Trademark Policy Template for Singapore

A Trademark Policy sets clear rules for protecting and using your company's brand assets - like logos, names, and slogans - under Singapore's Trade Marks Act. It tells employees and partners exactly how they can use these trademarked elements while keeping your intellectual property safe from misuse or infringement.

Beyond just listing do's and don'ts, a solid policy helps your business maintain consistent branding, handle licensing requests properly, and take action against unauthorized use. It's especially important in Singapore's competitive market, where strong trademark protection gives companies a vital edge and meets IPOS (Intellectual Property Office of Singapore) compliance requirements.

Put a Trademark Policy in place when your business starts creating valuable brand assets or expanding into new markets across Singapore and ASEAN. This becomes urgent once you've registered trademarks with IPOS or when partners and vendors need to use your branded materials regularly.

It's especially critical during rebranding efforts, franchise expansions, or when launching marketing campaigns that will put your marks in the public eye. Many companies implement their policy right after discovering unauthorized use of their marks, or when preparing to license their brand to others - but having it ready before issues arise saves significant legal headaches.

• Basic Trademark Usage Policy: Covers fundamental rules for using company marks, suitable for small businesses and startups in Singapore
• Comprehensive Brand Protection Policy: Includes detailed guidelines, enforcement procedures, and IPOS compliance requirements
• E-commerce Trademark Policy: Focuses on online marketplace protection and digital brand management
• International Trade Policy: Addresses cross-border trademark protection across ASEAN markets
• Internal Corporate Guidelines: Details day-to-day usage rules for employees and departments handling branded materials

• Legal Teams: Draft and update the Trademark Policy, ensure compliance with Singapore IP laws, and handle enforcement
• Marketing Department: Uses policy guidelines daily for brand assets and campaigns while maintaining consistency
• Business Partners: Follow trademark usage rules when representing or selling company products
• Employees: Must understand and follow the policy when using company logos, names, or slogans
• Brand Licensees: Operate under strict policy terms when using trademarked assets in their business
• IP Officers: Monitor compliance and coordinate with IPOS for trademark protection

• Inventory Check: List all your registered and unregistered trademarks, including logos, names, and slogans
• Usage Review: Document how your marks are currently used across different departments and materials
• Market Research: Analyze how competitors protect their marks in Singapore's business landscape
• IPOS Records: Gather all trademark registration certificates and renewal dates
• Internal Input: Collect feedback from marketing, legal, and sales teams on practical usage needs
• Policy Generation: Use our platform to create a customized, legally-sound Trademark Policy that meets Singapore's requirements
• Distribution Plan: Prepare training materials and communication strategy for policy rollout

• Trademark Identification: Clear listing of all protected marks, registration numbers, and classifications
• Usage Guidelines: Specific rules for proper mark display, sizing, and placement
• Permitted Uses: Detailed scenarios where trademark use is authorized
• Prohibited Actions: Explicit restrictions and misuse examples under Singapore law
• Enforcement Procedures: Steps for addressing unauthorized use and infringement
• Compliance Requirements: IPOS-aligned rules for maintaining trademark rights
• Review Process: Procedures for updating policy as trademark portfolio grows
• Governing Law: Statement of Singapore jurisdiction and applicable regulations

A Trademark Policy often gets mixed up with a Copyright Policy, but they serve distinct purposes in protecting different types of intellectual property under Singapore law. While both deal with protecting creative assets, their scope and application differ significantly.

• Protection Focus: Trademark Policies govern brand identifiers like logos and names, while Copyright Policies cover original creative works like text, images, and software
• Duration of Rights: Trademark protection can last indefinitely with proper renewal and use, whereas copyrights have a fixed term under Singapore law
• Registration Requirements: Trademarks need IPOS registration for full protection, but copyrights arise automatically upon creation
• Usage Guidelines: Trademark Policies emphasize consistent brand presentation and proper mark usage, while Copyright Policies focus on reproduction rights and licensing terms
• Enforcement Approach: Trademark enforcement targets consumer confusion and brand dilution, whereas copyright enforcement deals with unauthorized copying and distribution