The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law since April 2001, is the lead government agency that advises on and administers intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the development of IP in Singapore.
As IP regulator and policy advisor, IPOS is committed to maintaining a robust and pro-business IP regime for the protection and commercial exploitation of IP.
Singapore has a fully Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS)-compliant Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) legislative and administrative regime. It is also a signatory to the following international conventions:
• Paris Convention
• Berne Convention
• Madrid Protocol
• Nice Agreement
• Patent Cooperation Treaty
• Budapest Treaty
• WIPO Copyright Treaty
• WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
• International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants otherwise known as the "UPOV Convention"
• The Geneva Act (1999) of the Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Design
• Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks
IPOS administers the following legislation:
• Copyright Act (Cap 63)
• Geographical Indications Act (Cap 117B)
• Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits Act (Cap 159A)
• Patents Act (Cap 221)
• Trade Marks Act (Cap 332)
• Registered Designs Act (Cap 266)
• Plant Varieties Protection Act (Act 22 of 2004)
On the policy front, IPOS works with economic agencies and the IP business community to formulate and review IP policies and practices. An area of IPOS' work that has become increasingly important is in leading negotiations on IP issues in Singapore's growing network of Free Trade Agreements with other countries.
As promoter for IP, IPOS has put in place contact programmes and platforms to reach out to a wide array of audiences ranging from the general public to the education, R & D, professional and business sectors. These programmes seek to raise awareness, capabilities and business opportunities for IP among the various target audiences.
Within the organisation, IPOS strives to continually improve service standards and build an innovative and customer-focused corporate culture.