WIPO Diplomatic Conference Concludes Successfully With New Trademark Treaty Named After Singapore

Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have successfully concluded the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a revised Trade Mark Law Treaty (TLT), which culminated in a new Treaty on the Law of Trade Marks. The revised treaty will benefit national and regional trade mark administration authorities in terms of simplified and streamlined procedures. Brand owners can also look forward to lower transaction costs in trade Mark applications.

The Conference also decided that the revised treaty would be named the "Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trade Marks”, after the host country. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law Professor S. Jayakumar said,

“I congratulate WIPO and all delegates on the successful conclusion of the Diplomatic Conference and the adoption of the revised Trade Mark Law Treaty. We are pleased that WIPO member states have agreed for the treaty to be named after Singapore. Singapore is honoured to play its part in facilitating international consensus on a key area of intellectual property (IP), as our contribution to the development of the international IP framework. I am also delighted at the role played by Ambassador Burhan Gafoor in chairing this important Conference”

Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva who was unanimously elected as President of the Diplomatic Conference, said

“I was impressed by the commitment shown by member states of WIPO to ensure a successful conclusion to the negotiations. The delegates worked hard, oftentimes meeting into the night, to ensure we had an outcome that was satisfactory to all parties. I believe this was because every delegate in the conference recognised the importance of the treaty; it will boost international trade and deliver an enhanced and harmonised trade mark procedure that will benefit nations, brands and businesses. The consultations and discussions reflected the constructive spirit of cooperation and compromise among WIPO members. I would like to express my gratitude for all their efforts and perseverance, which made this treaty possible.”

The Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a revised Trade Mark Law Treaty was the first intellectual property diplomatic conference to be held in Asia. The conference discussed aspects of trade mark registration and maintenance, including electronic filing of trade mark applications and associated communications, registration formalities on the representation of both visual and non-visual trade marks, the recording of trade mark licences, relief measures when certain time limits have been missed, and the establishment of an Assembly to consider further new elements of the proposed Treaty.

Issued by Ministry of Law
28 March 2006