Come 13 June, Singapore’s mobile subscribers will enjoy Full Mobile Number Portability, and with this, greater benefits in terms of flexibility and choice of subscription plans as competition among mobile operators is expected to intensify. Currently, Singapore’s mobile subscription stands at more than 5.8 million.

Gamers in Singapore can look forward to a greater variety of video games with a new two-rating classification system that will be launched end April, the Board of Film Censors (BFC) under the Media Development Authority (MDA) announced today. In line with the new guidelines, consumer advisories will be introduced to allow consumers, especially parents, to make informed choices about the video games available in the market.

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) has issued the first Niche Subscription TV Licence to VeeV Interactive Pte Ltd (VeeV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sky Media Pte Ltd.

Text of Statement By The Senior Minister Of State For Information, Communications And The Arts, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, In Parliament During Committee Of Supplies Debate (MICA), On 29 February 2008.

By 2010, public officers will enjoy an agile infocomm environment that promotes innovation and enhances productivity at work, with the establishment of a Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOEasy) for the public sector. The S$1.3 billion SOEasy (Public Sector) tender was awarded to oneMeridian, the consortium led by EDS International. The other key members in the consortium include Alcatel-Lucent, Avanade, Cisco Systems, Frontline, Microsoft, Singapore Computer Systems and SingTel.

IPOS is inviting feedback on the proposed changes to the jurisdiction and procedures of the Copyright Tribunal (“Tribunal”). These changes are intended to enhance the role of the Copyright Tribunal in meeting the growing needs of users and owners of copyright works in the digital age. Members of the public will have from 11th February to 10th March 2008 to review and give feedback on the consultation documents.

Heralding the next milestone in Singapore’s broadcasting landscape, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) is conducting a public consultation from today till 4 January 2008 to seek feedback on the Authority’s proposed policy and regulatory framework for mobile TV services.

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) is conducting a second public consultation on proposed changes to the Media Market Conduct Code (“Code”) to promote fair market conduct and effective competition in Singapore’s media industry.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) today proposes a regulatory framework for devices using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. The framework seeks to give greater business certainty for UWB players as it will facilitate the entry of such devices in Singapore, so that businesses and consumers may enjoy the benefits of this nascent technology. The framework is expected to be gazetted by the end of the year.

Organized by Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, New York Law School, Trinity University, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, this pioneering global conference on virtual worlds invites experts across disciplines to discuss the future of cyberspace and the impact of these new immersive, social online environments on education, law, politics and society. The hallmark of the conference is its multi-disciplinary perspective.

The new Hong Kong Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance, was published in the Gazette on June 1, 2007 and is implemented in two phases to regulate the sending of commercial electronic messages.

On 24 May 2006 , Singapore Telecommunications Limited (“SingTel”) submitted an appeal to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts under Section 27(2) of the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (“MDA Act”) against the decision dated 10 May 2006 of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (“MDA”) on exclusive carriage agreements.

Mr Lim Seng Siew shared his knowledge on IPTV at a Digital Rights Seminar organised by LexisNexis. The presentation made during the seminar is found at this link.

The Spam Control Act 2007 will come into effect on 15 June 2007. It aims to address the still-growing and global problem of spam.

To further transform the public sector, the Government will continue to invest in infocomm and will call S$730 million worth of new infocomm tenders in Financial Year (FY) 20071, over and above the Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOE) tender for the Public Sector that opens today, 27 Aptil 2007.

Second Reading Speech on the Spam Control Bill 2007 by Dr Lee Boon Yang Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in Parliament on Thurssay, 12 April 2007.

The National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC) and its related committee, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), will be re-constituted into the Internet and Media Advisory Committee, with effect from 2 April 2007.

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) is conducting its first triennial review of the Media Market Conduct Code and is seeking public feedback. The move is part of MDA’s continual efforts to nurture a pro-business environment while ensuring more media choices for the public.

Singapore today (26 March 2007) became the first member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to deposit its instrument of ratification for the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks.

A new Council, The Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS), will be formed on 1 April 2007 by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), to study the far-reaching social, ethical, legal and regulatory implications of a rapidly growing Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) sector. It will also make recommendations to the government on how these issues should be managed while keeping pace with the d evelopment of IDM in Singapore.

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has published a draft Copyright (Excluded Works) Order 2007 for public consultation as of 15 March 2007. Public will have from 15 March to 14 April 2007 to review and comment on the draft 2007 Order.

In a Statement by the Senior Minister Of State For Information, Communications And The Arts, Dr Balaji Sadasivan on The New Media in Parliament during COS Debate (MICA) on 3 March 2007, he addressed the three-pronged approach MICA will be taking in managing the new media: first, a light-touch regulatory framework, two, industry self-regulation and thirdly, public education.

The Spam Control Bill, introduced in Parliament on Monday, 12 February 2007, will make it an offence for advertisers to send out bulk emails to people who have not previously agreed to receive them.

The British Broadcasting Corporation in an article posted on 1 February 2007 claims that "Vista seemingly wrestles control of the 'user experience' from the user" and includes extensive provisions granting Microsoft the right to regularly check the legitimacy of the software and holds the prospect of deleting certain programs without the user's knowledge. As legally trained professionals, lawyers should be aware of what the EULA contains.

Second Reading Speech on Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill 2006 by Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law Prof S Jayakumar, Mon, 22 January 2007. The Bills seeks to itroduce changes required by the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks.