On January 17, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released statistics for the 2024 calendar year. Year-on-year, invention patent grants were up about 13.5% to 1,044,777 grants. Utility model patent grants were down about 4% to 2,009,657 grants. Note that utility model patent grants were already down over 25% in 2023. Design patent grants were up about 1% to 643,318 grants, reversing the downward trend from 2023. The full dataset including 2024 data for trademarks, geographical indications and integrated …
Author: Aaron Wininger
Aaron Wininger is a Principal and Director of the China Intellectual Property at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner.
Reminder: Extended CNIPA Closure for Lunar New Year 2025
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed January 28, 2025 to February 4, 2025 for the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival). Note, to compensate, CNIPA will be open on January 26 (Sunday) and February 8 (Saturday). Patent deadlines are postponed to the next following non-weekend workday. Other closure dates for 2025 Chinese holidays can be found here. Make sure to get your filings to Chinese colleagues early to ensure deadlines are met. Happy New Year!
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Launches Belt and Road Patent Accelerated Examination Pilot Program
On January 17, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the “Guidelines for the Belt and Road Accelerated Examination Pilot Program” (“一带一路”专利加快审查试点项目指南), effective January 20, 2025. The Belt and Road initiative is a global infrastructure program launched by China to invest in land and sea corridors to connect China to the world. The Pilot Program, which is somewhat analogous to the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), allows for accelerated patent examination in China when a Belt and Road country’s patent …
CNIPA Press Conference: Over 1 Million Invention Patents Granted in 2024
On January 15, 2025, the China State Council Information Office held a press conference with China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) detailing statistics of 2024. Per Hu Wenhui, deputy director of the CNIPA, in 2024, a total of 1.045 million invention patents were authorized, a year-on-year increase of 13.5%. 67,000 patent reexaminations and invalidation cases were closed. The examination cycle of invention patents was reduced to 15.5 months. 75,000 PCT international patent applications were accepted. Chinese applicants submitted 4,868 international …