Spoonfeed: Registering Slogan Marks in Singapore
Ever thought of registering your promotional slogan / tagline as a trademark in Singapore?
In my practice as a trademark attorney, I have come across clients who have applied to register their promotional slogans / taglines as trademarks in Singapore only to meet an objection by the Singapore Registry on grounds that the marks are considered to be non-distinctive.
Generally, the Singapore Registry takes quite a strict approach to the registration of promotional slogans and taglines, and their approach is similar to that of Europe and the UK; in contrast, it appears that the USA Registry seems to take a more lenient view towards such marks. The Singapore Registry generally takes the view that "slogans may not be so readily accepted by the relevant public as an indication of trade source because of their inherent promotional and advertising quality, unlike traditional signs such as words, logos and figurative marks", and that "average consumers are not in the habit of making assumptions about the origin of goods or services on the basis of slogans".
As such, in order for a slogan / tagline to be registrable in Singapore without evidence of use, there needs to be something inherent in the slogan / tagline which would make it appear to consumers "as more than a mere advertising message extolling the qualities of the goods or services in question".
If you have any questions on the registration of slogans/taglines, please don't hesitate to contact me at shawn.poon@onelegal.sg. The initial brief consultation is complimentary.
In my practice as a trademark attorney, I have come across clients who have applied to register their promotional slogans / taglines as trademarks in Singapore only to meet an objection by the Singapore Registry on grounds that the marks are considered to be non-distinctive.
Generally, the Singapore Registry takes quite a strict approach to the registration of promotional slogans and taglines, and their approach is similar to that of Europe and the UK; in contrast, it appears that the USA Registry seems to take a more lenient view towards such marks. The Singapore Registry generally takes the view that "slogans may not be so readily accepted by the relevant public as an indication of trade source because of their inherent promotional and advertising quality, unlike traditional signs such as words, logos and figurative marks", and that "average consumers are not in the habit of making assumptions about the origin of goods or services on the basis of slogans".
As such, in order for a slogan / tagline to be registrable in Singapore without evidence of use, there needs to be something inherent in the slogan / tagline which would make it appear to consumers "as more than a mere advertising message extolling the qualities of the goods or services in question".
If you have any questions on the registration of slogans/taglines, please don't hesitate to contact me at shawn.poon@onelegal.sg. The initial brief consultation is complimentary.
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