The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has announced the commencement of a pilot program aimed at facilitating priority review over patent filings by applicants from Macau in the China mainland. This initiative is set to begin from July 1, 2023, and will allow permanent residents, companies, and other legal entities or organizations from the Macao Special Administrative Region to submit relevant application materials for expedited patent review processes.
Eligibility and Application Process for Priority Review
Eligible applicants from the Macao SAR can submit their invention patent applications at the substantive examination stage through the Guangzhou and Shenzhen offices of the Patent Office of CNIPA. To qualify for the pilot project, the technical field of the invention patent application must fall under the scope defined by the Administrative Measures for Priority Examination of Patents (Order No. 76 of CNIPA), and the application classification number must be within the Reference Relationship Table of Strategic Emerging Industries Classification and International Patent Classification (2021) (trial).
Submission Guidelines and Restrictions
Applicants from the Macao SAR can submit their application materials for patent priority review to the Guangzhou or Shenzhen offices of the Patent Office of CNIPA, either in person or by mail. It is important to note that applicants cannot repeatedly submit the request for priority review of the same patent application to both offices. The specific application process and guidelines can be found on the websites of the Guangzhou and Shenzhen agencies, as well as in the Macao Special Administrative Region applicant’s priority review application guide for invention patents in mainland China.-Fineline Info & Tech
