2. When requesting substantive examination, the applicant for a patent for invention shall submit reference materials related to his invention before the filing date. Where an application for a patent for invention is filed in a foreign country, the patent administration department of the State Council may require the applicant to submit the information retrieved during the examination of his application in that country or the information on the examination results within a specified time limit; If the application is not submitted within the time limit without justifiable reasons, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
3. After substantive examination of the application for a patent for invention, the administrative department for patent in the State Council considers that it is not in conformity with the law, it shall notify the applicant and ask him to state his opinions within a specified time limit, or modify his application; If no reply is made within the time limit without justifiable reasons, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
4. After the applicant states his opinions or makes amendments, the patent administration department in the State Council still thinks that the application for a patent for invention is not in conformity with the law, and shall reject it.
Legal basis: People's Republic of China (PRC) Patent Law.
Article 35 Within 3 years from the date of filing, the administrative department for patent in the State Council may, upon the request of the applicant at any time, make a substantive examination of the application; If the applicant fails to request substantive examination within the time limit without justifiable reasons, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
The patent administrative department of the State Council may, when it deems it necessary, examine the application for a patent for invention on its own.
Article 36 When requesting substantive examination, an applicant for a patent for invention shall submit reference materials related to his invention before the date of application.
Where an application for a patent for invention is filed in a foreign country, the patent administration department of the State Council may require the applicant to submit the information retrieved during the examination of his application in that country or the information on the examination results within a specified time limit; If the application is not submitted within the time limit without justifiable reasons, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
Article 37. After examining the application for a patent for invention in substance, the administrative department for patent in the State Council considers that it does not conform to the provisions of this Law, it shall notify the applicant and ask him to state his opinions or amend his application within a specified time limit; If no reply is made within the time limit without justifiable reasons, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.
Article 38 If an application for a patent for invention is still not in conformity with the provisions of this Law after the applicant has stated his opinions or made amendments, it shall be rejected.