Intellectual Property Department was established on 2 July 1990. The Department took over from the Registrar General’s Department the responsibility for the registration of patents and trade marks for goods and for other related matters. The Director of Intellectual Property replaced the Registrar General as the Registrar of Trade Marks and Registrar of Patents. The Department also took over functions relating to copyright from the Attorney General’s Department. In 1998, the Department also became the Government’s civil legal advisor on intellectual property legal matters.
The Trade Marks Registry, the Patents Registry, the Designs Registry and the Copyright Licensing Bodies Registry under the Department are responsible for registration of trade marks, patents, designs and copyright licensing bodies respectively. For the Trade Marks Registry, which was established in 1874, it was one of the oldest Trade Marks Registries in the world.
The Intellectual Property Department logo was launched in 1991. The image in the logo is formed by the letters “i” and “P” which signify “intellectual property”. The blue or gold ring around the letter “i” indicates protection. The logo as a whole marks the mission of the Department and conveys the message of “intellectual property protection”.