How to apply for a patent

The applicant shall submit a patent application in electronic or written form.

Where an applicant applies for a patent in the form of an electronic document, he/she shall go through the registration procedures of the electronic application user in advance, and submit the application documents and other documents to the Patent Office through the patent electronic application system of the Patent Office.

Where an applicant applies for a patent in written form, the application documents and other documents may be sent to the reception window of the Patent Office or to the reception office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration Patent Office (hereinafter referred to as the reception office of the Patent Office), or to the reception window of the local patent office agency or to the agency of the China National Intellectual Property Administration Patent Office.

At present, the Patent Office has set up representative offices in Beijing, Shenyang, Jinan, Changsha, Chengdu, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi 'an, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Harbin, Changchun, Kunming, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Nanning, Urumqi, Nanchang, Yinchuan, Hefei, Suzhou, Haikou, Lanzhou and Taiyuan.

Application documents that should be submitted when applying for a patent

(1) To apply for a patent for invention, the application documents shall include: the request for a patent for invention, the abstract of the specification (if necessary, the appended drawings of the abstract shall be submitted), the patent claim and the specification (if necessary, the appended drawings of the specification shall be submitted).

For an application for a patent for invention involving amino acid or nucleotide sequence, the specification shall include a sequence list, which shall be submitted as a separate part of the specification, and the page number shall be written separately. At the same time, it shall submit the CD or floppy disk with an ordered list in accordance with the provisions of the China National Intellectual Property Administration Patent Office (hereinafter referred to as the Patent Office).

Where an invention-creation relying on genetic resources applies for a patent, the applicant shall explain the source of genetic resources in the request, and fill in the public registration form of the source of genetic resources, indicating the direct source and original source of genetic resources. If the applicant cannot explain the original source, it shall explain the reasons.

(2) To apply for a patent for utility model, the application documents shall include: the request for a patent for utility model, the abstract of the specification and its drawings, the claims, the specification and its drawings.

(3) To apply for a patent for design, the application documents shall include: a request for a patent for design, pictures or photographs (color pictures or photographs shall be submitted if color protection is required) and a brief description of the design.