2024-07-09 06:25:36
BEIJINGChina is working to further improve the efficiency of patent application review, with the aim of reducing the processing time to 15.5 months this year.
Such a goal was revealed by China’s National Intellectual Property Administration, the country’s top intellectual property regulator, in its recently published annual work guidelines. The processing time in 2023 was 16 months, one of the most efficient in the world.
The average period for reviewing a trademark application remained at four months.
Improving the efficiency of patent examination has been a key focus of China’s IP efforts in recent years. The newly revised rules for implementing the Patent Law, which came into effect in January, encompass a number of new measures aimed at streamlining the examination system and improving the quality of examination.
In order to support the development of various emerging industries, the regulator also emphasized improving examination standards in areas such as big data, artificial intelligence and genetic technologies this year, and plans to step up efforts to expand the scope of the review.
Last year, 921,000 patents were granted in China. The accuracy rate of the examination reached 94.2 percent, according to Shen Changyu, director of the administration.
The country will continue to improve patenting standards in new fields and emerging forms of industry to facilitate the patenting of green and low-carbon technologies and future industries, Shen said at the end of 2023.