Patent Application Encyclopedia

no

• via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date
• Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date

no

UIBM conducts substantive examination for the first application, and does not conduct substantive examination for applications with priority that are not submitted for the first time. The applicant can request to disclose in advance, so that the official can enter the actual examination process in advance. The applicant shall pay the official fee for the application fee at the same time on the day of filing, and obtain the official fee receipt accordingly, otherwise the filing date will be the date of payment of the fee; the European Patent Office conducts a prior art search and issues a search report and written opinion. If the written opinion contains an opposition, the response shall be submitted to the Italian Patent Office for examination.

The novelty grace period is 12 months before the filing date/priority date.

yes

none

• via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
• Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.

Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."

Bureau of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Economic Affairs

English: Taiwan Intellectual Property Office, Ministry of Economic Affairs, ROC, abbreviation: TIPO

Website: www.tipo.gov.tw

Taiwan Patent Search: Republic of China Patent Information Search System (tipo.gov.tw)

no

no

• Grant fee: The patent applicant should pay the granted fee within 3 months from the date of receiving the patent granted decision
• Annuity: The annual fee for the first year is paid at the same time as the granted fee. Subsequent annual fees should be paid within 6 months before the due date. Overdue annual fees can be paid within a 6-month grace period, and a 10% late fee will be paid at the same time

yes

IMPI conducts formal and substantive examinations of utility model patent applications. There are three ways to submit an application to INPI: online application, mailing and submitting a written application to INPI in person. No matter which way the application is filed, the application date of the patent is the time when the patent applicant sends the complete patent application text to INPI. IMPI accepts only one independent claim in a utility model application. Applicants are required to pay the substantive examination fee within 3 months from the date of application. The time limit for responding to the Office Action Notice is 3 months from the date of issue, and can be extended 3 times (one month each time). The requirements for utility models are relatively loose, and they need to be novel and practical, but not inventive.

• Licensing Fee: None.
• Annual Fee: None.

20 years

yes. As long as the application is not abandoned, the patent type can be converted from invention to utility model within 3 months of filing the invention patent application, or within 3 months from the date when IMPI requires the applicant to make the conversion, after paying the relevant fees.

25 years. Designs for components used to repair complex products to restore their original appearance are protected for up to 15 years.