• TM Registration

Who can apply for a trademark registration?

 

Having a trademark registered is very important for individuals and businesses not only to promote and establish their products and services but also to protect their own branding. Having exclusive legal ownership to your creations and products is, of course, very important for your business to grow. Given that, can just about anybody apply for trademark registration?

 

Who can apply?

To put it simply, in Singapore, any natural-born persons or legal entities within the country can apply to get their trademark registered. Technically, anyone can already use their own trademark to start their business. If they plan to apply for trademark registration, it would be advantageous if they already have products or services in the market under their brand name. Although that is the case, it is important to remember that not all trademark applications are approved on the dot. So even though almost anyone can apply, there is still a strict process to be followed and it is up to the examiners to decide which ones can be registered.

 

Registering trademark internationally

If a Singaporean business owner registers his trademark, the protection of the trademark is only valid within the country. That being said, he should try to get an international trademark registration if he wants to obtain trademark rights in another country. This is done through the Madrid Protocol, which is basically an international system that facilitates the registration of marks in their signatory countries. Because Singapore is a signatory of the Madrid Protocol, brand owners can easily file an application for international registration through the trademark office.

 

Can foreigners register their trademark too?

Yes, the same rules apply as to when a Singaporean owner gets an international trademark registration. The foreign owner should also go through the Madrid Protocol. But, he/she can only have the trademark registered with the help of an agent. The agent also has to be a trademark attorney that is officially registered in Singapore.