If your business has overseas contacts or operations, e.g. if you export your goods, franchise or license your business overseas, you need to protect your intellectual property (IP) in foreign markets.

Are My IP Rights In Singapore Recognised Overseas?

• Protecting your IP in Singapore does not mean you get protection elsewhere.
  
  
• Your IP rights here are not automatically recognised in foreign markets; hence you would need to get IP protection in those countries as well.

Where Should I Protect My IP?

How Do I Protect My IP Abroad?

• There are several ways you can protect your IP abroad:
  
  
  • use international filing/registration systems
    
    
  • use regional filing/registration systems e.g. European Patent Office
    
    
  • file/register directly in the respective countries

What Are The International Filing/Registration Systems?

• Please contact the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) for more details on international/regional filing systems.
  
  

  Type of IP Right	Name of System	Details at IPOS
  Patent	Patent Co-Operation Treaty	Applying for a Patent Outside Singapore
  Trade Marks	Madrid Protocol	Applying for a Trade Mark Outside Singapore
  Registered Design	Hague Agreement	Applying for a Registered Design Outside Singapore
  Copyright	Berne Convention	Overseas Protection of Copyright Works in Singapore
  	TRIPS Agreement