Many countries keep on being indecisive toward intellectual property protection despite the multitudes of benefits it can give to local economies. This notion may most likely transpire in countries where IP regime is not fully developed yet, such as Singapore.
Implementing IP law is expensive. Hence, it’s quite comprehensible why certain countries do not invest in it. Modern technologies make it so easy for people to obtain a copyrighted material and reproduce it, and worst, technologies can make tracking of violators more hard especially when the people involved are adept at using various technologies. Besides, it needs realistic surveillance schemes to guarantee that its implementation will not impede the efficiency of business operations.
Presented with these complex challenges involved in promoting intellectual property protection, it seems that Singapore’s Law-making body needs to lead this drive against IP infringement. The trademark holder and the authorities share responsibilities in implementing IPR policies in Singapore. It may incur additional expenses on the patent owner’s part, but this strategy seems to work for Singapore.
Through this system, law enforcers can concentrate on big-time organized syndicates while patent owners may conduct their own investigations. The latter proves effective when the patent holder have the necessary resources to carry out this task. The legal option available for patentees to pursue IPR infringers is to file civil or criminal complaints. They can obtain a search warrant and help the police throughout the investigation. And by acquiring authorization from the Attorney-General’s Chamber, patent holders can initiate legal proceedings against the violators.
But of course tie ups with the promoters of International IP protection are essential for economies that are serious in safeguarding their intellectual assets and those that generate income out of it. Singapore thus takes part in the USSFTA (US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement) as a way of protecting its growing knowledge economy. Another important move from the government of Singapore that strengthens its IP regime is the introduction of the intellectual property rules (more commonly known as the World Trade Organization on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS)).
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