Patent maintenance fee, also called patent annual fee, refers to the fee that the patentee pays to the National Patent Office year by year to maintain the effectiveness of the patent right.
About payment: Prepayment must be made within one month before the patent application date. It can be paid directly to the Patent Office or remitted through the post office.
Legal Basis
Article 96 of the "Implementing Rules for the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China", if a party requests substantive examination or reexamination, it shall be in the Patent Law and these Rules. Fees must be paid within the relevant prescribed time limit; if the fee is not paid upon expiration or is not paid in full, it shall be deemed that no request has been made.