China IP SME Helpdesk Newsletter

The Chinese Government is taking measures to attract foreign investments, including measures related to strengthening IP protection. According to the officials “IPR infringements against foreign businesses will be the focal point of law enforcement activities, and the government will establish a rapid-response mechanism to handle cases and enhance protection efforts.” A rapid-response mechanism would be a welcomed step by SMEs.

With the aim of “enhancing the international IP community’s understanding of Taiwan’s patent examination process”, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has published the English version of the “Patent Examination Guidelines, Part II: Substantive Examination for Invention Patents, Chapter 1”. The guidelines could be used by SMEs to assess whether their patent applications meet the requirements of the IP office.

According to the statistics, the number of invention patents granted increased by over 9%, while the number of utility model patents and design patens decreased considerably. Trademark registrations also saw an increase.