The Launch of CS&E Program: Accelerating Patent Search and Examination in Singapore and Indonesia

JAKARTA: Singapore and Indonesia agreed to cooperate under the Collaborative Search and Examination (CS&E) program on patents which was signed on January 2, 2025. The program is launched by the Directorate General of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Indonesia and (DGIP) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) with the intent to improve and increase the services available to inventors and innovators pursuing patent protection in both jurisdictions.

Through this program, the examination of patent applications shall be prioritized, to achieve expedited processing, therefore the initial substantive examination shall be achieved within a considerably shorter time than usual measured by the CS&E request filing date or the publication date, whichever is later.

The examination process shall not require any additional official fees, subject however that the claims must satisfy important requirements of which the application may not exceed 20 (twenty) claims, including no more than 3 (three) independent claims. Furthermore, the CS&E program is subject to a monthly and annual quota, which constitutes a shared allocation applicable to both IPOS and DGIP. As a pilot project, the CS&E program is set to operate until January 1, 2027. Currently, IPOS has prepared the necessary infrastructure to facilitate participation by inventors and patent applicants through its application submission system. Meanwhile, DGIP is in the process of developing essential system features to ensure the program’s long-term viability in Indonesia. 

This collaboration is an example of strengthened ties not only between the ASEAN countries, but through the utilization by Indonesia, with its vast territory, by making good use of Singapore's well-established international contacts and trade with the rest of the world, along with its strong IP framework, strategic location, and pro-business regulations. Ultimately it is to increase ease of doing business for all interested parties to protect their IP. K&K Advocates is an established law firm that possesses one of the best law practice groups for IP ready to welcome clients interested in submitting patents through the CS&E Program. (RKH/VHD-su)