What is a priority claim for a trade mark application?

If you have applied to register an identical trade mark for any of the goods/services listed in your Singapore trade mark application in another country prior to filing the Singapore application (“foreign application”), you may be eligible for a claim of priority in your Singapore application, if the Singapore application is filed within six months from the foreign application. A Singapore application which is successful in claiming priority will have its filing date dated back to the earlier filing date of the foreign application.

Please note that to claim a right of priority, you must indicate the priority claim on Form TM4 at the point of application.

If multiple foreign applications for the same trade mark have been filed in respect of the same goods and/or services, you can only claim priority based on the earliest foreign application.

For more information, please refer to Chapter 21 of our Trade Marks Work Manual pertaining to priority claims.