Circular: Information on filing requirements and transition to IPOS Digital Hub

IPOS provided key details on filing requirements for transitioning to the new Digital Hub, decommissioning IP2SG on 29 April 2022. Excluded days for filings were specified from 29 April to 8 May 2022.

Electronic Online System (“EOS”) and alternative filing modes

In line with the launch of the new IP filing system, IPOS Digital Hub, and implementation of the process changes, IPOS has updated the manner in which documents are to be given or sent to, filed with or served when using the EOS and alternative filing modes provided by IPOS.

Details of the requirements, which are listed in Annex A [PDF, 429 KB], will be formalised in the form of a Practice Direction on 29 April 2022.

Excluded days for business

To facilitate users’ smooth transition to IPOS Digital Hub, the Registrar has issued Registries Practice Direction No. 1 of 2022 [PDF, 103 KB] to specify 29 April 2022 and 4 May 2022 to 6 May 2022 as excluded days (“Excluded Days”).

In light of Registries Practice Direction (No. 1 of 2022), the period from 29 April 2022 to 8 May 2022 (both dates inclusive), taking into account Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays falling within that period¹, will be a period of excluded days.

Any deadline that falls within the abovementioned period of excluded days will be automatically extended to the next working day of 9 May 2022.

Decommissioning of IP2SG and drafts in IP2SG

IPOS’ existing e-services platform, IP2SG, will be decommissioned on 29 April 2022, 0000hrs, and replaced by IPOS Digital Hub as the EOS from 4 May 2022, 1200hrs.

Please note that all draft correspondence and forms in your IP2SG draft folders and payment cart will be removed on 29 April 2022 and they will not be retrievable in the EOS. Please submit your drafts and make payment (as appropriate) via IP2SG before 0000hrs 29 April 2022.

EOS services will be unavailable from 29 April 2022 to 3 May 2022. A calendar of the key events relating to the decommissioning of IP2SG and transition to IPOS Digital Hub is as illustrated below. Please refer to the abovementioned Annex A and Registries Practice Direction (No. 1 of 2022) for more information on the alternative filing modes and excluded days, respectively.

Calendar of key events

Registration for IPOS Digital Hub information sessions

To familiarise users to IPOS Digital Hub, IPOS will be conducting online information sessions on the following dates:

• 22 April 2022, 3 – 5 pm

• 26 April 2022, 3 – 5 pm

The content for both sessions is identical; users may wish to attend either one of the sessions. Topics will include the use of IPOS Digital Hub customer account features and there will be a Q&A segment.

Interested users may register your attendance here.

Registration closes on Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 2359hrs.

¹ Practice Direction No. 1 of 2009 and Practice Direction No. 1 of 2019 (on hours of business and excluded days) specify that i) all Saturdays shall be excluded days for any business under the Patents Act 1994 and Rules, the Trade Marks Act 1998 and Rules, the Registered Designs Act 2000 and Rules, the Plant Varieties Protection Act 2004 and Rules, the Geographical Indications Act 2014 and Rules 2019, where the time for doing the business expires on that date and where the business was not done on that date, and ii) all Sundays and public holidays shall be excluded days for all purposes under the Patents, Trade Marks, Registered Designs, Plant Varieties Protection and Geographical Indications Acts and their respective Rules.