WIPO issued Information Notice 4/2016 yesterday. It reads as follows:

Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs

Declarations under Articles 11(1) and 13(1) of the 1999 Act: Singapore

1. On January 18, 2016, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) received from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) an official letter indicating that a new Rule 28A(1) of the Singapore Registered Designs Rules, which came into force on November 13, 2014, allowed deferment of publication of the industrial design for 18 months. The letter further notified that, therefore, the declaration previously made by Singapore under Article 11(1)(b) of the Geneva (1999) Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs was no longer applicable as such and instead was modified into a declaration under Article 11(1)(a).

2. As a consequence, international applications designating Singapore may contain a request for deferment of publication, the maximum period of which is 18 months from the filing date.

3. Furthermore, the same letter notified that Singapore withdraws its declaration previously made under Article 13(1) of the 1999 Act.