CNIPA Issues Guidelines for Combined Design Patent Applications in China

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has recently published the Guidelines for Combined Design Patent Applications, with a view to facilitating innovation entities' accurate understanding of the regulations relating to combined design patent applications ("combined applications") in China, as well as better protecting the legitimate rights and interests of applicants, and promoting the high-quality development of the Chinese design patent system.

Combined applications in China are provided for in Article 31.2 of the Patent Law: "A patent application for a design shall be limited to one design. Two or more similar designs for the same product or two or more designs which are incorporated in products belonging to the same category and sold or used in sets may be filed as one application."

These newly issued 50-pages guidelines set forth relevant provisions under seven chapters, dealing with respectively the topics of: laws and regulations relating to combined applications and conditions for patentability; design patent applications for component products; combined applications for multiple similar designs of the same product; combined applications for designs of complete set of products; combined applications for partial designs; special circumstances of combined applications; and cases for reference.

Related link: Guidelines for Combined Design Patent Applications (Chinese version)