专利法(2010最新英文word版)

PATENT LAW PATENT LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Adopted at the 4th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People's Congress on March 12,1984 Amended the first time in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on Amending the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at its 27th Meeting on September 4, 1992 Amended the second time in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on Amending the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at its 17th Meeting on August 25,2000 Amended the third time in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress on Amending the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at its 6th Meeting on December 27,2008) Translated by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China. In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail. Chapter I Chapter 11 Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI Chapter VII Chapter VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS General Provisions Requirements for Grant of Patent Right Application for Patent Examination and Approval of Application for Patent Duration, Cessation and Invalidation of Patent Right Compulsory License for Exploitation of Patent Protection of Patent Right Supplementary Provisions This table of contents was established for the convenience of the reader by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China. The text of the Patent Law adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress does not contain such a table. Chapter I General Provisions Article 1. This Law is enacted to protect the legitimate rights of the patentee, to encourage inventions-creations, to advance the exploitation of inventions-creations, to enhance innovation capability, and to promote the progress of science and technology and the development of economy and society. Article 2. In this Law, "inventions-creations" mean inventions, utility models and designs. "Invention" means any new technical solution relating to a product, a process or improvement thereof. "Utility model" means any new technical solution relating to the shape, the structure, or their combination, of a product, which is fit for practical use. "Design" means any new design of the shape, the pattern, or their combination, or the combination of the color with shape or pattern, of a product, which creates an aesthetic feeling and is fit for industrial application. Article 3. The patent administration department under the State Council is responsible for the patent work throughout the country. It receives and examines patent applications, and grants patent right for inventions-creations in accordance with the law. The administrative authority for patent affairs under the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government are responsible for the administrative work concerning patents in their respective administrative areas. Article 4. Where an invention-creation for which a patent is applied for relates to the security or other vital interests of the State and is required to be kept secret, the application shall be treated in accordance with the relevant prescriptions of the State. Article 5. No patent right shall be granted for any invention-creation that is contrary to the laws or social morality or that is detrimental to public interest. No patent right shall be granted for any invention-creation where acquisition or use of the genetic resources, on which the development of the invention-creation relies, is not consistent with the provisions of the laws or administrative regulations. Article 6. An invention-creation, made by a person in execution of the tasks of the entity to which he belongs, or made by him mainly by using the material and technical means of the entity is a service invention-creation. For a service intention-creation, the right to apply for a patent belongs to the entity. After the application is approved, the entity shall be the patentee. For a non-service invention-creation, the right to apply for a patent belongs to the inventor or creator. After the application is approved, the inventor or creator shall be the patentee. In respect of an invention-creation made by a person using the material and technical means of an entity to which he belongs, where the entity and the inventor or creator have entered into a contract in which the right to apply for and own a patent is provided for, such provisions shall apply. Article 7. No entity or individual shall prevent the inventor or creator from filing an application for a patent for a non-service invention-creation. Article 8. For an invention-creation jointly made by two or more entities or individuals, or made by an entity or individual in execution of a commission given to it or him by another entity or individual, the right to apply for a patent belongs, unless otherwise agreed upon, to the entity or individual that made, or to the entities or individuals that jointly made, the invention-creation. After the application is approved, the entity or individual that applied for it shall be the patentee. Article 9. For any identical invention-creation, only one patent right shall be granted. Where an applicant files on the same day applications for both patent for utility model and patent for invention relating to the identical invention-creation, and the applicant declares to abandon the patent for utility model which has been granted and does not terminate, the patent for invention may be granted. Where two or more applicants file applications for patent for the identical invention creation, the patent right shall be granted to the applicant whose application was filed first. Article 10. The right of patent application and the patent right may be assigned. Any assignment, by a Chinese entity or individual, of the right of patent application, or of the patent right, to a foreigner, a foreign enterprise or any other foreign organization shall proceed by going through the formalities as provided by the relevant laws and administrative regulations. Where the right of patent application or the patent right is assigned, the parties shall conclude a written contract and register it with the patent administration department under the State Council. The patent administration department under the State Council shall announce the registration. The assignment shall take effect as of the date of registration. Article 11. After the grant of the patent right for an invention or utility model, except where otherwise provided for in this Law, no entity or individual may, without the authorization of the patentee, exploit the patent, that is, make, use, offer to sell, sell or import the patented product, or use the patented process, and use, offer to sell, sell or import the product directly obtained by the patented process, for production or business purposes. After the grant of the patent for a design, no entity or individual may, without the authorization of the patentee, exploit the patent, that is, make, offer to sell, sell or import the product incorporating its or his patented design, for production or business purposes. Article 12. Any entity or individual exploiting the patent of another shall conclude with the patentee a license contract for exploitation and pay the patentee a fee for the exploitation of the patent. The licensee has no right to authorize any entity or individual, other than that referred to in the contract, to exploit the patent. Article 13. After the publication of the application for a patent for invention, the applicant may require the entity or individual exploiting the invention to pay an appropriate fee. Article 14. Where any patent for invention, belonging to any state-owned enterprise or institution, is of great significance to the interest of the State or to the public interest, the competent departments concerned under the State Council and the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central government may, after approval by the State Council, decide that the patented invention be spread and applied within the approved limits, and allow designated entities to exploit that invention. The exploiting entity shall, according to the regulations of the State, pay a fee for exploitation to the patentee. Article 15. Where the co-owners of a patent application or a patent have concluded an agreement on the exercising of the right, the agreement shall apply. In the absence of such agreement, any co-owner may independently exploit the patent or license another party to exploit the patent through non-exclusive license; any fee for the exploitation obtained from licensing others to exploit the patent shall be distributed among the co-owners. Except for the circumstances as provided in the preceding paragraph, a jointly-owned patent application or patent shall be exercised with the consent of all co-owners. Article 16. The entity that is granted a patent right shall award to the inventor or creator of a service invention-creation a reward and, upon exploitation of the patented invention-creation, shall pay the inventor or creator a reasonable remuneration based on the extent of spreading and application and the economic benefits yielded. Article 17. The inventor or creator has the right to be named as such in the patent document. The patentee has the right to affix a patent indication on the patented product or on the package of that product. Article 18. Where any foreigner, foreign enterprise or other foreign organization having no habitual residence or business office in China files an application for a patent in China, the application shall be treated under this Law in accordance with any agreement concluded between the country to which the applicant belongs and China, or in accordance with any international treaty to which both countries are party, or on the basis of the principle of reciprocity. Article 19. Where any foreigner, foreign enterprise or other foreign organization having no habitual residence or business office in China applies for a patent, or has other patent matters to attend to, in China, it or he shall appoint a legally incorporated patent agency to act as his or its agent. Where any Chinese entity or individual applies for a patent or has other patent matters to attend to in the country, it or he may appoint a legally incorporated patent agency to act as its or his agent. The patent agency shall comply with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations, and handle patent applications and other patent matters according to the instructions of its clients. In respect of the contents of its clients' inventions-creations, except for those that have been published or announced, the agency shall bear the responsibility of keeping them confidential. The administrative regulations governing the patent agency shall be formulated by the State Council. Article 20. Where any entity or individual intends to file an application for patent abroad for any invention or utility model developed in China, it or he shall request in advance the patent administration department under the State Council for confidentiality examination. The procedures and duration etc. of the confidentiality examination shall be implemented in accordance with the regulations of the State Council. Any Chinese entity or individual may file an international application for patent in accordance with any international treaty concerned to which China is party. The applicant filling an international application for patent shall comply with the provisions of the preceding paragraph. The patent administration department under the State Council shall handle any international application for patent in accordance with the international treaty concerned to which China is party, this Law and the relevant regulations of the State Council. For an invention or utility model, if a patent application has been filed in a foreign country in violation of the provisions of the first paragraph of this Article, it shall not be granted patent right while filing application for patent in China. Article 21. The patent administration department under the State Council and its Patent Reexamination Board shall handle any patent application and patent-related request according to law and in conformity with the requirements of being objective, fair, correct and timely. The patent administration department under the State Council shall release patent information in a complete, correct, and timely manner, and publish patent gazette on a regular basis. Until the publication or announcement of the application for a patent, staff members of the patent administration department under the State Council and other persons involved have the duty to keep its contents confidential. Chapter 11 Requirements for Grant of Patent Right Article 22. Any invention or utility model for which patent right may be granted must possess novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability. Novelty means that, the invention or utility model does not form part of the prior art; nor has any entity or individual filed previously before the date of filing with the patent administration department under the State Council an application relating to the identical invention or utility model disclosed in patent application documents published or patent documents announced after the said date of filing. Inventiveness means that, as compared with the prior art, the invention has prominent substantive features and represents a notable progress, and that the utility model has substantive features and represents progress. Practical applicability means that, the invention or utility model can be made or used and can produce effective results. The prior art referred to in this Law means any technology known to the public before the date of filing in China or abroad. Article 23. Any design for which patent right may be granted shall not be a prior design, nor has any entity or individual filed before the date of filing with the patent administration department under the State Council an application relating to the identical design disclosed in patent documents announced after the date of filing. Any design for which patent right may be granted shall significantly differ from prior design or combination of prior design features. Any design for which patent right may be granted must not be in conflict with the legitimate right obtained before the date of filing by any other person. The prior design referred to in this Law means any design known to the public before the date of filing in China or abroad. Article 24. An invention-creation for which a patent is applied for does not lose its novelty where, within six months before the date of filing, one of the following events occurred: (1) where it was first exhibited at an international exhibition sponsored or recognized by the Chinese Government; (2) where it was first made public at a prescribed academic or technological meeting; (3) where it was disclosed by any person without the consent of the applicant. Article 25. For any of the following, no patent right shall be granted: ( 1) scientific discoveries; (2) rules and methods for mental activities; (3) methods for the diagnosis or for the treatment of diseases; (4) animal and plant varieties; (5) substances obtained by means of nuclear transformation; (6) designs of two-dimensional printing goods, made of the pattern, the colour or the combination of the two, which serve mainly as indicators. For processes used in producing products referred to in items (4) of the preceding paragraph, patent right may be granted in accordance with the provisions of this Law. Chapter III Application for Patent Article 26. Where an application for a patent for invention or utility model is filed, a request, a description and its abstract, and claims shall be submitted. The request shall state the title of the invention or utility model, the name of the inventor, the name and the address of the applicant and other related matters. The description shall set forth the invention or utility model in a manner sufficiently clear and complete so as to enable a person skilled in the relevant field of technology to carry it out; where necessary, drawings are required. The abstract shall state briefly the main technical points of the invention or utility model. The claims shall be supported by the description and shall define the extent of the patent protection sought for in a clear and concise manner. Where an invention-creation is developed relying on the genetic resources, the applicant shall indicate, in the application documents, the direct and original source of such genetic resources; where the applicant fails to indicate the original source, he or it shall state the reasons thereof. Article 27. Where an application for a patent for design is filed, a request, drawings or photographs of the design and a brief explanation of the design shall be submitted. The relevant drawings or photographs submitted by the applicant shall clearly indicate the design of the product for which patent protection is sought. Article 28. The date on which the patent administration department under the State Council receives the application shall be the date of filing. If the application is sent by mail, the date of mailing indicated by the postmark shall be the date of filing. Article 29. Where, within twelve months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a patent for invention or utility model, or within six months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a patent for design, he or it files in China an application for a patent for the same subject matter, he or it may, in accordance with any agreement concluded between the said foreign country and China, or in accordance with any international treaty to which both countries are party, or on the basis of the principle of mutual recognition of the right of priority, enjoy a right of priority. Where, within twelve months from the date on which any applicant first filed in China an application for a patent for invention or utility model, he or it files with the patent administration department under the State Council an application for a patent for the same subject matter, he or it may enjoy a right of priority. Article 30. Any applicant who claims the right of priority shall make a written declaration when the application is filed, and submit, within three months, a copy of the patent application document which was first filed; if the applicant fails to make the written declaration or to meet the time limit for submitting the copy of the patent application document, the claim to the right of priority shall be deemed not to have been made. Article 31. An application for a patent for invention or utility model shall be limited to one invention or utility model. Two or more inventions or utility models belonging to a single general inventive concept may be filed as one application. An application for a patent for design shall be limited to one design. Two or more similar designs for the same product or two or more designs which are incorporated in products belonging to the same class and sold or used in sets may be filed as one application. Article 32. An applicant may withdraw his or its application for a patent at any time before the patent right is granted. Article 33. An applicant may amend his or its application for a patent, but the amendment to the application for a patent for invention or utility model may not go beyond the scope of disclosure contained in the initial description and claims, and the amendment to the application for a patent f