Full text of the latest patent law 20 17
Chapter I General Principles
Article 1 This Law is formulated for the purpose of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of patentees, encouraging inventions and creations, promoting the application of inventions and creations, improving innovation ability, and promoting scientific and technological progress and economic and social development.
Article 2 Inventions and creations mentioned in this Law refer to inventions, utility models and designs.
Invention refers to a new technical scheme proposed for a product, method or its improvement.
Utility model refers to a new practical technical scheme for the shape, structure or combination of products.
Appearance design refers to a new design with aesthetic feeling and suitable for industrial application based on the shape, pattern or combination of products and the combination of colors, shapes and patterns.
Article 3 The patent administrative department of the State Council is responsible for the management of patent work throughout the country; Accept and examine patent applications in a unified manner and grant patent rights according to law.
The departments for patent administration under the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be responsible for patent administration within their respective administrative areas.
Article 4 Where an invention-creation applying for a patent involves national security or vital interests and needs to be kept confidential, it shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the state.
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 6 Inventions and creations made by performing the tasks of the unit or mainly using the material and technical conditions of the unit are service inventions and creations. The right to apply for a patent for a service invention-creation belongs to the unit; After the application is approved, the entity shall be the patentee.
The right to apply for a patent for a non-service invention-creation belongs to the inventor or designer; After the application is approved, the inventor or designer shall be the patentee.
Where an invention-creation completed by making use of the material and technical conditions of the entity has a contract with the inventor or designer to stipulate the right to apply for a patent and the ownership of the patent, such agreement shall prevail.
Article 7 No unit or individual may suppress an inventor or designer's application for a patent for non-service invention-creation.
Article 8. Unless otherwise agreed, the right to apply for a patent belongs to an invention-creation completed in cooperation with two or more units or individuals, or an invention-creation entrusted by other units or individuals. After the application is approved, the applicant unit or individual shall be the patentee.
Article 9 Only one patent right can be granted for the same invention-creation. However, if the same applicant applies for a patent for utility model and a patent for invention at the same time on the same day, and the patent for utility model obtained earlier has not been terminated, and the applicant abandons the patent for utility model, the patent for invention may be granted.
Where two or more applicants apply for a patent for the same invention-creation, the patent right shall be granted to the first applicant.
Article 10 The right to apply for a patent and the patent right may be transferred.
Where a unit or individual in China transfers the right to apply for a patent or the patent right to a foreigner, foreign enterprise or other foreign organization, it shall go through the formalities in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations.
Where the right to apply for a patent or the patent right is transferred, the parties concerned shall conclude a written contract and register it with the patent administration department of the State Council, which shall make an announcement. The transfer of the right to apply for a patent or the patent right shall take effect from the date of registration.
Article 11 After the patent right for invention and utility model is granted, except as otherwise provided in this Law, no unit or individual may exploit the patent without the permission of the patentee, that is, it may not manufacture, use, promise to sell, sell or import the patented product for production and business purposes, nor may it use the patented method and use, promise to sell, sell or import the product directly obtained according to the patented method.
After the design patent is granted, no unit or individual may exploit its patent without the permission of the patentee, that is, it may not manufacture, promise to sell, sell or import its patented product for production and business purposes.
Article 12 Any unit or individual that exploits another person's patent shall conclude an exploitation license contract with the patentee and pay the patentee the royalties. The licensee has no right to allow any unit or individual other than those stipulated in the contract to exploit the patent.
Article 13 After the publication of an application for a patent for invention, the applicant may require the entity or individual who exploited the invention to pay an appropriate fee.
Article 14 Where an invention patent of a state-owned enterprise or institution is of great significance to national interests or public interests, with the approval of the State Council, the relevant competent department of the State Council and the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government may decide to popularize and apply it within the approved scope, allowing designated units to implement it, and the implementing units shall pay royalties to the patentee in accordance with state regulations.