CNIPA Publishes Guidelines for Invention Patent Applications Involving Standards

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has recently published the "Guidelines for Invention Patent Applications Involving Standards", which were formulated with a view to guiding and standardising the drafting of invention patent applications involving standards ("standards-related applications") for the reference of both domestic and foreign applications, and facilitating the coordinated development of technology, patents, and standards.

The Guidelines, consisting of four chapters, expound on the basic concepts of standards, standards and patents (corresponding analysis and patent application strategies in various standardising stages), and application and drafting strategies for standards-related applications.

As stated in the Guidelines, standards-related applications received by the CNIPA saw a concentration in the communications field, such as cellular mobile communications, audio and video encoding/decoding, and Wifi. The Guidelines, while placing a focus on the communications field, also serve as a reference for standards-related applications in other fields.