On 10 June 2026, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) announced updates to its Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) procedures to streamline patent prosecution and promote PPH usage. IPOS also announced enhancements to public access to Singapore IP data.
1. Faster PPH Examination
Regarding the processing time, for new PPH requests filed on or after 1 July 2026, IPOS will endeavour to issue the first office action within 6 months, down from the previous target of 10 months. The faster turnaround is expected to encourage greater use of the PPH programme.
2. Simpler PPH Cost Savings
On the fees, currently, applicants who make a PPH request from 15 September 2025 to 31 December 2027 can enjoy a savings of 30% of the official fees for examination requests. However, applicants still need to pay the full official fees upfront and wait for a refund upon successful processing of the PPH request, typically a few months later.
From 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027, applicants who file a PPH request together with an examination request will pay only 70% of the official examination fees upfront, removing the need for a subsequent refund. Where the PPH request is filed after the examination request, the existing refund process continues to apply.
3. Clarified PPH Procedure after Requesting Examination
Since 27 September 2023, applicants seeking to file a PPH request after filing a request for examination may do so without withdrawing the filed examination request. Under Singapore patent practice, voluntary amendments are not permitted after an examination request has been filed. In situations where claim amendments are required to conform to the corresponding allowable claims, IPOS will issue an Invitation to Amend (ITA) to the applicant to submit the claim amendments and the PPH documents. IPOS has clarified the ITA procedure for PPH requests, as illustrated in the flowchart below.
4. Public Access to Singapore IP Data
As part of Singapore’s open data initiative, IPOS has made bulk IP data for patents, registered designs, and trade marks freely available on the Singapore Open Data Portal. The data includes bibliographic information such as applicant details, classification codes, and priority and international data. Certain documents such as examination reports and written opinions are excluded but remain available on the IPOS Digital Hub for published patents and patent applications. Free public access to bulk IP data supports various use cases including IP analytics, patent search and landscaping, and R&D activities.
Conclusion
With quicker examination and upfront cost savings, these PPH changes are a positive development for applicants and should encourage greater use of the programme. These initiatives also reflect IPOS’ ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency of Singapore’s patent system. Our firm closely monitors updates from IPOS to help our clients take advantage of available programmes and incentives.
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With quicker examination and upfront cost savings, these PPH changes are a positive development for applicants and should encourage greater use of the programme.
