The actual trial is a substantive review. The substantive examination procedure of an application for a patent for invention is initiated mainly based on the applicant's request for substantive examination. In order to start the substantive examination procedure, the applicant shall make a formal substantive examination request within 3 years from the date of filing or priority in China. If no substantive examination is requested during this period, the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.
According to the Patent Law, the examination and approval procedure of an application for a patent for invention is divided into five stages: acceptance, preliminary examination, publication, substantive examination and authorization:
(1) In the acceptance stage, the Patent Office will review the patent application after receiving it. If the conditions for acceptance are met, the Patent Office shall determine the date of application, give the application number, and after checking the list of documents, issue an acceptance notice to inform the applicant. The application documents are not printed, printed, illegible or altered; Or drawings and pictures are not drawn with drawing tools and black ink, and the photos are blurred and altered; Or the application documents are incomplete; Or the name or address of the applicant is not known in the request; Or the patent application category is unclear or uncertain, and the patent application sent directly by foreign units and individuals without foreign-related patent agencies will not be accepted.
(2) The patent application accepted in the preliminary examination stage will automatically enter the preliminary examination stage if the application fee is paid in accordance with the regulations. Before the preliminary examination, the application for a patent for invention must be examined in confidentiality, and if confidentiality is required, it shall be handled in accordance with the confidentiality procedures. In the preliminary examination, it is necessary to examine whether there are obvious defects in the application, mainly including whether the contents of the examination fall within the scope of the patent law that does not grant the patent right, whether the obvious lack of technical content does not constitute a technical scheme, whether it lacks singularity, whether the application documents are complete and whether the format meets the requirements. If it is a foreign applicant, it is necessary to conduct qualification examination and application formalities examination. If it is unqualified, the Patent Office will notify the applicant to make corrections or statements within the prescribed time limit. If no reply is made within the time limit, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn. If the defect has not been eliminated after the reply, it shall be rejected. Where an application for a patent for invention has passed the preliminary examination, a notice of passing the preliminary examination shall be issued. In addition to the above examination, the application for a patent for utility model and design shall also be examined whether it is obviously the same as the existing patent, not a new technical scheme or a new design, and no reason for rejection has been found after preliminary examination. Will directly enter the authorization instruction.
(3) Publication stage The application for a patent for invention shall enter the publication stage from the date when the notice of preliminary examination is issued. If the applicant does not make an early request for publicity, it will not enter the public preparation procedure until 18 months after the application date. If the applicant requests to be made public in advance, the application will immediately enter the public preparation procedure. After format review, editing and proofreading, computer processing, typesetting and printing, the abstract of its instructions was published in the Patent Gazette, and the instructions were published separately. After the application is published, the applicant has the right to temporary protection.
(4) After the publication of the application for a patent for invention in the substantive examination stage, if the applicant makes a request for substantive examination and the request has taken effect, the applicant will enter the substantive examination procedure.
(5) In the authorization stage, if the application for a patent for utility model and design has not found any reasons for rejection after preliminary examination, and the application for a patent for invention has been substantially examined, the examiner will issue a notice of authorization and apply for authorization registration. The patent office examines the legal effect and completeness of the authorized text, proofreads and modifies the description items of the patent application, and then issues the authorization notice and registration notice. Failure to go through the registration formalities as required shall be regarded as giving up the right to obtain the patent right.
Legal basis:
patent law of the people's republic of china
Article 5 No patent right shall be granted for inventions and creations that violate laws, social ethics or harm public interests. No patent right shall be granted to inventions and creations obtained or utilized in violation of laws and administrative regulations and completed by relying on genetic resources.
Article 25 No patent right shall be granted to the following projects:
(1) scientific discoveries;
(2) rules and methods of intellectual activities;
(3) Methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases;
(4) Species of animals and plants;
(5) Nuclear transformation methods and substances obtained by nuclear transformation methods;
(six) the design of the pattern, color or the combination of the two. The production method of the products listed in Item (4) of the preceding paragraph may be granted a patent right in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
Article 26 Where an applicant applies for a patent for invention or utility model, he shall submit the written request, specification and its abstract, patent right and other documents. The request shall specify the name of the invention or utility model, the name of the inventor, the name and address of the applicant and other matters. The specification shall give a clear and complete description of the invention or utility model, which shall be subject to the realization of the technical personnel in the technical field; Attached drawings shall be attached when necessary.
The technical points of the invention or utility model shall be briefly explained. The patent claim shall be based on the specification, and clearly and briefly define the scope of patent protection.
For inventions that rely on genetic resources, the applicant shall state the direct source and original source of genetic resources in the patent application documents; If the applicant cannot explain the original source, it shall explain the reasons.