Patent Application Support (Singapore)

A Patent Application Support in Singapore records the information required to apply for the registration or permit involved.

Under the Patents Act (Cap. 221), an invention is patentable in Singapore if it: (1) is new (has novelty — the invention has not been disclosed to the public anywhere in the world before the filing date or priority date); (2) involves an inventive step (is not obvious to a person skilled in the relevant art); and (3) is capable of industrial application (can be made or used in any kind of industry). Certain subject matter is excluded from patentability under Section 13 — including discoveries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, aesthetic creations, schemes or methods for doing business or performing mental acts, and computer programs as such (though computer-implemented inventions may be patentable if they produce a technical effect).

IPOS administers two examination pathways for Singapore patent applications. The first is a local search and examination conducted by IPOS examiners or outsourced to partner patent offices under Singapore's Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) and Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) agreements. The second is a supplementary examination based on the results of a corresponding application examined by a specified foreign patent office — including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and IP Australia — under Section 29(1)(c) of the Patents Act. The supplementary examination route can significantly reduce examination time and costs for applicants with existing patent grants or allowances in partner jurisdictions.

IPOS charges official fees for patent applications: S$160 for filing (online), S$500 for a request for search (or S$1,200 for search and examination), and additional fees for excess claims and grant. The total official costs for a standard Singapore patent application from filing through grant typically range from S$2,000 to S$5,000, excluding professional fees for the patent agent. IPOS also offers the SG Patent Fast Track programme, which provides accelerated examination (within 6 months) for applications in specific technology areas.

Singapore's patent system operates within the international framework of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the TRIPS Agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO). Singapore applicants may file PCT international applications designating Singapore, entering the Singapore national phase within 30 months of the priority date. A related IP Assignment Agreement may be needed to transfer patent rights from the inventor to the applicant company, and a Non-Disclosure Agreement protects the invention before filing.

A Patent Application Support engagement is needed whenever an inventor or company in Singapore wishes to obtain patent protection for a new invention and requires professional assistance from a registered patent agent to prepare, file, and prosecute the patent application before IPOS.

Individual inventors who have developed a new product, process, or method and wish to protect their invention from unauthorised copying need a patent application. Under the Patents Act (Cap. 221), the first person to file a patent application for an invention has priority — Singapore operates a first-to-file system, not a first-to-invent system. Delay in filing risks the loss of patent protection if the invention is disclosed publicly (through sale, publication, exhibition, or oral presentation) before the filing date, as public disclosure destroys novelty under Section 14 of the Patents Act.

Startups and SMEs registered with ACRA that have developed innovative technology, software with technical effects, or novel manufacturing processes need patent applications to secure competitive advantage and attract investment. Venture capital investors, angel investors, and corporate venture arms in Singapore's startup ecosystem — supported by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) — routinely require evidence of patent filings or granted patents before committing investment. The IPOS Grow programme and Enterprise Singapore's IP management grants provide financial support for SMEs filing patent applications.

Research institutions — including the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) — need patent applications for commercially promising research outputs before publication. Academic publication of an invention before filing a patent application destroys novelty worldwide. Research institutions should engage patent agents to conduct prior art searches and prepare patent applications before academic papers or conference presentations are released.

Companies expanding into Singapore or seeking Singapore patent protection for inventions already patented in other jurisdictions need professional patent agent support for national phase entry under the PCT, or for filing a direct Singapore application claiming Paris Convention priority from an earlier filing in another country. The patent agent advises on the appropriate filing strategy — direct national filing, PCT international application, or supplementary examination based on an existing foreign patent grant — based on the applicant's commercial objectives, budget, and timeline. A related Trademark Registration Application Support may be needed for parallel brand protection.

A Singapore Patent Application Support engagement that complies with the Patents Act (Cap. 221), IPOS practice directions, and professional standards for registered patent agents must include the following elements. The forms-legal.com Patent Application Support template covers all standard engagement provisions for Singapore patent applications.

Party identification requires the applicant's full name (individual or company name), NRIC or UEN registered with ACRA, contact details, and the capacity in which the applicant claims the right to file (as inventor, assignee, or employer entitled to employee inventions under Section 49 of the Patents Act). The patent agent's name, registration number with IPOS, firm name, and contact details must also be stated.

Invention description must set out a preliminary description of the invention sufficient for the patent agent to conduct an initial assessment of patentability and prepare the patent specification. The description should cover: the technical field of the invention; the problem the invention solves; the prior art known to the applicant; the technical features that distinguish the invention from the prior art; and any prototypes, test results, or experimental data available. The applicant should identify the inventors — the natural persons who actually devised the invention — as required by Section 24 of the Patents Act.

Filing strategy must specify the chosen filing route: direct Singapore national filing under the Patents Act; PCT international application designating Singapore with national phase entry within 30 months of the priority date; or Paris Convention priority filing claiming priority from an earlier application in another country within 12 months of the earliest priority date. The strategy should address whether the applicant will request local search and examination, supplementary examination based on a corresponding foreign patent, or use the PPH/GPPH programme.

Scope of engagement must define the patent agent's responsibilities — typically including: conducting a prior art search (optional but recommended); preparing the patent specification (description, claims, abstract, and drawings); filing the patent application with IPOS; corresponding with IPOS during search and examination; responding to examination objections (office actions); and advising on patent grant, renewal, and enforcement. The engagement terms should specify which tasks are included in the fixed fee and which are billed separately.

Fees and payment terms must state the patent agent's professional fees — typically structured as a fixed fee for preparation and filing, plus hourly or fixed fees for prosecution (responding to IPOS office actions). The engagement should separately identify IPOS official fees (filing fee of S$160, search fee of S$500, examination fee, grant fee) and any third-party costs (translation costs for foreign-language priority documents, overseas agent fees for priority filings). Payment milestones — such as 50% on engagement and 50% on filing — should be specified.

Confidentiality provisions must address the patent agent's obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the invention and all information disclosed by the applicant. Under the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015, patent agents who are also advocates and solicitors are bound by legal professional privilege. Non-legally-qualified patent agents should agree to contractual confidentiality obligations equivalent to those in a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

IP ownership provisions must confirm that all intellectual property in the invention belongs to the applicant and that the patent application will be filed in the applicant's name. Where the inventor is an employee, Section 49 of the Patents Act provides that inventions made in the course of the employee's normal duties or specifically assigned duties belong to the employer — and a related IP Assignment Agreement should be executed to document the assignment.