Usage Environment Feature & Patent Infringement in China
The concept of “usage environment feature” was first introduced by the Supreme People’s Court in a patent infringement dispute between Shimano INC. and Ningbo Sunrun Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. on 2012. In the judgment of the Court, “Usage environment feature” was defined as “a technical feature for the purpose of describing the backgrounds or […]
Obviousness Rejection for Patents in China
During the substantive examination of invention patents in China, the claimed invention may receive an Obviousness rejection. In other words, the invention may be regarded that it does not involve an inventive step by the examiner because it is obvious as compared with the prior art. When the technical solution of the claim is commented […]
PPH, the Best Way to Expedite Prosecution of Patents in China?
PPH, literally the Patent Prosecution Highway, is also an acceleration method of facilitating the prosecutions of patents in China, different from prioritized examination system, and the pre-examination system. However, not every applicant will pass the prioritized examination system or the pre-examination. Specifically, patent applications will be entitled to Prioritized Examination if they involve national key development […]
Annual fees of Patents in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan
In the previous article, we have shared annual fees of Chinese patent applications, specifically in Mainland China. This article will talk about maintenance fees of patents in Hong Kong, patents in Macao and patents in Taiwan. Patents in Hong Kong There are three types of patents in Hong Kong, including standard patent, short-term patent, and […]