Circular: Revised launch date for IPOS Digital Hub, Decommission Date for IP2SG, effective date of legislative amendments and fee updates

(A) IPOS Digital Hub Launch on 2 June 2022

Further to the Circular dated 11 March 2022, to allow IPOS to resolve technical issues and prevent any anticipated disruptions to users in using the new Electronic Online System (“EOS”), IPOS Digital Hub will launch on 2 June 2022, 1200hrs.

I. Adjustments to IP²SG Decommissioning Schedule

In this regard, the decommissioning schedule for the existing EOS, IP²SG, will be adjusted as follows:

• IP²SG will decommission on 25 May 2022 (2359hrs), and EOS services will remain available until 25 May 2022 (2359hrs) through IP²SG.

• EOS services will be unavailable from 26 May 2022 (0000hrs) to 2 June 2022 (1159hrs).

• All draft correspondence and forms in your IP²SG draft folders and payment cart will be removed on 25 May 2022 (2359hrs) and they will not be retrievable in the new EOS. Please submit your drafts and make payment (as appropriate) via IP²SG before 25 May 2022 (2359hrs).

II. Excluded Days

Notwithstanding the revised dates above, the Registries Practice Direction (No. 1 of 2022) [PDF, 103 KB] issued on 11 April 2022, Practice Direction No. 1 of 2009 [PDF, 12 KB] and Practice Direction No. 1 of 2019 [PDF, 70 KB] will remain in effect.

This means that period of 29 April 2022 to 8 May 2022 (both dates inclusive) taking into account Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays falling within this period will continue to remain as a period of excluded days¹.

Please refer to the Annex [PDF, 135 KB] for further information on the impact of excluded days to deadlines and priority claims for the period of 29 April 2022 to 8 May 2022.

To facilitate the launch of IPOS Digital Hub on 2 June 2022, the Registrar will be issuing another practice direction to declare the period of 26 May 2022 to 3 June 2022 (both dates inclusive) as excluded days in due course.

(B) Revised Date of Implementation of Legislative Amendments and Fee Updates

The legislative amendments and fee updates originally slated for implementation on 29 April 2022 will be effective on 26 May 2022 instead.

If you have any enquiries on this Circular, please send an email to ipos_enquiry@ipos.gov.sg.

¹ Trade Marks Circular No. 3/2022 [PDF, 534 KB], Registered Designs Circular No. 2/2022 [PDF, 534 KB], Patents Circular No. 2/2022 [PDF, 534 KB], Plant Varieties Protection Circular No. 2/2022 [PDF, 534 KB] and Geographical Indications Circular No. 2/2022 [PDF, 534 KB] explain that the period of 29 April 2022 to 8 May 2022 (both dates inclusive), taking into account Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays falling within that period, will be a period of excluded days in relation to any deadline that falls within that period, such that that deadline will be automatically extended to the next following day which is not an excluded day i.e. 9 May 2022.