Draft New Supreme Court of Judicature (Intellectual Property) Rules
In October 2018, MinLaw held a public consultation on reforms to enhance access to our court system for IP disputes. This included an optional, simplified track for IP litigation. This new track, called the “Simplified Process for Certain Intellectual Property Claims”, will be implemented when the new Supreme Court of Judicature (Intellectual Property) Rules 2022 (“new Rules”) come into force on 1 April 2022. A “transitional learning phase” from 1 April to 30 June 2022 which applies to the Rules of Court 2021 (see the Chief Justice’s Response at the Opening of the Legal Year 2022, at [17]) will likewise apply to these new Rules. The new Rules will also consolidate the Rules of Court relating to IP rights in a single piece of legislation. More information and a draft version of the new Rules can be found here and here for interim reference. Please note that the draft is subject to changes as it is currently undergoing the vetting process. The finalised new Rules will be published before they come into force.