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At-a-glance: Intellectual Property Office of Singapore 51 Bras Basah Road 04-01, Plaza by the Park, Singapore 189554 Tel: +65 6339 8616 Email: mlaw_ipos_enquiry@mlaw.gov.sg Website: www.ipos.gov.sg "Much change is being discussed for IP law,"... [more]

"Much change is being discussed for IP law," says one IP lawyer, "but we will wait and see what actually happens." The consensus among the legal community is that as far as workflow is concerned, "the worst is over", and there is a renewed interest in spending in the IP market. Changes to the patent system are being considered. Most practitioners agree that "it will take a year or two to come to fruition." One of the more notable proposals is the inclusion of a positive examination where representatives will need to overcome objections, which will put it in line with the patent systems in more sophisticated countries.

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) released a new code of conduct regarding patent prosecution, specifically relating to patent attorneys, which detailed the necessity for technical qualifications, thereby creating a self-assessment system to ensure the quality and validity of patent work. Practitioners have noted that this will "cut the wheat from the chaff" and ensure that only technically qualified members of firms will be able to do prosecution work.

There is a growing awareness of the importance of copyright in this jurisdiction, and the recently formed Copyright Tribunal "is playing a greater role," according to one market observer. A notable development on the media aspect of copyright is the government mandating pay TV services to carry exclusive content. The much-publicised decision on the case between MediaCorp and RecordTV has been heralded as a landmark in copyright law. A lawyer however notes that while the judgment is sound, it also "indicates that there is much to be improved in the law itself, with the loophole that was exploited an example of the existing limitations of copyright law".