Singapore to Gain from Europe's Best Practice In IP - New MOU between IPOS and EPO Will Further Boost Bilateral Co-operation on IP

SIingapore, November 20, 2003 –The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have jointly concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on bilateral co-operation for 2004 - 2006 today aimed at fortifying both parties' existing co-operation arrangements on Intellectual Property (IP). The signing ceremony was held in conjunction with the Europe-Asia Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Conference 2003 involving top representatives of the IP offices in ASEAN, Europe, Korea, Japan, China and the US.
The MOU between IPOS and EPO, underscores the already strong ties between the offices and an embodiment of the co-operation between the two offices. The MOU will serve as the basis for the establishment of a flexible mechanism for raising greater IP awareness as well as training and developing IP expertise. This will not only help IPOS and EPO meet the new challenges brought about technological advancement, but also deepen bilateral economic relations between Europe and Singapore.
With the growing emphasis on innovation, research and development, IP protection of new ideas, products and technologies is therefore increasingly critical to companies and individuals, particularly when they can gain commercially from their intellectual capital. To continue to raise awareness of the importance of IP protection, IPOS and EPO will collaborate in joint seminars, conferences and training programmes in Singapore targeted at a wide segment of groups ranging from the scientists, researchers, small- and medium-sized enterprises, IP professionals to students and the general public. This broad-based approach will allow IPOS to augment its reach and increase the general level of IP awareness within Singapore, thereby injecting greater vibrancy in its IP industry.
One new activity that will be launched in 2004 is a series of expertise-development courses in Patent Search & Examination processes. Senior examiners from the EPO will conduct regular update programmes in Singapore for the IP professionals. This training will deepen local and regional IP expertise through seminars and workshops on the inner workings of the European Patent Office, its patent granting procedures and policies, the latest case law in various fields and international developments.
In addition, IPOS and the EPO will again collaborate to co-organise the Europe-Asia Patent Information Conference (EAPIC) in March 2004. This specialist conference, first held in September 2002, will bring together key players in the field of patent information and intelligence, and its application in business strategies. The 2004 Conference will also provide an opportunity to users to learn the latest patent intelligence techniques and technologies.
Speaking at the MOU signing ceremony, Ms. Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of IPOS highlighted, "We are indeed privileged to be able to partner EPO, a global centre of excellence for IP. We have much to learn from EPO's experience. Through the enhanced co-operation between our organisations, we hope to raise the standard of training for our IP professionals and increase awareness of the importance of IP as a core competency for business."
Dr. h. c. Ingo Kober, President of EPO further added, "It is indeed a great pleasure to back in Singapore on the occasion of the Europe-Asia Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Conference. I am particularly pleased that the very good relations between IPOS and the European Patent Office could be once again confirmed through the signature of the 2004-2006 bilateral co-operation plan."

For media enquiry, please contact:

Ms Tangie Kay
Senior Executive
Media & Marketing Communications
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS)
DID: 6331 6573
Fax: 6331 6562
Email: Tangie_Kay@ipos.gov.sg

About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS (http://www.ipos.gov.sg) is the lead government agency that formulates and regulates intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the greater development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’s vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. Formerly known as the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents, IPOS was established as a statutory board of the Ministry of Law on 1 April 2001.

About EPO
The mission of the European Patent Office (EPO) is to support innovation, competitiveness and economic growth for the benefit of the citizens of Europe. Its task is to grant European patents for inventions on the basis of a centralized procedure for the contracting states to the European Patent Convention (EPC), which was signed in Munich on 5 October 1973 and entered into force on 7 October 1977. The EPO is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation, an intergovernmental body set up under the EPC, whose members are the EPC contracting states. It has its headquarters in Munich, a branch at the Hague and offices in Berlin and Vienna. With its workforce of nearly 6,000 staff, the EPO is one of the largest European institutions.