It is not mandatory for you to engage a lawyer and you may certainly represent yourself. However, contentious proceedings tend to be complex and are governed by strict formal pleading and evidential requirements. We therefore strongly recommend that you consider obtaining professional assistance, whether it be that of a suitably qualified agent or lawyer.

If you would like to seek preliminary advice on your rights before you decide on your next course of action, IPOS conducts weekly complimentary IP Legal Clinics for Singapore citizens/Permanent resident and Singapore registered businesses.

Alternatively, you may wish to use a free e-Adviser on GoBusiness IP Grow for recommendations on dispute resolution service providers that can meet your needs or view all dispute resolution service providers listed.

The Opponent can choose not to reply to the Applicant's SD, if he does not have anything new to say in response to the Applicant's evidence. The opposition will proceed to a Pre-Hearing Review.

However, the Opponent may also choose to file his evidence in reply to the Applicant's SD. If so, this has to be done within the deadline specified by the Registrar. [R 31A] After this, the opposition will proceed to a Pre-Hearing Review.

Yes, you can do so within 28 days from the date of the Grounds of Decision delivered by the Hearing Officer. It must be filed with the General Division of the High Court and served on the Registrar and the other party within 7 days. [Rule 70 of the Supreme Court of Judicature (Intellectual Property) Rules 2022]

Yes, you can. You may provide a written request or file Form CM9 to withdraw your Trade Mark Application. [R 21A] You can file the form at our e-services portal, IPOS Digital Hub. You would also need to inform the Opponent of the withdrawal.

Yes, he can ask the Registrar for such costs. However, the Registrar, in deciding whether to award costs in favour of the Opponent, will consider whether the opposition might have been avoided if the Opponent had given the Applicant reasonable notice before the notice of opposition was filed. The Registrar is more likely to award the Opponent such costs if it had requested you to withdraw your Trade Mark Application (and you did not do so) before filing its notice of opposition. [R40] [Fourth schedule of the Trade Marks Rules]

A Case Management Conference (CMC) allows both parties and the Registrar to discuss the conduct of the case. It also provides parties an opportunity to engage each other on the possibility of settlement.

At the CMC, you will benefit from a clearer understanding of the advantages of mediation (see FAQs on mediation) with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and how this may help you reach a win-win solution with the other party in your particular case.

The Registrar will also issue timelines for both parties to file evidence. With this, you can better manage your time and balance the need to negotiate and make preparations to file evidence as it becomes due. For parties who inform the Registrar that they cannot or do not want to settle, the timelines will be shorter so that they can resolve their dispute at a full hearing earlier.

You must file a form, Form TM11 Notice of Opposition together with a Statement of Grounds. [R 29(1)] You can file the form at our e-services portal, IPOS Digital Hub.

Under HMD Circular 4.1, you must write to the Registrar requesting leave to file further evidence and at the same time write to the other party requesting their consent to file further evidence. You must state why you could not file the evidence earlier. The Registrar will wait for the other party's response to your request. Thereafter, the Registrar will consider your reasons and the other party's objections, if any, before making his decision.