Design patent witnesses two crucial revisions in the newly amended China Patent Law, which will significantly impact on the design patent prosecution and protection as of 1 June 2021, the effective date of the new rules. Please be advised of the following changes:

Partial design patentable

Partial design is allowable now pursuant to the new rules. As of 1 June 2021, IP owners can file design patent applications for protecting their partial designs. This is a great development of Chinese IP system. We look forward to a new protection environment of design patents.

Design patent term is extended to 15 years

For design patents filed on or after 1 June 2021, the patent term will be extended from 10 years to 15 years from the filing date. This is a signal that China is under the preparation for joining the Hague Agreement, an international treaty that streamlines global design patent applications but requires a 15-year patent term.

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