In Singapore, patent applicants currently have up to 36 months from the priority date to request examination. This deadline is extendable as of right by up to 18 months upon payment of official fees. As part of a new pilot initiative, from 1 September 2024 until 31 August 2026 (both dates inclusive) the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) will waive the official fees when such an extension is requested.
Importantly, only applications with an examination request deadline falling within the above-mentioned period will be eligible for the fee waiver. For applications with an examination request deadline falling within this period and which have already been extended for a period of less than 18 months, a further extension request up to a total of 18 months may be made without further payment of the official fees.
By waiving the official extension fee of SG$200 (about US$155) per month, this initiative aims to provide applicants with greater flexibility to align patent prosecution in Singapore with their global patenting strategies amidst ongoing commercialisation developments.
More details on the two-year pilot initiative can be found in the IPOS Circular. Please reach out to us if you would like to take advantage of the fee waiver or to discuss filing strategies in Singapore and the ASEAN region.