ASPA Privacy Policy

In compliance with its obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (“PDPA”), the Association of Singapore Patent Attorneys (“ASPA”) sets out here below its privacy policy to assist you to understand how ASPA deals with any personally identifiable information for the purpose for which an individual has given consent to.

Collection of Personal Information

ASPA may collect personally identifiable information from you, such as your e-mail address, name, home or work address and/or telephone numbers, as well as certain employment-related information.

Information about your computer hardware and software may also be collected by ASPA from our use of cookies. This information may include, but is not limited to: your IP address, browser type, domain names and access times.

All information collected by ASPA will be used for the specific purposes of (i) providing services, including membership enrolment services, to its members, (ii) promoting ASPA’s objectives vis-à-vis the patent attorney profession in Singapore through the organisation of professional and social activities, (iii) maintaining the quality of these services, and (iv) providing general usage statistics regarding ASPA’s website (collectively hereafter referred to as the “Objectives”).

ASPA’s website may also link to other internet resources. In this regard, it is your responsibility to understand how those internet resources deal with any personal information you provide to them; ASPA does not exercise nor does it purport to exercise any power, control or custody over any information provided to such internet resources and is therefore not responsible in the event that you share your personal information with said internet resources.

Use of your Personal Information

ASPA may use any personal information collected to inform you of any activities, practice and news updates, products or services available from ASPA in pursuance of any one or more of the Objectives.

ASPA may also contact you to conduct research or opinion surveys in respect of matters that are relevant to the Objectives and may include without limitation: attendance surveys, post-activity surveys, feedback surveys.

ASPA will not under any circumstances disclose any personal information of its members to any third parties. However ASPA may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. Even in those cases, no personal information is transferred by ASPA to such third parties. In the event that ASPA intends to or is required to transmit your personal information to a third party in furtherance of the Objectives, ASPA will expressly seek your consent at the appropriate juncture.

Notwithstanding the above, please note that ASPA will disclose your personal information, without notice, if required or permitted by law, or to comply with a subpoena or any order of Court, or similar legal process, and when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

Retention of Personal Information

ASPA will only retain your personal information for as long as retention is required for the Objectives.

Generally, we do not retain personal information for a period of longer than 7 years after you have withdrawn your consent to ASPA for the use of your personal information or where the original purposes for which your personal information was collected have ceased to be applicable. However, ASPA may retain your personal information for beyond the stated period where required by law, such other mandatory directions by court or government authorities, for the purposes of legal proceedings, or such other similar proceedings or investigations.

You may refuse or withdraw your consent to collect, use or disclose your personal information at any time by giving us written notice. Please note that in the event that such consent is withdrawn, you may no longer be able to enjoy the full benefits that ASPA offers through its programmes and activities in furtherance of the Objectives.

Storing Personal Information

ASPA stores any personal information collected in such a manner as to prevent any unauthorised access, use or disclosure. Any information transmitted to ASPA via its website is carried out via a secure environment, protected from unauthorised access, use or disclosure, and includes the use of encryption, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

Access and Correction Rights

You may also access, update or correct any personal information provided to ASPA, at any time, as well as request to know how it is being used and disclosed to the extent permitted at law. For this purpose, please contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) referred to in this privacy policy. In order to facilitate this access, updating and correction you may be charged an administrative fee and if so required, ASPA will inform you in advance and prior to levying such fees.

In the event that a fee is payable, ASPA reserves the right not to act upon any such request to access, update or correct any personal information until payment of the required fee.

Use of Cookies

As mentioned above, ASPA’s website may use cookies. You have the ability to block or accept cookies. If you do not wish to receive cookies or wish to manage when you accept cookies in general, you may set your browser to reject cookies or to alert you when a cookie is placed on your computer.

Although you are not required to accept our cookies, if you set your browser to reject cookies, you may not be able to use all of the features and functionalities of this website.

If at any time you withdraw your consent to ASPA to collect or use your personal information, you are requested to also delete any cookies that may be inadvertently retained in any of your devices.

Amendments to Privacy Policy

ASPA reserves the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, effective upon posting of an updated version of this privacy policy on ASPA’s website at: www.aspa.org.sg. ASPA therefore encourages you to review this privacy policy periodically to familiarise yourself with any changes.

By using the ASPA website, you hereby consent to the data practices set out herein and you may not change or vary any of the wording as any attempt to do so will have no effect.

Contact Information

As mentioned above, ASPA has appointed a Data Protection Officer in order to adhere to its obligations under the PDPA. If you are of the view at any time that ASPA has not complied with its privacy policy as set out herein, or have a query, please contact ASPA’s Data Protection Officer at: [email protected]. In order to process your request, please ensure you state your:

You will then be contacted within 30 days by us.