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Patent Law of the People's Republic of China |
Patent Law of the People's Republic of China TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I General Provisions Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 This Law is enacted to protect patent rights for inventions-creations, to encourage invention-creation, to foster the spreading and application of inventions-creations, and to promote the development and innovation of science and technology, for meeting the needs of the construction of socialist modernization. Article 2 In this Law, "inventions-creations" mean inventions, utility models and designs. Article 3 The patent administration department under the State Council is responsible for the patent work throughout the country. It receives and examines patent applications and grants patent rights for inventions-creations in accordance with law. Article 4 Where an invention-creation for which a patent is applied for relates to the security or other vital interests of the State and is required to be kept secret, the application shall be treated in accordance with the relevant prescriptions of the State. Article 5 No patent right shall be granted for any invention-creation that is contrary to the laws of the State or social morality or that is detrimental to public interest. Article 6 An invention-creation, made by a person in execution of the tasks of the entity to which he belongs, or made by him mainly by using the material and technical means of the entity is a service invention-creation. For a service intention-creation, the right to apply for a patent belongs to the entity. After the application is approved, the entity shall be the patentee. Article 7. No entity or individual shall prevent the inventor or creator from filing an application for a patent for a non-service invention-creation. Article 8. For an invention-creation jointly made by two or more entities or individuals, or made by an entity or individual in execution of a commission given to it or him by another entity or individual, the right to apply for a patent belongs, unless otherwise agreed upon, to the entity or individual that made, or to the entities or individuals that jointly made, the invention-creation. After the application is approved, the entity or individual that applied for it shall be the patentee. Article 9. Where two or more applicants file applications for patent for the identical invention-creation, the patent right shall be granted to the applicant whose application was filed first. Article 10. The right to apply for a patent and the patent right may be assigned. Article 11 After the grant of the patent right for an invention or utility model, except where otherwise provided for in this Law, no entity or individual may, without the authorization of the patentee, exploit the patent, that is, make, use, offer to sell, sell or import the patented product, or use the patented process, and use, offer to sell, sell or import the product directly obtained by the patented process, for production or business purposes. Article 12. Any entity or individua1 exploiting the patent of another shall conclude with the patentee a written license contract for exploitation and pay the patentee a fee for the exploitation of the patent. The licensee has no right to authorize any entity or individual, other than that referred to in the contract for exploitation, to exploit the patent. Article 13. After the publication of the application for a patent for invention, the applicant may require the entity or individual exploiting the invention to pay an appropriate fee. Article 14. Where any patent for invention, belonging to any State-owned enterprise or institution, is of great significance to the interest of the State or to the public interest, the competent departments concerned under the State council and the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government may, after approval by the State Council, decide that the patented invention be spread and applied within the approved limits, and allow designated entities to exploit that invention. The exploiting entity shall, according to the regulations of the State, pay a fee for exploitation to the patentee . Article l5. The patentee has the right to affix a patent marking and to indicate the number of the patent on the patented product or on the packing of that product. Article 16. The entity that is granted a patent right shall award to the inventor or creator of a service invention--creation a reward and, upon exploitation of the patented invention-creation, shall pay the inventor or creator a reasonable remuneration based on the extent of spreading and application and the economic benefits yielded. Article l7. The inventor or creator has the right to be named as such in the patent document. Article 18. Where any foreigner, foreign enterprise or other foreign organization having no habitual residence or business office in China files an application for a patent in China, the application sha1l be treated under this Law in accordance with any agreement concluded between the country to which the applicant belongs and China, or in accordance with any international treaty to which both countries are party, or on the basis of the principle of reciprocity. Article l9. Where any foreigner, foreign enterprise or other foreign organization having no habitual residence or business office in China applies for a patent, or has other patent matters to attend to, in China, it or he shall appoint a patent agency designated by the patent administration department under the State Council to act as his or its agent. Article 20. Where any Chinese entity or individual intends to file an application in a foreign country for a patent for invention-creation made in China, it or he shall file first an application for patent with the patent administration department under the State Council, appoint a patent agency designated by the said department to act as its or his agent, and comply with the provisions of Article 4 of this Law. Article 21. The patent administration department under the State Council and its Patent Reexamination Board shall handle any patent application and patent-related request according to law and in conformity with the requirements for being objective, fair, correct and timely. Chapter II Requirements for Grant of Patent Right Article 22. Any invention or utility model for which patent right may be granted must possess novelty, inventiveness and practical app1icability. Article 24. An invention-creation for which a patent is applied for does not lose its novelty where, within six months before the date of filing, one of the following events occurred: Article 25 For any of the following, no patent right shall be granted: Chapter III Application for Patent Article 26. Where an application for a patent for invention or utility model is filed, a request, a description and its abstract, and claims shall be submitted. Article 27. Where an app1ication for a patent for design is filed, a request, drawings or photographs of the design shall be submitted, and the product incorporating the design and the class to which that product be1ongs shall be indicated. Article 28. The date on which the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council receives the application shall be the date of filing. If the app1ication is sent by mail, the date of mailing indicated by the postmark shall be the date of filing. Article 29. Where , within twelve months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a Patent for invention or utility model, or within six months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a patent for design, he or it files in China an application for a patent for the same subject matter, he or it may, in accordance with any agreement concluded between the said foreign country and China, or in accordance with any international treaty to which both countries are party, or on the basis of the principle of mutual recognition of the right of priority, enjoy a right of priority. Article 30. Any applicant who claims the right of priority shall make a written declaration when the application is filed, and submit, within three months, a copy of the patent application document which was first filed ; if the applicant fails to make the written declaration or to meet the time limit for submitting the patent application document, the claim to the right of priority shall be deemed not to have been made. Article 3l. An application for a patent for invention or utility model shall be limited to one invention or uti1ity model. Two or more inventions or utility models belonging to a single general inventive concept may be filed as one application. Article 32. An applicant may withdraw his or its application for a patent at any time before the patent right is granted. Article 33. An applicant may amend his or its application for a patent, but the amendment to the application for a patent for invention or utility model may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure contained in the initial description and claims, and the amendment to the application for a patent for design may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure as shown in the initial drawings or photographs. Chapter IV Examination and Approval of Application for Patent Article 34. Where, after receiving an application for a patent for invention, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council, upon preliminary examination, finds the application to be in conformity with the requirements of this Law, it shall publish the application promptly after the expiration of eighteen months from the date of filing. Upon the request of the applicant, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council publishes the application earlier. Article 35. Upon the request of the applicant for a patent for invention, made at any time within three years from the date of filing, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council will proceed to examine the application as to its substance. If, without any justified reason, the applicant fails to meet the time limit for requesting examination as to substance, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn. Article 36. When the applicant for a patent for invention requests examination as to substance , he or lit shall furnish pre-filing date reference materials concerning the invention. Article 37. Where the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council , after it has made the examination as to substance of the application for a patent for invention, finds that the application is not in conformity with the provisions of this Law, it shall notify the applicant and request him or it to submit, within a specified time limit, his or its observations or to amend the application. If, without any justified reason, the time limit for making response is not met, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn. Article 38. Where, after the applicant has made the observations or amendments, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council finds that the application for a patent for invention is still not in conformity with the provisions of this Law, the application shall be rejected. Article 39. Where it is found after examination as to substance that there is no cause for rejection of the application for a patent for invention, the patent administration department under the State Council shall make a decision to grant the patent right for invention, issue the certificate of patent for invention, and register and announce it. The patent right for invention shall take effect as of the date of the announcement. Article 40. Where it is found after preliminary examination that there is no cause for rejection of the application for a patent for utility model or design, the patent administration department under the State Council shall make a decision to grant the patent right for utility model or the patent right for design, issue the relevant patent certificate, and register and announce it. The patent right for utility model or design shall take effect as of the date of the announcement. Article 41. The patent administration department under the State Council shall set up a Patent Reexamination Board. Where an applicant for patent is not satisfied with the decision of the said department rejecting the application, the applicant may, within three months from the date of receipt of the notification, request the Patent Reexamination Board to make a reexamination. The Patent Reexamination Board shall, after reexamination, make a decision and notify the applicant for patent. Chapter V Duration, Cessation and Invalidation of Patent Right Article 42. The duration of patent right for inventions shall be twenty years, the duration of patent right for utility models and patent right for designs shall be ten years, counted from the date of filing. Article 43. The patentee shall pay an annual fee beginning with the year in which the patent right was granted. Article 44. In any of the following cases, the patent right shall cease before the expiration of its duration: Article 45. Where, starting from the date of the announcement of the grant of the patent right by the patent administration department under the State Council, any entity or individual considers that the grant of the said patent right is not in conformity with the relevant provisions of this Law, it or he may request the Patent Reexamination Board to declare the patent right invalid. Article 46. The Patent Reexamination Board shall examine the request for invalidation of the patent right promptly, make a decision on it and notify the person who made the request and the patentee. The decision declaring the patent right invalid shall be registered and announced by the patent administration department under the State Council. Chapter VI Compulsory License for Exploitation of Patent Article 48. Where any entity which is qualified to exploit the invention or utility model has made requests for authorization from the patentee of an invention or utility model to exploit its or his patent on reasonable terms and conditions and such efforts have not been successful within a reasonable period of time, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council may, upon the request of that entity, grant a compulsory license to exploit the patent for invention or utility model. Article 49. Where a national emergency or any extraordinary state of affairs occurs, or where the public interest so requires, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council may grant a compulsory license to exploit the patent for invention or utility model. Article 50. Where the invention or utility model for which the patent right has been granted involves important technical advance of considerable economic significance in relation to another invention or utility model for which a patent right has been granted earlier and the exploitation of the later invention or utility model depends on the exploitation of the earlier invention or utility model, the patent administration department under the State Council may, upon the request of the later patentee, grant a compulsory license to exploit the earlier invention or utility model. Article 51. The entity or individual requesting, in accordance with the provisions of this Law, a compulsory license for exploitation shall furnish proof that it or he has not been able to conclude with the patentee a license contract for exploitation on reasonable terms and conditions. Article 52. The decision made by the patent administration department under the State Council granting a compulsory license for exploitation shall be notified promptly to the patentee concerned, and shall be registered and announced. Article 53. Any entity or individual that is granted a compulsory license for exploitation shall not have an exclusive right to exploit and shall not have the right to authorize exploitation by any others. Article 54. The entity or individual that is granted a compulsory license for exploitation shall pay to the patentee a reasonable exploitation fee, the amount of which shall be fixed by both parties in consultations. Where the parties fail to reach an agreement, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council shall adjudicate. Article 55. Where the patentee is not satisfied with the decision of the patent administration department under the State Council granting a compulsory license for exploitation, or where the patentee or the entity or individual that is granted the compulsory license for exploitation is not satisfied with the ruling made by the patent administration department under the State Council regarding the fee payable for exploitation, it or he may, within three months from the receipt of the date of notification, institute legal proceedings in the people's court. Chapter VII Protection of Patent Right Article 56. The extent of protection of the patent right for invention or utility model shall be determined by the terms of the claims. The description and the appended drawings may be used to interpret the claims. Article 57. Where a dispute arises as a result of the exploitation of a patent without the authorization of the patentee, that is, the infringement of the patent right of the patentee, it shall be settled through consultation by the parties. Where the parties are not willing to consult with each other or where the consultation fails, the patentee or any interested party may institute legal proceedings in the people's court, or request the administrative authority for patent affairs to handle the matter. When the administrative authority for patent affairs handling the matter considers that the infringement is established, it may order the infringer to stop the infringing act immediately. If the infringer is not satisfied with the order, he may, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the notification of the order, institutes legal proceedings in the people's court in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China. If, within the said time limit, such proceedings are not instituted and the order is not complied with, the administrative authority for patent affairs may approach the people's court for compulsory execution. The said authority handling the matter may, upon the request of the parties, mediate in the amount of compensation for the damage caused by the infringement of the patent right. If the mediation fails, the parties may institute legal proceedings in the people's court in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China. Article 58. Where any person passes off the patent of another person as his own, he shall, in addition to bearing his civil liability according to law, be ordered by the administrative authority for patent affairs to amend his act, and the order shall be announced. His illegal earnings shall be confiscated and , in addition, he may be imposed a fine of not more than three times his illegal earnings and, if there is no illegal earnings, a fine of not more than RMB 50,000 yuan. Where the infringement constitutes a crime, he shall be prosecuted for his criminal liability. Article 59. Where any person passes any non-patented product off as patented product or passes any non-patented process off as patented process, he shall be ordered by the administrative authority for patent affairs to amend his act , and the order shall be announced, and he may be imposed a fine of no more than RMB 50,000 yuan. Article 60. The amount of compensation for the damage caused by the infringement of the patent right shall be assessed on the basis of the losses suffered by the patentee or the profits which the infringer has earned through the infringement. If it is difficult to determine the losses which the patentee has suffered or the profits which the infringer has earned, the amount may be assessed by reference to the appropriate multiple of the amount of the exploitation fee of that patent under contractual license. Article 61. Where any patentee or interested party has evidence to prove that another person is infringing or will soon infringe its or his patent right and that if such infringing act is not checked or prevented from occurring in time, it is likely to cause irreparable harm to it or him, it or he may, before any legal proceedings are instituted, request the people's court to adopt measures for ordering the suspension of relevant acts and the preservation of property. Article 62. Prescription for instituting legal proceedings concerning the infringement of patent right is two years counted from the date on which the patentee or any interested party obtains or should have obtained knowledge of the infringing act. Article 64. Where any person, in violation of the provisions of Article 20 of this Law, files in a foreign country an application for a patent that divulges an important secret of the State, he shall be subject to disciplinary sanction by the entity to which he belongs or by the competent authority concerned at the higher level. Where a crime is established, the person concerned shall be prosecuted for his criminal liability according to the law. Article 65. Where any person usurps the right of an inventor or creator to apply for a patent for a non-service invention-creation, or usurps any other right or interest of an inventor or creator, prescribed by this Law, he shall be subject to disciplinary sanction by the entity to which he belongs or by the competent authority at the higher level. Article 66. The administrative authority for patent affairs may not take part in recommending any patented product for sale to the public or any such commercial activities. Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions Article 68. Any application for a patent filed with, and any other proceedings before, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council shall be subject to the payment of a fee as prescribed. Article 69. This Law shall enter into force on April l, 1985. Copyright © 2002 SIPO. All Rights Reserved |
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