Resumption of SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS“) has announced the resumption of the acceptance of new requests under SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast acceleration programmes. Applicants may apply for acceleration in relation to requests for patents search and examination reports (“S&E requests“), requests for patent examination report, and applications for registration of trade marks filed on or after 1 September 2026.
SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast were launched on 20 May 2025 but suspended from 4 January 2026 while IPOS reviewed the programmes. The programmes seek to help filers receive faster office actions and feature simplified eligibility criteria.
SG Patents Fast allows patent applicants to apply to receive an accelerated first office action within either four or eight months.
- SG Trade Marks Fast provides a simplified fast-track for trade mark applications and for the receipt of the first examination report within three to six weeks.
Extension of S&E Request Pilot
In August 2024, IPOS launched a pilot initiative to allow eligible applicants to extend the period prescribed for filing S&E requests by 18 months, at no cost. Following positive feedback, IPOS has now announced that it will be extending the pilot for one year, meaning that applicants whose period prescribed for filing S&E requests expires between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2027 (both dates inclusive) are now also eligible for this pilot initiative.
Click on the following links for more information (available on the IPOS website at www.ipos.gov.sg):
- Circular No. 3 of 2026: SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast to Resume Acceptance of New Requests
- Circular No. 4/2026: Extension of Time Pilot for Search and/or Examination Report Requests Extended by One Year
- Circular No. 5/2026: SG Patents Fast and SG Trade Marks Fast to Resume Acceptance of New Requests
If you have any queries on the above, please reach out to our team set out on this page.
For regional Intellectual Property matters, please see Rajah & Tann Asia’s Intellectual Property Practice for more information.
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