Impending Changes to the Copyright Regime – Copyright Bill Introduced in Parliament

In February 2021, the Ministry of Law and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore introduced and conducted a two-month long public consultation on the draft copyright bill which is set to repeal and replace the current Copyright Act (Cap. 60, Rev. Ed. 2006) as part of an overall review of Singapore’s copyright regime. After incorporating the feedback received, the Copyright Bill (“Bill“) was introduced for First Reading in Parliament by on 6 July 2021. 

Overall, the Bill aims to ensure that copyright continues to reward the creation of works and that such works continue to be made available for the benefit of society at large, as well as to strengthen the copyright ecosystem. Amongst other things, the Bill aims to make copyright laws clear and accessible by employing plain English and by consolidating the exceptions to the rights granted to copyright owners into a “Permitted Uses” section. This Update highlights the key features of the Bill.