New Year Greetings 2025 & ISTMA President’s Round Up of 2024

Dear ISTMA Members,

Belated New Year greetings and best wishes in advance for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Wood Snake!

It’s been 10 months since I received the mantle of ISTMA’s Presidency. Thank you for allowing me the honour of seeing the association through a significant season of 2024.  Google tells me that the Wood Snake symbolizes growth and transformation.  As I reflect on 2024, I am encouraged that ISTMA has indeed been gearing up for growth and transformation in 2025 and the years beyond. 

Soh Kar Liang
President

ACTIVITIES IN 2024

  • AGM 2024

We held our first in-person AGM since the pandemic ended on 5 March 2024.  Our new council comprising Vice President Tasneem Haq, Secretary Kevin Wong and Treasurer Boo Yee Swan, Renee Xavier, Esther Seow. Yvonne Tang, Catherine Lee, Jo-Ann See, Freeman Yu and yours truly, were warmly welcomed by the members at the AGM.  Our immediate Past-President, Mrs. Murgiana Haq, who extraordinarily dedicated her time, effort and drive since the founding years of ISTMA, received a special note of appreciation and thanks.

  • ISTMA Seminar and Luncheon, 5th March 2024

Our first ISTMA seminar and luncheon was held on 5 March 2024 for all members as a back-to-back event with our AGM. The seminar examined “Bad Faith as a Ground of Opposition” under the inimitable tutelage of our ISTMA Fellow, Professor David Lewellyn. Thanks to him, we had an insightful and entertaining learning experience. Members had the opportunity to bond during lunch, as most have not met in person since joining ISTMA. I am thankful to all who attended, as well as Ms. Tan Mei Lin and Ms. Sandy Widjaja of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore who graced the occasion as our invited guests.

  • ISTMA Ministerial Appeal on Right of Representation

At the start of 2024, we submitted a paper on the future direction of the trade mark profession in Singapore under SIPS 2030 and IP Hub plans to the Ministry of Law. The paper highlighted a concern of foreign persons representing clients in trade mark and design matters in Singapore. These foreign persons are neither regulated nor subject to any professional ethics in Singapore. Comparisons with corresponding regulatory efforts in the US, UK, China, Japan, and the EU on the trademark profession were presented for consideration. The discussion is on-going and we will continue to provide further updates as they transpire.

  • ISTMA Framework Agreement on Cooperation with IIPPA Guangzhou

I was approached by the International Intellectual Property Promotion Association (IIPPA), a government-supported agency from the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC), in 2023 as a follow up from my work in another association.  The discussions continued into 2024 and I am pleased that ISTMA has established a cooperative relationship with IIPPA.  This is part of our objective to build a larger international footprint for and recognition of the trade mark profession in Singapore. The connection will present a springboard for future networking and collaboration opportunities for ISTMA in the CSGKC region and possibly other parts of China.

  • ISTMA’s News & Updates

Our Secretariat circulated new case authorities, IPOS updates on case law, Practice Directions and Circulars throughout 2024. ISTMA Updates regularly include publicity and information on panel discussions and webinars hosted by our sister organizations such as CITMA, WIPO, LES, APAA as well as information on major events such as IP Week in August 2024 for which ISTMA remains a proud supporter.

ACKNOWLEDGING OUR COMMITTEES

It has been a busy 2024 for the Council and Committees and I want to acknowledge their commitment and efforts. Their energy knows no bounds, not least of all maintaining a tireless momentum of operating a Council meeting every 6 weeks.  These individuals have been instrumental in shaping our activities and projects in the past year:

  • Education & Training: Boo Yee Swan, Yvonne Tang, Freeman Yu, Renee Xavier
  • Membership & Marketing:  Catherine Lee, Kevin Wong, Esther Seow, Tasneem Haq
  • Governance & Government Relations:  Jo-Ann See, Murgiana Haq, Lee Ai Ming, Constance Leong, Tan Tee Jim

MEMBERSHIP

Our Secretariat sent out the renewal notices for members in early December 2024. Please be reminded that the deadline for renewal is 31 January 2025, but as always, early and timely renewal will be much appreciated! A renewed member will receive a fresh certificate confirming the member’s registration status on the ISTMA Register of Trade Mark Agents for the year 2025.  As of end 2024, we have 84 registered trade mark agents on the Register.  We congratulate each renewed member for supporting the 4th year of our Register of Trade Mark Agents.

Please encourage your colleagues in the trade mark field who are currently not members to join our association.  The eligibility criteria are reasonable and easy for Singapore trade mark practitioners to meet. 

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2025

The Council is grateful for your participation in and support of ISTMA in 2024.  We invite you to look forward with us to what is in store for 2025:

  • In-person seminars

Our 2025 ISTMA Seminar and Luncheon is being planned to take place soon. It will be another wonderful opportunity to bond, learn and enjoy each other’s company. Stay tuned for more news.

  • ISTMA-WIPO Webinars

We will be kicking off the first of the series on the do’s and don’ts of Madrid Protocol applications with updates on latest happenings.  Details will be circulated in due course.

  • Engagement with Agencies

The leadership has been actively engaging with government authorities and other agencies in relation to the concerns of the trade mark agent profession, and these efforts will continue to be a focus of our endeavours.

  • CITMA Review Articles

The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Agents (UK) (CITMA) has proposed to publish contributions on Singapore from our association.  We are excited about this collaboration and invite our members to contribute articles and case commentaries on recent trade mark developments in Singapore.  Those interested to participate may contact our secretariat at secretariat@istma.sg.

  • Interactive ISTMA experience

We have finalized a work plan for enhanced member engagement through social media, in particular, Instagram and Facebook to increase our profile and visibility within the trade mark ecosystem and the general public. We are looking for talents from among our members who can play a more active role in supporting our content creation (eg, posts, podcasts, etc), content publication and SEO efforts. 

This is your association and what we do going forward is shaped by you!  Therefore, we are always open to any fresh ideas and would love to hear from you.  Please feel free to direct your questions, comments and feedback to the Secretariat at secretariat@istma.sg.

I apologise that this greeting could not be shorter as there’s so much to unpack! I will sign off by repeating the wishes for you in 2025 in the banner image above:

蛇来运转,福寿安康
May the arrival of the snake turn your fortunes towards blessings, longevity, peace and health!