Protecting your Organisation’s Intellectual Property Rights

Establish IP Protection Frameworks
Learn to identify key intellectual assets under Singaporean law and develop the internal policies required to protect them.

Design IP Enforcement Strategies
Develop a tiered enforcement plan, evaluating pre-litigation options against formal legal action based on a strategic risk analysis.

Manage IP Infringement and Disputes
Learn to investigate infringement claims, evaluate both civil and criminal enforcement options, and understand the strategic considerations behind litigation.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Unit 1: Foundations of IP Legislation

Learning Objective 1: Analyse types of IP legislation to establish organisational protection frameworks.

• Analysis of Key IP Legislation: A review of the Patents Act, Trade Marks Act, Copyright Act 2021, and Registered Designs Act.
• Common Law IP Protections: An examination of the torts of Passing Off and Breach of Confidence.
• Frameworks for Internal IP Policies: Principles for drafting policies on IP ownership, confidentiality, and employee inventions.
• Preliminary Infringement Analysis: Techniques for initial evidence collection and assessment of potential infringement.

Learning Unit 2: IP Enforcement Procedures

Learning Objective 2: Design IP enforcement procedures to protect intellectual assets.

• Developing an IP Enforcement Playbook: Structuring a tiered response from initial warnings to formal legal action.
• Non-Litigious Enforcement Options: A review of cease-and-desist letters, takedown notices, and negotiation strategies.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): An examination of mediation services at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS).

Learning Unit 3: IP Infringement Consequences

Learning Objective 3: Develop strategies to address potential IP infringement impacts.

• Assessment of Infringement Consequences: An analysis of financial damages, brand dilution, and reputational harm.
• Evaluating Prosecution Viability: A strategic cost-benefit analysis of litigation, considering evidence strength and commercial objectives.

Learning Unit 4: Strategic IP Protection Techniques

Learning Objective 4: Examine IP litigation processes to support organisational IP strategies.

• The Singapore IP Litigation Process: An overview of High Court procedures, from pleadings and discovery to trial.
• Management of IP Litigation: Strategies for working with external legal counsel and engaging in settlement negotiations.

Learning Objective 5: Implement strategic approaches to address civil and criminal IP violations.

• Civil and Criminal Remedies in IP Litigation: A comparison of seeking damages and injunctions versus engaging with the Intellectual Property Rights Branch (IPRB).

Learning Objective 6: Evaluate compliance and enforcement limitations in IP protection.

• Broader Compliance Considerations: An overview of how anti-corruption and data privacy laws can intersect with IP investigations.
• Strategic Drawbacks of Enforcement: An analysis of litigation costs, the risk of counter-claims, and potential commercial relationship impacts.

Learning Objective 7: Evaluate information collection methods for IP infringement investigations.

• Techniques for IP Infringement Investigation: A review of open-source intelligence, evidential “trap purchases,” and digital forensics.
• Evidence Management for Court Admissibility: Principles for preserving the chain of custody for all collected evidence.

Minimum Entry Requirements

• Possess a minimum of a Diploma qualification (or equivalent) in any discipline; Or
• For learners without a Diploma qualification, they should have at least 2 years of relevant working experience in roles related to Intellectual Property, Legal, R&D, Innovation, Business Development, or related functions.
• Be able to listen, speak, read, and write English at a proficiency level equivalent to Workplace Literacy (WPL) Level 6 or higher, as required for court-related documentation and communication.
• Be able to apply numeracy and analytical skills equivalent to Workplace Numeracy (WPN) Level 4 or higher