Singapore legislation
Clause 13
of Patents Bill
Clause 13
Patentable inventions
(1)
Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a patentable invention is one that satisfies the following conditions:
the invention is new;
it involves an inventive step; and
it is capable of industrial application.
(2)
It is hereby declared that the following (among other things) are not inventions for the purposes of this Act, that is to say, anything which consists of —
a discovery, scientific theory or mathematical method;
a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or any other aesthetic creation whatsoever;
a scheme, rule or method for performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business, or a program for a computer; and
the presentation of information,but the foregoing provisions shall prevent anything from being treated as an invention for the purposes of this Act only to the extent that a patent or an application for a patent relates to that thing as such.
(3)
An invention the publication or exploitation of which would be generally expected to encourage offensive, immoral or anti-social behaviour is not a patentable invention.
(4)
For the purposes of subsection (3), behaviour shall not be regarded as offensive, immoral or anti-social only because it is prohibited by any law in force in Singapore.
(5)
The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, vary the provisions of subsection (2) for the purposes of maintaining them in conformity with developments in science and technology.