Singapore Trademark License Registration Guide

A trademark license is an agreement between a trademark owner (the “licensor”) and another entity (the “licensee”) in which the licensor permits the licensee to use its trademark for commercial purposes. Registration of trademarks and trademark licences are governed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Law.

The purpose of this guide is provide information on Singapore regulations regarding registration of a trademark license. To learn about registration of a trademark itself, refer to How to Register a Trademark in Singapore guide.

Trademark licence agreement and license registration

Registration of a trademark license with Singapore trademark office is not mandatory. Singapore continues to require recordal of licence for notice purposes. However, failure to record a trademark license does not render the license invalid. 

A trademark registrant by signing a trademark license agreeement may authorize another entity to use his registered trademark. Normally, the license is granted through a formal written agreement with a detailed description of the scope plus terms and conditions of use. A typical trademark license agreement will include:

1. Details of licensor and the licensee
2. Details of the trademark being licensed
3. Scope and terms of usage of the licence including any territorial restrictions
4. Quality standards to be followed and quality control measures
5. Financial terms of the trademark license
6. Exclusivity of the trademark license

The licensor is reponsible for supervising the quality of the goods in respect of which the licensee uses his registered trademark, and the licensee shall ensure the quality of the goods in respect of which the registered trademark is used.

The recent amendment of trademark laws in Singapore provide for recordal of licenses relating to pending trademarks. Previously only licences relating to registered trademarks can be recorded with the Registrar. The Trade Marks (Amendment) Act 2007 came into effect on 2 July 2007. The amendments were made in order for Singapore to comply with its obligations under the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks administered by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).

Registration of a trademark license can be done by sending the completed application to the Registry of Trade Marks by hand, mailed to the address below or filed online.

Other Related Topics

Singapore Branch | Singapore Subsidiary | Singapore Representative Office