Amendments to the Singapore Arbitration Act ("AA") and the International Arbitration Act ("IAA") which clarify that disputes in relation to IP rights ("IPR disputes") are capable of being settled by arbitration in Singapore and that an arbitral award concerning IPR shall not be considered contrary to public policy have come into effect on 21 November 2019.

Notably, IPR disputes were arbitrable in Singapore even before the amendments came into effect. Therefore, the amendments introduced to the AA and IAA do not change the position in Singapore, but are by way of clarification only.