows a trademark applicant to use the filing date of
an earlier application made in another country as the filing date for
their application in Singapore. This means that if you filed for
trademark registration in another country within the past six months,
and later file the same mark in Singapore, your Singapore application
will be treated as if it were filed on that earlier date.
This benefit ensures that no one else can register the same or similar
mark in Singapore after your original filing date, even if their
application is submitted before yours in Singapore. However, this right
applies only if your first application was filed in a country that is a
member of the Paris Convention or the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The filing requirements in Singapore are name, address of the applicant, trademark registration, classes and specification of goods and or services.
The following marks cannot be registered:
An international trademark registration is a standard process that allows an individual or a company to register their trademarks with multiple countries using a single trademark application filed with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). What are the types of trademarks that can be registered in Singapore? The main types of trademarks in Singapore include:
In general, trademark registration in Singapore takes around 12 months, provided there are no objections or oppositions during the process.
-- Testimonials
“Enterslice and Its team made starting my company and running very easy. Their contribution in raising funds was immense. I highly recommend Enterslice to any one who wants to start a business in India. Thank you guys keep up the good work.”
CEO - Solarix
“Very professional services. I am highly impressed by their courteous and client oriented attitude.”
F Salon Paris
“Thanks for your services. The team is really professional. They make sure that things are delivered in time. The best part about Enterslice is the consultative approach and guiding us on all our business matters.”
Haiden Group - UAE
“I would like to thank the Enterslice team for the excellent business plan made by them. They understood our requirement and gave us exactly what we wanted. Thank you Team Enterslice.”
“I have registered my Trademark through them. The application was filed within 3 days. And the charges were also very reasonable. We got TM Approved in 6 month’s time without any re-submission or objection. They charge high to deliver the best in industry.”
“They provided customized and Highly skilled CA &services. The management invests themselves in your work. They ensured timely NBFC registration and are always ready and prepared with excellent advisory services. The best part of working with Enterslice is they are not having expertise of law but they are well versed with Digital marketing skills &fintech business model.”
“Great set of people working together. Very customer friendly. I am very satisfied with the food license registration services and will definitely come back for other similar requirements.”
“I came to know about Enterslice through a friend. Since then I have done GST Registration through them. The services are consumer centric and fast. I have recommended them to many of my acquaintance already.”
“I chose Enterslice to start my new Indian adventure as entrepreneur, and respect my past experience i was surprised by their professionalism. In particular, Raksha T. followed my startup process, and i was delighted with her support on every moment. Great, great experience.”
“Amazing services provided by your organization. They have completed our NBFC registration order within stipulated time period of 90 days. They provide constant guidance and support in the process. Their support in building fintech software is amazing.”
Stay updated with all the latest legal updates.
Just enter your email address and subscribe for free!