The partners of a partnership patent agency shall bear unlimited joint liability for the debts of the patent agency; Patent agencies with limited liability system shall be liable for their debts with all their assets.
At present, there are three types of patent agencies in China:
(1) Patent agencies designated by the State Council, such as the Patent Department of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, can undertake patent agency affairs at home and abroad. Article 20 of China's Patent Law stipulates that if a China entity or individual applies for a patent for its invention-creation completed in China, it shall first apply to the patent administration department of the State Council and entrust its designated patent agency to handle it.
(2) A patent agency established with the approval of the relevant competent authorities in the State Council and the patent administration departments of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, open cities and special economic zones.
(3) Law firms that can handle patent agency business with the consent of the patent administration departments of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, open cities and special economic zones.