BEIJING – The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) has recently released a revised proposal of the “Patent Examination Guideline” related to the examination process of utility model and design patent applications, in order to enhance the quality of patents in China.
The current version of the Guideline which was put into effect three years ago does not require the examiner to conduct a patent search to examine the patentability and the novelty, while the proposed Guideline allows the examiner to conduct a novelty search before granting the utility model or design patent.
Since many applications were granted without conducting a patent search, the SIPO proposed such amendments.
Source: Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), AGIP Bulletin March 2013
http://www.agip.com
