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ABOUT
SERVICES
- KICKSTART
  
  Kickstart your patenting process and receive an assessment within 60 days.
  - Local (Singapore)
    
    Receive within 60 days and assessment of your SG patent application when filed as first filing.
  - International (PCT)
    
    Receive within 90 days, an international search report upon filing of your international patent application.
- ACCELERATE
  
  Accelerate your patent to grant in over 30 countries via IPOS’ PPH programmes.
  - ASPEC
    
    Singapore is part of ASPEC, the first regional patent work-sharing programme with all ASEAN IP offices.
  - PPH-GPPH
    
    Singapore is part of the Global PPH programme and has PPH pilot programmes with Europe, China and Mexico.
- GAIN INSIGHTS
  
  Gain insights of potential new prior art and obtain market intelligence.
  - PCT SIS
    
    Request for a supplementary search by IPOS and reduce the likelihood of new English and Chinese prior art being found during national phase.
  - Patent Analytics
    
    Enhancing technology and business intelligence with patent analytics for technology foresighting and informed decision-making.
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ABOUT
IPOS International

The IP Office of Singapore (IPOS) International was founded to provide high quality patent search and examination and patent analytics services. The parent IPOS, is a statutory board established in 2001 under the Ministry of Law in Singapore. At present, IPOS has more than 300 people including its subsidiaries.

IPOS has been appointed as an International Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) in 2014. To date, IPOS has been recognized as a competent International Authority by IP offices around the world including USA, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. In order to reduce time taken for patent applications to grant, IPOS is a member of numerous patent acceleration initiatives, covering a network of more than 30 countries.

Our Quality Policy | We strive to work together with our customers to provide high quality products and services which are delivered in an efficient and consistent manner. We are committed to continually improve our systems, practices and programs in order to provide robust intellectual property rights that will foster a thriving and vibrant Singapore intellectual property environment.

VISION

To be the global partner for an intellectual property-driven economy

MISSION

Build and sustain a world-class Patent Search and Examination capability that:

Supports a strong patent regime which serves an
innovation driven economy;

Caters to the patent analysis needs in Singapore;

Is a motive force in sustaining a vibrant IP ecosystem

so as to foster innovation and creativity for Singapore's future growth.

WHERE WE BEGIN

Singapore’s IP regime has grown tremendously in the past 80 years. The business-friendly IP regime has been consistently ranked as one of the best in the world, and has helped bolster the confidence of leading global companies to select Singapore as their location of choice for investments in business and R&D.

IPOS International takes pride of our 100 (and growing) patent examiners who have active interests in improving the quality of patents. With our business-friendly solutions, IPOS International takes a proactive step in engaging with businesses to promote innovation and patent filing strategies for both international (PCT) and domestic (SG) patent applications.

2012

Conceptualization
Sep 2012

Founding of a patent search and examination unit took place in 2011, followed by the recruitment of the first batch of patent examiners in Sep 2012.
2013

Inauguration
May 2013

Graduation of the first batch of patent examiners, equipped with world class training from European Patent Office (EPO), US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Japan Patent Office (JPO).
2014

Appointed by WIPO
Sep 2014

Singapore’s appointment as an International Authority was approved by the Assembly of the PCT Union during the 54th World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Assemblies. A success for Singapore as IPOS became the first IP Office appointed in ASEAN and the fifth in Asia, after China, India, Japan and Korea.
2015

Operational as ISA/IPEA
Sep 2015

Singapore begun operations as the 19th International Search and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA and IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
2016

Competent ISA and IPEA
Apr 2016

Recognized by global offices around the world including USA and Japan as competent international search authority (ISA) and international preliminary examination authority (IPEA).
2017

PCT in English or Chinese
Jan 2017

Accepting PCT patent applications in English or Chinese as of 1 Jan, 2017. A business-friendly option that enables the deferment of translation costs until the national phase entry stage.