Book Title: Intellectual Property Law in South East Asia

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2019, Singapore was ranked second in the world for having the best IP protection. This was not always the case; in fact, Singapore was an IP pirate’s haven in the 1980s. This chapter gives a snapshot of how Singapore’s IP legal framework and infrastructure moved from a third world model to a first world model, in particular, how Singapore plugged itself into the international IP system (e.g. the TRIPS Agreement) and used bilateral/regional free trade agreements to build an IP legal framework that would attract foreign investors and IP rightholders. The chapter also provides an overview of the current level of IP protection in Singapore.