Second Set of Proposed IP Law Changes Goes Public

SINGAPORE, July 26 2004 – The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has published two draft bills namely the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2004, and the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2004 for public consultation as of 24 July 2004. A third draft bill, the Designs (Amendment) Bill 2004 will also be published for consultation in the month of August. These bills form the second set of amendments to our intellectual property (IP) legislation as part of a holistic review to keep our regime robust and pro-business.
“These proposed changes, particularly the Copyright Act, will significantly strengthen our IP regime. The public will have from 24 July until 18 August 2004 to review and comment on the proposed changes before the drafts are tabled before Parliament,” said Ms Liew Woon Yin, Director-General, IPOS.

The draft bills are available for viewing and feedback at www.newiplaws.org.sg (Please note that the new IP Laws website has been decommissioned as at December 2006), IPOS’ dedicated website for information about new IP legislation.

IPOS established www.newiplaws.org.sg (Please note that the new IP Laws website has been decommissioned as at December 2006) as a reference centre for businesses and the general public to access proposed IP legislative changes so they are up to date and prepared.

On 02 August, IPOS will also host a series of public seminars to explain the draft legislation. The schedule of seminars is as follows:

10.05-10.30 a.m	Amendments to the Copyright Act (Part I) Anti-circumvention measures Rights management information Criminal offences Statutory damages Presumption of copyright Border enforcement
10:30-1100 a.m	Amendments to Copyright Act (Part II) Internet service providers’ liabilities Right of communication to the public Rights for performers and producers in relation to sound recordings Exceptions
	Amendments to the Broadcasting Act

11.00am 12.00pm	Q&A

Sessions will be held at IPOS, located at 51 Bras Basah Road, #06-01 Plaza By the Park, Singapore 189554

Since March last year IPOS has allocated significant resources, led an industry Taskforce, and hosted seminars to help people understand and prepare for the new law changes.

IPOS also launched an IP reference guide that provides easy to understand information that is relevant to businesses. Copies of this reference guide have been circulated to Singapore businesses via the Taskforce’s membership who are industry association heads.

With the release of the second batch of draft legislations, the FAQ section of the website has also been updated, incorporating feedback provided by the public during the previous public consultation.

The Copyright (Amendment) Bill is drafted and administered by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) while the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill is drafted and administered by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA). IPOS is soliciting feedback from the public on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2004 on behalf of MDA.

Since its inception in 2001, IPOS has been providing resources for business owners who want information about the latest in Singapore’s intellectual property developments and how they can ensure their ideas are protected and exploited. For more information, please visit www.ipos.gov.sg

- Ends –

For media enquiry, please contact:

Ms Jennifer Chen
Assistant Director
Media & Marketing Communications
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID (65) 6331 6548
HP (65) 9369 1839
Fax (65) 6331 6562
Email: Jennifer_CHEN@ipos.gov.sg

About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS 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. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.