An Overview of Singapore Intellectual Property Rights Written By: Cecilia Karanja Intellectual property, abbreviated as IP and also known as industrial property, refers to various types of creations of the human mind for which exclusive rights are recognized. Intellectual property law exists to grant business owners, artists and innovators exclusive intellectual rights to many intangible assets and these are for a fixed term. Examples • Business owners benefit from exclusive rights regarding the use of their trademarks as well as geographical indications that have been established. by business owners • Innovators benefit from protection for their industrial designs, patents, confidential information and trade secrets. • Creative artists, on the other hand, benefit from exclusive copyright over the musical, dramatic, artistic and literary works they have created. Intellectual Properties in SingaporeSingapore law recognizes several types of intellectual property and the main ones are explained below.1. Trademarks Basically, a trademark refers to a sign that you use to distinguish the goods or services you produce from those of other manufacturers. Graphically, a brand can be represented as a signature or a logo of your company. By using a trademark, it is possible to protect your brand by limiting the use of the logo or name by others. Once acquired, it will last indefinitely. You just need to renew it every 10 years. Since a trademark is a type of intellectual property, it can be licensed or assigned to third parties. Importance of Registering a Trademark The law does not require anyone to register a trade mark in Singapore. However...... middle of paper ......es of shapes, ornaments or patterns, or configurations applied to articles using any industrial process. By registering a design, you effectively protect the outward appearance of an article. Registered designs are primarily intended to protect designs intended for industrial use. Why save a template? By registering a design, you not only gain exclusive ownership rights, but also the right to prevent others from using your design without your express permission. There are many ways to exploit your design. When you prevent copying by others, your market share is preserved. Additionally, you can sell the design or license it to others for a fee.5. Common law rights Things such as goodwill, reputation, know-how and confidential information are protected by common law. However, Singapore does not have specific statutory legalization.