CNIPA Issues Revised IP Services Guide
Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has revised and formulated the Guide to Intellectual Property Service Matters (Second Edition) (the "Guide").
The Guide covers patents, trademarks, geographical indications, integrated circuit layout designs, and other intellectual property-related content, aiming to facilitate public access to information on intellectual property services and promote non-discriminatory acceptance and standardized handling of service matters by government. According to the Guide, patent-related matters include 28 categories, such as patent application, request for the restoration of patent rights, request for the suspension of patents involving ownership disputes, application for prioritized patent examination, request for patent confidentiality examination from a foreign country, request for reexamination of patent applications, request for patent invalidation, declaration of changes in recorded patent items, issuance of copies of patent registers, and application for patent fee reductions. Taking "patent application" as an example, the Guide specifies ten specific items, including acceptance conditions, access channels, application materials, processing procedures, and progress inquiries.