The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) has announced two notable developments for patent and trade mark applicants: the extension of the fee-waiver pilot for extensions of time to request search and/or examination, and the reopening of SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast.

‍

Greater flexibility for patent applicants

Under the original pilot,eligible patent applicants could obtain an extension of time to file a request for search and/or examination without paying the usual extension-of-time fee where the relevant prescribed period expired between 1 September 2024 and 31August 2026.

‍

IPOS has now extended the pilot for a further year. Under Patents Circular No. 4/2026, applicants whose prescribed period for filing search and/or examination requests expires between1 September 2024 and 31 August 2027, both dates inclusive, are now eligible for the initiative.

‍

The measure may be particularly useful where applicants wish to assess the commercial prospects of an invention, await examination results from corresponding overseas applications,or align Singapore prosecution with a broader international patent strategy.

‍

The official fees for the underlying search and/or examination request remain payable.

‍

SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast reopen

IPOS has also announced there opening of SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast under Patents Circular No.5/2026, following the suspension of new acceleration requests from 4 January2026.

‍

SG Patents Fast provides an expedited route to a first office action, while SG Trade Marks Fast offers accelerated examination for qualifying trade mark applications.

‍

Their reopening will be welcomed by businesses seeking earlier certainty over their IP rights, particularly where prosecution timelines are important for product launches, investment,enforcement or commercial transactions.

‍

More strategic options for applicants

Taken together, these developments give applicants greater control over prosecution timelines. Those needing more time may benefit from the extended fee-waiver pilot, while those seeking faster outcomes may consider the reopened acceleration programmes.

‍

Applicants should review Patents Circulars Nos. 4/2026 and 5/2026 for the applicable dates, eligibility requirements, fees and procedural conditions.

‍

These measures further reinforce Singapore’s focus on providing flexible and business-friendly options for securing intellectual property protection.

‍