New circulars and practice directions for launch of IPOS Digital Hub on 2 June 2022, process changes and fee updates from 26 May 2022

30 May 2022

On 25 May 2022, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) issued various circulars titled “IPOS Digital Hub Launch on 2 June 2022” in relation to patents, trade marks, registered designs, geographical indications and plant varieties protection. To support the transition to IPOS Digital Hub, IPOS also issued the IPOS Digital Hub Practice Direction (No. 1 of 2022), which took effect on 26 May 2022, to specify the updated practice to be adopted when using the new Electronic Online System (“EOS”) and alternative filing modes provided by IPOS.

IPOS Digital Hub is a new intellectual property (“IP”) filing system which will replace the existing e-services platform, IP2SG. Users of the new IPOS Digital Hub can expect an improved user interface and an enhanced search function.

IPOS’ existing e-services platform, IP2SG, was decommissioned on 25 May 2022 (2359 hrs) and will be replaced by IPOS Digital Hub as the EOS from 2 June 2022 (1200 hrs). EOS services and the IPOS Go mobile app are unavailable from 26 May 2022 (0000 hrs) to 2 June 2022 (1159 hrs).

Excluded days

To facilitate users’ smooth transition to IPOS Digital Hub, the Registrar has issued the Registries Practice Direction (No. 2 of 2022) to specify 26 to 27 May 2022 and 30 May 2022 to 3 June 2022 as excluded days.

This means that the period from 26 May 2022 to 5 June 2022 (both dates inclusive), taking into account Saturdays and Sundays falling within that period, will be a period of excluded days.

Process changes and fee updates from 26 May 2022

In tandem with the launch of the IPOS Digital Hub, IPOS is also introducing process changes to improve business-friendliness and operational efficiency and fee updates. The process changes and fee updates generally came into effect on 26 May 2022. Along with the Intellectual Property (Amendment) Act 2022, the following IP subsidiary legislation were amended to support the process changes:

Revised effective date of fees for applications through the Madrid Protocol

In line with the revised date of implementation of legislative amendments and fee updates, the revised fees for the following applications through the Madrid Protocol originally slated for implementation on 8 May 2022 also became effective on 26 May 2022 instead:

  • Application to register an international registration/subsequent designation of trade mark, collective mark or certification mark designating Singapore through the Madrid Protocol
  • Application for renewal of an international registration/subsequent designation of trade mark, collective mark or certification mark designating Singapore through the Madrid Protocol

The relevant Madrid Information Notice may be viewed here.

Change in Trade Marks Journal publication date

There was no publication of the Trade Marks Journal in the week of 30 May 2022. From the week of 6 June 2022 onwards, Trade Marks Journal publication will resume publication on Fridays.

Background

By way of background, IPOS had earlier informed that IPOS Digital Hub will be launched on 4 May 2022, and that process changes and fee updates would generally come into effect on 29 April 2022. This was set out in circulars titled “IPOS Digital Hub, Legislative Amendments and Fee Updates” which were issued on 11 March 2022 in relation to patents, trade marks, registered designs, geographical indications and plant varieties protection. This development was covered in our article titled “IPOS announces new IPOS Digital Hub from 4 May 2022, process changes and fee updates from 29 April 2022”. Subsequently on 11 April 2022, IPOS provided more details on the filing requirements and transition to IPOS Digital Hub through another set of circulars titled “Information on Filing Requirements and Transition to IPOS Digital Hub” and this was covered in our article titled “IPOS issues circulars on filing requirements and transition to IPOS Digital Hub”.

On 28 April 2022, IPOS informed through another set of circulars that the IPOS Digital Hub will be launched on 2 June 2022, instead of 4 May 2022, and that the legislative amendments and fee updates originally slated for implementation on 29 April 2022 will take effect on 26 May 2022 instead. This was covered in our article titled “IPOS Digital Hub launch date revised to 2 June 2022, effective date of legislative amendments and fee updates changed to 26 May 2022”.

Reference materials

The following materials are available from the IPOS website www.ipos.gov.sg: