4-6 months
It is protected for 10 years from the date of application, and can be renewed for 3 times, each time for 5 years, with a maximum protection of 25 years.
Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" and "unintentional/due care" accepted.
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 31 months from earliest priority date.
The BPO conducts formality examination of design patent applications.
The BPO only conducts formality examination of utility model patent applications. The formality examination takes 3 months, and the content of the examination includes whether the applied for utility model patent application belongs to the object of protection, the issue of unity, etc. If the granted conditions are met, the patent is authorized.
yes. For an invention with the same subject matter, the applicant may file a patent type conversion request within 2 months from the date of receiving the patent application decision, but no later than 10 years from the application date, and change the patent type from invention to utility model .
- Grant fee: It will be paid together with the granted announcement fee one month after receiving the granted notice, and the payment will be doubled if it is overdue.
- Annuity: The renewal fee payment period is the corresponding date of the application date in the year, and can be paid within the last year of the current validity period. Payment can still be made within 6 months from the overdue date, subject to a penalty.
no
no
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 31 months from earliest priority date.
- Validation of European Patent in EPO member states: 3 months from the date of European patent grant