Patent Application Encyclopedia

15 years

20 years, and the protection can be extended to 25 years for pesticides or medicines.

20 years

The novelty of the invention will not be lost if the information about the invention is disclosed within 6 months before the filing date or the priority date if the following conditions are met:

• Disclosure due to apparent misuse by the applicant or its predecessor owners
• The invention is disclosed at an official or officially recognized international exhibition

no

yes. The applicant may request to change the patent type from invention to utility model before the invention patent application is granted.

• Grant fee: The applicant shall pay the granted official fee within 2 months after receiving the granted notice.
• Annuity: It needs to be paid year by year starting from the fifth year from the application date.

3-5 years

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT : 31 months from earliest priority date.

The novelty grace period is 6 months before the filing date/priority date.

• The average time for partial substantive examination design granted is 1-2 months.
• The average time for substantive examination of design granted is 10-12 months.

no

no

no

no

If the invention is disclosed due to malicious disclosure by a third party, or due to the behavior of the applicant or its original right holder, or due to the application for a UK patent, the novelty grace period can be enjoyed 12 months before the filing date/priority date.

• Grant fee: The applicant should pay the granted fee within 6 months after receiving the patent granted decision, and pay the annual fee for the first to third years in one lump sum.
• Annuity: After granted, the annual annual fee should be paid within 6 months before the start of the next valid period. Overdue annual fees can be paid within a grace period of 6 months, but a 100% penalty must be paid at the same time.

no

yes. It is possible to change the patent type from utility model to invention within 30 days of receiving the grant/rejection decision, and pay the corresponding fee.

no