Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law of the

1ImplementingRegulationsofthePatentLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChina(PromulgatedbyDecreeNo.306oftheStateCouncilofthePeople'sRepublicofChinaonJune15,2001,andeffectiveasofJuly1,2001)(TranslatedbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.Incaseofdiscrepancy,theoriginalversionshallprevail.)ChapterIGeneralProvisionsRule1TheseImplementingRegulationsareformulatedinaccordancewiththePatentLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChina(hereinafterreferredtoasthePatentLaw).Rule2InventioninthePatentLawmeansanynewtechnicalsolutionrelatingtoaproduct,aprocessorimprovementthereof.UtilitymodelinthePatentLawmeansanynewtechnicalsolutionrelatingtotheshape,thestructure,ortheircombination,ofaproduct,whichisfitforpracticaluse.DesigninthePatentLawmeansanynewdesignoftheshape,thepatternortheircombination,orthecombinationofthecolorwithshapeorpattern,ofaproduct,whichcreatesanaestheticfeelingandisfitforindustrialapplication.Rule3AnyformalitiesprescribedbythePatentLawandtheseImplementingRegulationsshallbecompliedwithinawrittenformorinanyotherformprescribedbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil.Rule4AnydocumentsubmittedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthePatentLawandtheseImplementingRegulationsshallbeinChinese;thestandardscientificandtechnicaltermsshallbeusedifthereisaprescribedonesetforthbytheState;wherenogenerallyacceptedtranslationinChinesecanbefoundforaforeignnameorscientificortechnicalterm,theoneintheoriginallanguageshallbealsoindicated.WhereanycertificateorcertifyingdocumentsubmittedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthePatentLawandtheseImplementingRegulationsisinaforeignlanguage,thePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilmay,whenitdeemsnecessary,requestaChinesetranslationofthecertificateorthecertifyingdocumentbesubmittedwithinaspecifiedtimelimit;wherethetranslationisnotsubmittedwithinthespecifiedtimelimit,thecertificateorcertifyingdocumentshallbedeemednottohavebeensubmitted.Rule52WhereanydocumentissentbymailtothePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil,thedateofmailingindicatedbythepostmarkontheenvelopeshallbedeemedtobethedateoffiling;wherethedateofmailingindicatedbythepostmarkontheenvelopeisillegible,thedateonwhichthePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilreceivesthedocumentshallbethedateoffiling,exceptwherethedateofmailingisprovedbythepartyconcerned.AnydocumentofthePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilmaybeservedbymail,bypersonaldeliveryorbyotherforms.Whereanypartyconcernedappointsapatentagency,thedocumentshallbesenttothepatentagency;wherenopatentagencyisappointed,thedocumentshallbesenttotheliaisonpersonnamedintherequest.WhereanydocumentissentbymailbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil,the16thdayfromthedateofmailingshallbepresumedtobethedateonwhichthepartyconcernedreceivesthedocument.WhereanydocumentisdeliveredpersonallyinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil,thedateofdeliveryisthedateonwhichthepartyconcernedreceivesthedocument.Wheretheaddressofanydocumentisnotclearanditcannotbesentbymail,thedocumentmaybeservedbymakinganannouncement.Attheexpirationofonemonthfromthedateoftheannouncement,thedocumentshallbedeemedtobeserved.Rule6ThefirstdayofanytimelimitprescribedinthePatentLawandtheseImplementingRegulationsshallnotbecountedinthetimelimit.Wherethetimelimitiscountedbyyearorbymonth,itshallexpireonthecorrespondingdayofthelastmonth;ifthereisnocorrespondingdayinthatmonth,thetimelimitshallexpireonthelastdayofthatmonth;ifatimelimitexpiresonanofficialholiday,itshallexpireonthefirstworkingdayfollowingthatofficialholiday.Rule7WhereatimelimitprescribedinthePatentLawortheseImplementingRegulationsorspecifiedbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilisnotobservedbyapartyconcernedbecauseofforcemajeure,resultinginlossofhisoritsrights,heoritmay,withintwomonthsfromthedateonwhichtheimpedimentisremoved,atthelatestwithintwoyearsimmediatelyfollowingtheexpirationofthattimelimit,statethereasons,togetherwithrelevantsupportingdocuments,andrequestthePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCounciltorestorehisoritsrights.WhereatimelimitprescribedinthePatentLawortheseImplementingRegulationsorspecifiedbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilisnotobservedbyapartyconcernedbecauseofanyjustifiedreason,resultinginlossofhisoritsrights,heoritmay,withintwomonthsfromthedateofreceiptofanotificationfromthePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil,statethereasonsandrequestthePatentAdministrationDepartmentunderthe3StateCounciltorestorehisoritsrights.WherethepartyconcernedmakesarequestforanextensionofatimelimitspecifiedbythePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncil,heoritshall,beforethetimelimitexpires,statethereasonstothePatentAdministrationDepartmentundertheStateCouncilandgothroughtherelevantformalities.TheprovisionsofparagraphsoneandtwoofthisRuleshallnotbeapplicabletothetimelimitreferredtoinArticles24,29,42and62ofthePatentLaw.Rule8Whereanapplicationforapatentforinventionrelatestothesecre