Patent Law of the People`s Republic of China

PatentLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaLaw-makingBodyStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople’sCongress(SCNPC)CategoryLegislationIssuingNo.OrderNo.8ofthePresidentPromulgatingDate2008-12-27EffectiveDate2009-10-01SourceTranslatedbyIPR21FulltextChapterIGeneralProvisionsArticle1Thislawisenactedinordertoprotectthelegitimaterightsofpatentees,encourageinvention-creations,promotetheapplicationofinvention-creation,enhanceinnovativecapacity,andpromotescientificprogressandeconomicsocialdevelopment.Article2InthepresentLawinvention-creationmeansinventions,utilitymodelsanddesigns.Theterminventionreferstoanewtechnicalsolutionputforwardforaproduct,methodortheimprovementthereof.Thetermutilitymodelreferstoanewpracticaltechnicalsolutionforaproduct'sform,structure,orthecombinationthereof.Thetermdesignmeansanewdesignofaproduct'sshape,patternorthecombinationthereof,orthecombinationofitscolourandshapeand/orpattern,thatisaestheticallypleasingandindustrialapplicable.Article3ThepatentadministrationdepartmentundertheStateCouncilisresponsibleforthepatentworkthroughoutthecountry.Itacceptsandexaminespatentapplicationsandgrantspatentrightsforinventions-creationsinaccordancewithlaw.Theadministrativeauthorityforpatentaffairsunderthepeople'sgovernmentsofprovinces,autonomousregionsandmunicipalitiesdirectlyundertheCentralGovernmentareresponsiblefortheadministrativeworkconcerningpatentsintheirrespectiveadministrativeareas.Article4Ifaninvention-creationforwhichapatentisappliedinvolvesnationalsecurityorothervitalinterestsoftheStatethatrequiresecrecy,themattershallbetreatedinaccordancewiththerelevantprovisionsoftheState.Article5Nopatentrightshallbegrantedforanyinvention-creationthatiscontrarytothelawsoftheStateorsocialmoralityorthatisdetrimentaltothepublicinterest.Nopatentrightshallbegrantedforanyinvention-creationwhichiscompletedonthebasisofgenetic2resourcesofwhichtheacquisitionorusebreachesthestipulationsofrelatedlawsandregulations.Article6Aninvention-creation,madebyapersoninexecutionofthetasksoftheentitytowhichhebelongs,ormadebyhimmainlybyusingthematerialandtechnicalmeansoftheentityisaserviceinvention-creation.Foraserviceintention-creation,therighttoapplyforapatentbelongstotheentity.Aftertheapplicationisapproved,theentityshallbethepatentee.Foranon-serviceinvention-creation,therighttoapplyforapatentbelongstotheinventororcreator.Aftertheapplicationisapproved,theinventororcreatorshallbethepatentee.Inrespectofaninvention-creationmadebyapersonusingthematerialandtechnicalmeansofanentitytowhichhebelongs,wheretheentityandtheinventororcreatorhaveenteredintoacontractinwhichtherighttoapplyforandownapatentisprovidedfor,suchaprovisionshallapply.Article7Noentityorindividualmaysuppresstheapplicationofaninventorordesignerforapatentinrespectofaninvention-creationthatisnotjob-related.Article8Foraninvention-creationjointlymadebytwoormoreentitiesorindividuals,ormadebyanentityorindividualinexecutionofacommissiongiventoitorhimbyanotherentityorindividual,therighttoapplyforapatentbelongs,unlessotherwiseagreedupon,totheentityorindividualthatmade,ortotheentitiesorindividualsthatjointlymade,theinvention-creation.Aftertheapplicationisapproved,theentityorindividualthatappliesforitshallbethepatentee.Article9Foranyidenticalinvention-creation,onlyonepatentrightshallbegranted.However,withrespecttotheapplicationofautilitymodelpatentandinventionpatentfortheidenticalinvention-creationfiledbythesameapplicantonthesameday,theinventionpatentmaybegrantedifthisutilitymodelpatentrightobtainedfirstisstillinforce,andtheapplicantdeclarestoabandontheobtainedutilitymodelpatentthathasbeengranted.Iftwoormoreapplicantsapplyseparatelyforapatentonthesameinvention-creation,thepatentrightshallbegrantedtothepersonwhoappliedfirst.Article10Therighttoapplyforapatentandthepatentrightitselfmaybeassigned.AnyassignmentoftherighttoapplyforapatentorofthepatentrightfromaChineseentityorindividual3toaforeigner,foreignenterpriseorotherforeignorganizations,shallbedoneinaccordancewithproceduresintherelatedlawsandadministrativeregulations.Wheretherighttoapplyforapatentorthepatentrightisassigned,thepartiesshallconcludeawrittencontractandregisteritwiththepatentadministrationdepartmentundertheStateCouncil.ThepatentadministrationdepartmentundertheStateCouncilshallannouncetheregistration.Theassignmentshalltakeeffectasofthedateofregistration.Article11Afterthegrantofthepatentrightforaninventionorutilitymodel,exceptwhereotherwiseprovidedforinthisLaw,noentityorindividualmay,withouttheauthorizationofthepatentee,exploitthepatent,thatis,make,use,offertosell,sellorimportthepatentedproduct,orusethepatentedprocess,oruse,offertosell,sellorimporttheproductdirectlyobtainedbythepatentedprocess,forproductionorbusinesspurposes.Afterthegrantofthepatentrightforadesign,noentityorindividualmay,withouttheauthorizationofthepatentee,exploitthedesign,namelymake,offertosell,sell,orimportthedesignpatentedproductforproductionorbusinesspurposesArticle12Anyentityorindividualexploitingthepatentofanothershallconcludewiththepatenteealicensecontractforexplo