{"id":4415,"date":"2021-06-07T15:53:32","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T05:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tm.legalvision.com.au\/?p=4415"},"modified":"2021-06-28T11:50:07","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T01:50:07","slug":"singaporean-trade-marks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trademark-registration.com.au\/overseas-application\/singaporean-trade-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips For Australian Businesses Searching For Singaporean Trade Marks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Singapore is Australia\u2019s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its eighth-largest trading partner overall. Australia and Singapore have a free-trade agreement, meaning they take measures to prevent importing and exporting goods that infringe trade mark regulations in both countries and are committed to protecting each other\u2019s intellectual property.\u00a0As a global business hub with a close business relationship with Australia, many Australian businesses are trading in Singapore. If you plan on trading in Singapore, you must register your trade mark<\/a> in Singapore properly, with a thorough trade mark search being the first step. This article will take you through five <\/strong>tips for Australian businesses searching for Singaporean trade marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Search in All of Singapore\u2019s Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Singapore\u2019s national languages are English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. Any trade mark with a word element will need to be checked for availability in all the relevant characters and translations. Even if the trade mark does not sound the same when translated, if the idea behind the trade mark and translation is the same, it will be considered an infringement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you want to trade mark the phrase ‘Happy Homes’, but the Tamil translation of that phrase has been trade marked, it will not be accepted.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2. Check Your Trade Mark Class<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you file your application with the trade mark office, you cannot get a refund. Because of this, it is important to know what class of goods or services your trade mark comes under. Using a goods and services search tool <\/a> is the best way to do this. Fortunately, in 2007 Singapore introduced a single trade mark application. This means that you can file for one trade mark to register two or more goods or services classes in a single application. While fees are still payable per class, this new system is a great time saver and simplifies the renewal process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Do a ‘Fast Search’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has a free search tool<\/a>. Alongside the World Intellectual Property\u2019s (WIPO) Global Brand Database<\/a>, this is a great way to search<\/a> for Singaporean trade marks. The Fast Search function searches the entire IPOS database. While this feature is a great start for your search, it is important to keep in mind that the results will be very broad and potentially produce results irrelevant to you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Use the Simple Search Tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The IPOS search tool\u2019s Simple Search function allows you to be more specific in your trade mark search. This function will narrow your results by class of goods and services, as well as by trade mark name. Remember that your trade mark search aims not just to find identical or similar trade marks, but to check for identical or similar trade marks within the same or similar classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Use the Boolean Search Tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Boolean Search tool is the most flexible search mode offered on the IPOS search tool. Like the Simple Search, the Boolean Search will narrow results by trade mark and goods and services classification. This feature will also allow you to narrow your search even further by specifying the form of trade mark (for example, name, image, or logo). The Boolean Search tool is also how you can search in all of Singapore\u2019s national languages. It has a translation, transliteration and Chinese character search function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your intellectual property is the most important asset of your business. If you plan on trading in Singapore, it is essential that you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n