The new patent system will enter into force on December 19.
Hong Kong launches a new patent grant system. With this legislative novelty, the applicant will have the option of choosing the Hong Kong Patent Office as responsible for processing and granting patents for this autonomous territory of China.
The new granting system will coexist with the current one, which relies on the decisions taken by the patent offices of China, the United Kingdom and the European Patent Office (EPO).
It should be remembered that, to date, to obtain protection in Hong Kong it was necessary to have previously applied for a patent before any of these offices. Only under this premise was it possible to file a patent application in Hong Kong. And that patent had effect only if the application filed with the Patent Office of China, the United Kingdom or the EPO was finally granted. This way, the weight of the processing and examining the invention was delegated to foreign Industrial Property Offices of proven reputation and with which Hong Kong maintains close historical-political ties.
You can find all the information on this new system of granting of patents, as well as the novelties introduced with respect to short term patents, in the following document:
HONG KONG NEW PATENT SYSTEM
If you are looking for advice on how to protect your inventions abroad, contact us. We will help you find the solution that best suits your needs.
