Singapore boasts one of the most robust intellectual property (IP) rights regimes in Asia. Like many other countries, its IP framework is continually evolving. Singapore is enhancing its legislation to better accommodate the shift towards intangible assets and artificial intelligence (AI) while tightening existing laws to address previous gaps. The Patent Act of 1994 (Chapter 221) grants the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) the authority to examine all patent applications, including those based on patents granted in other countries, ensuring compliance with Singapore’s patentability criteria. The Registered Designs (Amendment) Act has expanded the scope of registered designs to encompass virtual designs and color as a design feature. It establishes that the default owner of a commissioned design is the designer rather than the commissioning party.
The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA) safeguards various areas of intellectual property, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. The IP chapter includes provisions for enforcing these rights, which feature civil remedies and criminal penalties for infringement, while adhering to international IP standards to ensure consistency with global practices. Moreover, the transparency chapter emphasizes clarity and accessibility, enabling businesses to better understand and comply with IP laws. Consequently, the IP protections outlined in the agreement help shield companies from domestic and international infringement, reducing the risks of piracy and counterfeiting that can undermine businesses and stifle innovation. Companies can invest and innovate with greater confidence, reassured by a stable legal framework that protects their intellectual property. Although the agreement states that government agencies will not grant regulatory approvals for products that infringe on patents, Singapore does permit parallel imports.
The USSFTA also ensures the protection of test data and trade secrets submitted for regulatory approval. Disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited. Any party wishing to reuse this data for similar products may only do so with the original party’s consent, which must be obtained five years after the approval date of the pharmaceutical product and ten years after the approval date of an agricultural chemical. Singapore lacks specific legislation for trade secret protection. Instead, it safeguards investors’ commercially valuable proprietary information through common law, specifically the Law of Confidence, as well as through other legislation, such as the Penal Code (which addresses theft) and the Computer Misuse Act (which targets unauthorized access to computer systems to download information). However, U.S. industry representatives have expressed concerns that these protections may be insufficient.
As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Singapore is a party to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and has signed several international intellectual property rights agreements, including the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Madrid Protocol, and the Budapest Treaty. The primary legislation governing patents in Singapore is the Patent Act of 1994 (Chapter 221), which has undergone multiple revisions, most recently in 2020, with further amendments in the Statutes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2022.
This Act establishes the exclusive rights of patent owners, including the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing the patented invention, which typically lasts for 20 years from the date of filing, contingent upon the payment of renewal fees. In the context of pharmaceutical products, a patent owner has the right to take legal action against an importer of “grey market goods” that infringes on the patent, provided that the product has not been previously sold or distributed in Singapore. This act of importation constitutes a breach of contract between the patent owner and any individual licensed to distribute the product outside Singapore, especially if the importer is aware of this arrangement.
While actively seeking to position itself as an AI hub, Singapore is taking a nuanced approach to regulating artificial intelligence in relation to intellectual property. There is currently no comprehensive set of regulations specifically addressing AI’s use of intellectual property. Instead, existing intellectual property laws, particularly copyright and patent laws, are being interpreted and, in some situations, adapted to meet the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
Singapore’s Copyright Act 2021 generally requires human authorship for copyright protection. The Computational Data Analysis (CDA) Exception allows the use of copyrighted material for computational data analysis. This includes employing computer programs to identify, extract, and analyze information from copyrighted works, as well as utilizing these works to enhance the functioning of computer programs, such as training AI models. This exception is available for both commercial and non-commercial users, provided they have lawful access to the copyrighted material. Lawful access does not include circumventing paywalls or violating the terms of use for databases that restrict such analysis. It is important to note that the CDA exception cannot be overridden or restricted by contracts. This provision significantly aids AI research and development by enabling access to extensive data for training AI models.
While works generated by AI may not qualify for copyright protection, their output might infringe on existing copyrights if it closely resembles copyrighted work without any applicable exceptions (like fair use). The Singapore Copyright Act includes a fair use provision that permits specific uses of copyrighted material without prior permission. However, there is currently no case law that directly addresses AI’s use of copyrighted material under fair use. Courts may evaluate factors such as the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount used, and the impact of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work.
Singapore’s patent law traditionally mandates that a human be credited as the inventor. While AI itself cannot be recognized as an inventor, inventions that involve AI can be patented if they meet standard patentability criteria: novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), and industrial applicability.
Looking ahead, we might expect further changes to IP laws related to AI as technology continues to advance. The CDA exception in the Copyright Act plays a crucial role in facilitating AI development. However, underlying principles like the necessity for human authorship in copyright and inventorship in patent law suggest that AI-generated creations confront distinct challenges within the current legal framework.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has maintained a regional office in Singapore since 2005, providing valuable support to businesses in ASEAN in safeguarding their brands, inventions, and designs abroad. In the 2025 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index from the United States Chamber of Commerce, Singapore ranked 13th out of 55 globally. The index noted that Singapore’s key strengths include an advanced national IP framework, an active effort to accelerate patent prosecution, and its substantial liability provisions related to the sale and distribution of set-top boxes. Additionally, Singapore was recognized as a global leader in enforcing online copyright. Nevertheless, even with a reduction in software piracy from 35% in 2009 to 27% in 2025, the index indicated that piracy levels are still relatively high for a developed, high-income nation. Key weaknesses acknowledged include a lack of transparency and data regarding customs seizures of IP-infringing goods and the absence of special IP incentives for the development of orphan medicinal products.
Singapore is absent from the USTR’s 2025 Special 301 Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of IP protection and enforcement among U.S. trading partners. However, the report does classify Singapore as a transit hub for counterfeit products bound for third-party markets, exposing a need for improved enforcement of IP rights. The report expresses concerns about “dissatisfaction with border enforcement in Singapore, including concerns about the lack of coordination between Singapore’s Customs authorities and the Singapore Police Force’s Intellectual Property Rights Branch.” It mentions that Singapore has “notable levels of piracy through ISDs and illicit IPTV apps.”
In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov article for more resources.
IP Contact in the Southeast Asia Region:
Name: Mr. Matthew Kohner, IP Attaché
Office of Regional IP Attaché for Southeast Asia
Address: United States Embassy Bangkok, Foreign Commercial Service
GPF Witthayu Tower A, Room 302, 93/1 Wireless Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Telephone: (662) 205-5243
E-mail: Matthew.Kohner@trade.gov
For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property Rights (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell, at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.
To access the Singapore’s Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the United States Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.