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The article presents information related to Singapore's Human Cloning and Other Prohibited Practices Act which came into force October 1, 2004.

The article reports on the proposal of a PCT national phase track for national phase entry applications in Singapore. The proposed track entails revisions to existing search and examination timelines and grant fee deadlines for these patent applications. Under the current procedures for search and examination of national phase entry applications in Singapore, there are two possible routes of examination, namely the default fast track route and the optional slow track route. The proposed PCT national phase track applies only to national phase entry applications and not to direct filings in Singapore. The proposed PCT national phase track is targeted to come into effect on October 1, 2006.

According to Section 30 (3) (a) of the Singapore Patents Act, the Registrar of Patents has the power to refuse the grant of a patent in pursuance of more than one application, where one applicant files two or more applications for a patent for the same invention, which have the same priority date (the so called double patenting exclusion). In Singapore, grant of a patent will occur once the applicant pays the official grant fee, irrespective of whether the patent application has undergone examination. No explicit provision exists under the Singapore Patents Act.

The article reports on the launch of a patent prosecution highway (PPH) pilot programme by Singapore with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO). The program will allow both offices to share their search and examination results and avoid the need for duplicate examination work. It is noted that Singapore applications that request entry into the PPH programme will be processed in accordance with the Singapore Patents Act and the Singapore Patents Rules.