A patent agency is a service organization that is audited by the Provincial Patent Administration and approved by China National Intellectual Property Administration, and can accept the entrustment of the client to handle patent applications or other patent affairs in the name of the client within the scope of authorization. At present, there are more than 870 patent agencies in China, including foreign-related agencies.
In the current patent agency industry, many law firms and trademark agencies that do not have patent agency qualifications are engaged in patent agency business, which is called black agency. If you want to distinguish whether it belongs to a regular patent agency, you can go to the website of the Patent Office to inquire. There is a special patent agency information page, which also contains penalties for violations in regular patent agencies.
The main business of a patent agency is to act as an agent for patent applications and also engage in patent technology transactions. In fact, it is a "business department" for patent technology transactions. Patent agencies know and are familiar with the patent technology they represent and the patent applicants. They publish patent information in various forms to promote patent technology transactions.
kind
1, national defense patent agency
Can undertake the national defense patent application and the national defense patent affairs within the unit and the entrustment of patent affairs, and can also undertake the patent agency business and patent affairs agency entrustment in the society. Generally speaking, national defense patent agencies have dual functions of intellectual property affairs management and service in their own systems or units.
2. Foreign patent agencies
Can undertake the agency entrustment of China units and individuals to apply for patents abroad, and the agency entrustment of foreigners, foreign enterprises and foreign organizations to apply for patents and handle patent-related affairs in China; Can also accept enterprises, institutions or other organizations in Taiwan Province Province to apply for patents in the mainland, and accept the agency's entrustment to handle related patent affairs.
2. General patent agencies
Can accept the entrustment of natural persons and legal persons in China to engage in the domestic patent affairs agency business; It can also act as an agent for natural persons in Taiwan Province Province to apply for patents and other related patent affairs in mainland China.