eTrademarks

Introduction
Basic Requirements for eServices (Registration Process)
- About Registration
- PC Requirements
Security Measures
Online Submission
- Online Submission to IPOS
- Online Save Feature
Image / Document Preparation Requirements
- Preparation of Documentation for Electronic Submission
- File Formats for Electronic Submission
Payment
Account Management
- Password Termination / Forgotten Password
IPOS Facilities
- IPOS Facilities– Counter
eSearch & Downloads
eJournals & Downloads

Introduction

Description of eService

eTrademarks is the one-stop portal that facilitates online trade mark related searches and transactions in Singapore

Basic Requirements for eServices (Registration Process)
About Registration
1.	Is registration required in order to use eTrademarks?
	There is no requirement for registration in order to use eTrademarks. You only need to register as an Account Holder if you wish to pay through GIRO simply by submitting the eTrademarks Account Holder Registration Form and GIRO Application Form.

2.	Who is eligible to be an Account Holder?
	Anyone or any company can become an Account Holder. The prerequisite is that the person or company has a local corresponding address for service and a local bank account where deductions will be made via GIRO.

3.	How long does it take to obtain approval for the eTrademarks Account Holder application and GIRO application?
	It will take two working days to approve the eTrademarks Account Holder Registration and 14 working days to process the GIRO Application. Approval of the Account Holder Registration will be sent in an email with the User ID and password to the Administrator. Approval of the GIRO application will be sent by post which will include the Bank Code, Branch Code and bank account number. All this information is necessary for the access to the Maintenance of Authorised Representatives module.

4.	What is the Maintenance of Authorised Representatives Module and what are the responsibilities of the Administrator?
	The Maintenance of Authorised Representative Module is a programme for the Administrator to authenticate new representatives to enable them to do online filing on behalf of the company. The name and IC number have to be added to this module before an authorised representative can start doing the online filing. This module is also to allow Administrator to delete the names of representatives who are no longer with the company.

5.	What else do I need besides being an Account holder if I want to use GIRO to pay for my online filing?
	When paying by GIRO, the authorised representative also needs to have a SingPass for authentication purpose. SingPass is your common password to transact with different Government online services.

6.	Where can I get a SingPass?
	You can get more information about SingPass from the following link: http://www.singpass.gov.sg Alternatively, you may apply for a SINGPASS at the following locations: eClubs any Central Provident Fund (CPF) offices, Community Development (CDC) offices and selected Community Clubs. Please remember to bring your NRIC if you are applying in person.

Top PC Requirements
7.	What are the PC requirements for using eTrademarks?
	eTrademarks has been tested on all Windows Operation Systems and Internet Explorer. It is also necessary to configure the browser to accept cookies. Please click here (476KB) for more information.

Top

Security Measures
1.	What are the security measures implemented in eTrademarks to ensure security of online submission?
	The platform that we are using is hosted by SHINE which manages our online filing by ensuring all transactions to be conducted over a secured socket layer (SSL) which encrypts the data in that channel.

Top

Online Submission
Online Submission to IPOS
1.	What is efiling?
	Efiling is a service provided by IPOS that accepts applications for trade marks via the Internet.

2.	What are the forms available for efiling?
	This service allows applicants to submit application forms online for Forms TM1, TM4, TM19, TM22, TM26, TM27A, TM27B and TM49.

3.	What are the benefits of efiling?
	eFiling allows the applicants to submit applications round the clock, print a copy of their application form for reference and receive real time confirmation of the transaction.

4.	Should I make a paper copy submission after filing it electronically?
	No. Duplicate submissions on paper are not necessary. To avoid any possible confusion over the documents furnished to the Registry, arising from the multiple and duplicated documents received, applicants should refrain from making a submission electronically followed by a paper copy for the same matter.

5.	When can I file my trade mark application online? Can I efile on a Sunday or a public holiday?
	Electronic filing is available round the clock. However, all Sundays, public holidays and such other days as the Registrar may specify, shall be "excluded days" for all purposes under the Act and the Rules. This means that all documents filed through eTrademarks on those days will be taken as having been filed on the next working day. That is, the lodgement date will be stated as the date of the next working day.

6.	Do I need to file a cover letter with my electronic trade mark submission?
	A cover letter is not required for electronically submitted application. However, there are functions provided for the attachment of a cover letter in PDF, TXT and DOC format. If you have special instruction to convey to us, you should do it via a cover letter. Attachment for covering letters are available for Forms TM4, TM27, TM22 and TM26.

7.	How will I know that IPOS has received the electronic form submission that I have filed?
	An online "Acknowledgment and Receipt" is generated after every submission. Users are to print the receipt for record purposes. At the same time, an "Email Online Receipt" which is a summary of the transaction done is sent to the user via email. The technology involved in checking the completeness and integrity of your transmission, is part of the standard protocols used for online transmissions.

8.	How is the lodgement date accorded for an online submission?
	The lodgement date is the date that the application is successfully submit to IPOS. If application is received after 12 midnight of that day, the lodgement date will be the next working day..

9.	Can efiling be done from overseas?
	Applications can be filed from overseas only if a local address for service is provided, as required in the respective forms

10.	How do I report a problem that I encounter during efiling?
	You can send us an email and include the details of the problem or error using our Problem Report Form which can be found in the following link.
Top Online Save Feature
11.	Am I able to save my online application and submit it at a later date?
	Yes, you may save your completed application form via the "Save and Revisit Later" feature. Upon saving an eight-digit "Save Ref No" will be generated. This is to be used for the retrieval of the saved application. To retrieve your application, you will need to select the option "Retrieve Application Details" option and enter the eight-digit Save Ref No. The saved application will reside in our server for a maximum of three working days. You must complete the submission of the application or resave the details before the end of the three working days, or the details will be deleted. This feature is available for Forms TM4, TM22 and TM27.

Top

Image / Document Preparation Requirements
Preparation of Documentation for Electronic Submission
1.	How shall I prepare my documents to get ready for electronic submission?
	The trade mark can be scanned or created by any picture editing software. For each submission, only one image is allowed. The image should be cropped before saving and the approximate size of the image should be 480 by 480 pixels. File size should not exceed 1 MB.
2.	How should the image of a series mark application be done?
	All the marks in the series should be scanned as one image.
	Top
File Formats for Electronic Submission
1.	Which file formats for the images are acceptable for electronic filing?
	The file formats for images of the trade marks are JPG, BMP, GIF and TIFF. However, for the preview of marks before submission, please note that it cannot be done with TIFF format.

2.	What file formats are available for attachment of covering letter?
	Formats available for covering letters are PDF, TXT and DOC.

Top

Payment

How do I make payment for efiling?

You may wish to make payment either via GIRO, eNets Credit/Debit Card and Internet Banking.

How do I make payment via GIRO?

If you wish to make payment via GIRO, please fill up the "GIRO Application Form" as well as the "Application to Register as an Account Holder Form". These forms will have to be submitted to IPOS for approval prior to the use of GIRO. All authorised representatives must be CPF account holders with SingPass. For more information on GIRO as well as to download forms, please go here.

What is eNETS Debit/Credit Card?

eNETS Credit/Debit Card is an online credit card payment gateway operated by NETS that allows you to pay for bills, goods and services online using your VISA, VISA Electron and MASTERCARD credit/debit card. For more information on eNETS Credit/Debit Card, please refer to eNETS Credit website.
http://www.nets.com.sg/enets/pay_credit.html

What is eNETS Internet Banking?

eNETS Internet Banking is an Internet-based payment method operated by NETS that enables you to make payment from your bank account using your Internet Banking PIN and ID. Currently, you can only use DBS/POSB, UOB and Citibank accounts. For more information on eNETS Internet Banking, please refer to the eNETS website.
http://www.nets.com.sg/enets/pay_bank.html

How do I ensure that I have successfully made payment for my application?

A receipt will be generated upon successful payment. Details of the efiling transaction (e.g efiling Number, Fee Payable, Payment Mode, Date and Time of transaction) will be displayed on the receipt.

What is the refund procedure for payment made via efiling?

Requests for refunds will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Please send in writing your request for a refund to:

Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
Registry of Designs
51, Bras Basah Road
#04-01
Plaza By The Park
Singapore 189554

To assist us in investigating the matter and to process your refund, please include the following details in your letter of request:

name of person requesting for refund
contact number
date/Time of payment submission
amount deducted
reason for requesting for a refund
trade mark number/eFiling number (if any)
online receipt and acknowledgment (if any)
credit card statement (if payment was made via Credit Card)

Top

Account Management
Password Termination / Forgotten Password
1.	What is the procedure for the termination of the account?
	For the termination of the GIRO account, please contact your bank to do the necessary. The bank will in turn inform IPOS to enable us to update our record accordingly.

2.	What happens when the password to access efiling is locked or expired?
	Click here to email us and we would be able to unlock the password or issue you with a new one.

3.	What happens when there is a change of Administrator for the Account?
	There should be a newly appointed administrator who would subsume the responsibilities of the old administrator. In the event that the new administrator does not have the password, please write to us so that we can give the new administrator a new password.

4.	I have forgotten my password, what should I do?
	Click here to email us and we would be able to reset the password on your behalf.

Top

IPOS Facilities
IPOS Facilities – Counter
1.	What can we do if we do not have the necessary resources to do efiling?
	You may wish to make use of our facilities at the public search counter which includes terminals for efiling, searching and downloading of eJournals. You can also utilise our scanning and printing facilities. The use of these workstations and facilities are at $2 per half hour.

Top

eSearch & Downloads
eTrademarks Search
1.	What is eSearch?
	eSearch is a online search database in eTrademarks that allows members of the public to access our Register of Trade Marks without charge.

2.	What are the types of search available online?
	Types of searches available are: similar Marks Search online Trademarks Enquiry consisting of Mark Detailed Information Registered Marks Pending Marks Expired Marks Cancelled Marks Withdrawn Marks Abandoned Marks Expunged Marks Refused Marks Destroyed Marks Search by Individual/Company Certification Marks Collective Marks Article 6ter Query by IR Number Colour as a trade mark 3-Dimensional shape Aspect of packaging Sound Marks Scent Marks Movement Marks Holograms eJournal Search

3.	Would I be able to check for Trade marks filed outside Singapore on eTrademarks?
	No. eTrademarks database contains only trade marks filed in Singapore.

4.	How frequent is the database updated?
	eTrademarks database is updated daily.

Top

eJournals & Downloads
eJournal
1.	What is eJournal?
	eJournal refers to the electronic version of the trade marks journal. These journals are in PDF format and replace the hardcopy publication

2.	What software should I use to view eJournal?
	To view the eJournal, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or above. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

3.	How do I view and save the eJournal?
	You can view the eJournal by clicking on the link “Download”. You can save the Trade Marks eJournal in PDF format by right-clicking on “Download” and select the option “Save Target As”.

4.	How long will the eJournal be online?
	Each issue of the Journal will be online for three months.

5.	How much does the Journal cost?
	The eJournal can be downloaded free of charge.

6.	How do I obtain past issues of the eJournal?
	Requests for past issues of the journal would have to be made in writing to the Registry of Trade Marks. The registry would reproduce the past issues on CD Roms. Each past issue will cost $12. When ready, applicant will have to collect it from IPOS.