Recently, the Market Supervision Department of Jinan High-tech Zone, together with Jinan Trademark Examination Collaboration Center, Shandong National Intellectual Property Protection Center, Jinan High-tech Entrepreneurship Service Center and Shandong E-Commerce Association, successfully held the "Intellectual Property Protection for Cross-border Enterprises and E-commerce Enterprises" A total of more than 300 company representatives participated in the online and offline training activities with the theme of "Guarding and Safeguarding". The event invites senior industry experts and a team of lawyers to share topics focusing on intellectual property layout, transformation, risk prevention and control, rights protection, and policy interpretation. Jinan Trademark Examination and Collaboration Center focused on the "Madrid Trademark Registration Application" and explained how enterprises can carry out trademark work from different perspectives such as trademark registration, protection and application; Shandong National Intellectual Property Protection Center presented "Helping Enterprises Sail - Overseas Knowledge" With the title "Exploration of Property Rights Work", it introduced the current situation of enterprises going overseas and analyzed overseas rights protection work from different levels; Shandong Qilu Intellectual Property Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. taught "Patent Transformation to Help the Development of New Productivity", focusing on how to carry out patent Transformation, improving transformation efficiency, etc.; Taihetai Law Firm focused on "Trademark Layout and Risk Prevention Strategies for Corporate Brands", "Patent Infringement Risks and Responses", "U.S. Intellectual Property Protection System and Latest Policies", etc., based on practical experience and Based on specific cases, we analyzed and sorted out different models of brand risks, common patent risks in domestic and foreign business operations of enterprises, and intellectual property risks of Chinese enterprises in the United States, etc., and provided professional suggestions for risk prevention.

As an important part of the Intellectual Property Publicity Week series of activities, this event helps enterprises enhance their intellectual property layout and protection awareness, and improve their ability to prevent intellectual property risks, especially foreign-related risks. In the next step, the Market Supervision Department of Jinan High-tech Zone will continue to increase the publicity and popularization of intellectual property knowledge, fully unleash the potential of intellectual property as a driving force for innovation, improve corporate intellectual property management and operational efficiency, generate new productivity, and boost the economy of the High-tech Zone High-quality development.

Recently, the State Intellectual Property Office held a local press release activity with the theme of "Intellectual Property Helps the Great Development of the Western Region in the New Era", held a press conference in Shanxi, and organized a central media group to conduct theme interviews in Shanxi and Chongqing.

During the theme interview in Chongqing, the central media group and local media such as Chongqing Daily, Chongqing TV, Upstream News, and Hualong.com interviewed and reported on themes such as the geographical indication of Jiangjin pepper promoting the healthy development of characteristic industries, Chongqing Jianqiao Industrial Park promoting the development of Chongqing noodles with regional public brands, Chongqing University breaking through the bottleneck of patent transformation to promote the realization of patent value, and intellectual property helping enterprises to develop high-quality development. They observed the exploration and practice of Chongqing's intellectual property supporting industrial development from different perspectives, deeply publicized and interpreted Chongqing's intellectual property policies and measures, and systematically introduced typical experiences and results.

So far, this interview activity has conducted a comprehensive and in-depth report on Chongqing's intellectual property work, creating a good atmosphere for serving the high-quality economic and social development of the western region.

In order to thoroughly implement the relevant requirements of the Outline for Building a Powerful Intellectual Property Country (2021-2035), Opinions on Strengthening Intellectual Property Protection, and Beijing Intellectual Property Protection Regulations, and further standardize the city's overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance work, the Beijing Overseas Intellectual Property Rights Protection Assistance Management Measures (Trial) were issued recently.

The Measures are divided into five chapters and 22 articles, clarifying the definition, scope and working principles of overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance, proposing that Beijing establish an overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance work system with central-local coordination, cooperative sharing, horizontal interconnection and vertical intercommunication, and stipulates the responsibilities of government agencies, industry associations, service agencies and enterprises in overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance work.

The Measures clarify the specific content of overseas intellectual property dispute response guidance, including dynamic dispute monitoring, dispute case guidance, key industry guidance, diversified dispute resolution, information services, and capacity building. In addition, Beijing will provide mechanism guarantees, financial guarantees, expert guarantees, and technical guarantees for overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance work to ensure the smooth development of the city's overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance work.

The issuance of the Measures is an important achievement of the integrated system innovation task of the "two districts". It provides work guidance for Beijing to carry out overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance, provides practical guarantees for innovative entities to efficiently deal with overseas intellectual property risks and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and provides strong support for Beijing to build an international science and technology innovation center and international exchange center, and smooth the domestic and international dual circulation.

In the next step, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office will continue to accurately connect with international high-standard economic and trade rules, improve the accuracy of overseas intellectual property rights protection assistance services, form a convenient and efficient risk warning and dispute response mechanism, and use high-level intellectual property protection to build momentum for the development of new quality productivity.

On November 4, the first award ceremony of the Intellectual Property Information Retrieval Competition for Beijing Universities was held in Beijing. Cai Xin, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, attended the conference and delivered a speech. The Beijing Intellectual Property Information Public Service Co-construction Universities and participating universities attended the conference.

The theme of this competition is "Smart Search for the Future, Create a New Era of Intellectual Property", which lasted for two months and more than 3,000 students participated. At the award ceremony, the winning teachers and students and the outstanding organizing universities were commended and congratulated. The results of the course "Introduction to Intellectual Property Information Literacy and Information Practice" were also released at the meeting, and related courses will be offered around this textbook in the future.

Cai Xin said that the Beijing Intellectual Property Office will continue to increase the intensity of system construction and service supply from the three aspects of "making practical results, making depth, and making characteristics", and continuously enhance the social influence of the public service of intellectual property information in universities, and provide stronger support for the construction of the Capital International Science and Technology Innovation Center and the "Two Districts".

November 20, 2024

As part of our regular assessment of fees under our fee-setting authority, we are announcing updated patents fees in a final rule, effective January 19, 2025. These fee adjustments will provide us with sufficient funding to effectively and efficiently administer the U.S. patent system and continue progress toward achieving our strategic goals. 

Our updated patent fees provide us with additional resources to reflect the budgetary impact of new discounts enacted under the Unleashing American Innovators Act for small businesses, independent inventors, and others who qualify as "small entities" or "micro entities." Additionally, this allows us to maintain efficient operations and support for our 14,000+ employees across the country dedicated to serving American innovators. Both the updated patent and trademark fees will enable us to accomplish our mission to drive U.S. innovation, inclusive capitalism, and global competitiveness. 

Our patent proposal is shaped by public feedback we’ve received since we published a Federal Register Notice on April 20, 2023, that announced plans to exercise our authority to set or adjust patent fees. On May 18, 2023, the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) held a public hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, and invited members of the public to submit comments on fee adjustments. Following the hearing, PPAC provided us with a written report detailing the public comments received and its recommendations regarding the proposed fees. We considered and analyzed all comments, advice, and recommendations, and on April 3, 2024, published a notice of proposed rulemaking on setting and adjusting patent fees. We again invited additional comments which we considered, and in response decided not to move forward with three targeted proposals and revised an additional three targeted proposals. 

The three fee changes we are not moving forward include: 

a new fee for After Final Consideration Pilot 2.0 requests;  

a targeted increase to the patent term adjustment fee; and 

terminal disclaimer tiered fees. 

The three revised fee changes (and their revisions) include: 

upward adjustment of the timing thresholds for continuing applications;  

substantial reduction to the adjusted patent term extension fee; and 

elimination of the proposed new tier for third and subsequent requests for continued examination, and corresponding adjustments to the existing fee for second and subsequent requests. 

Responses to these comments are included in the final rule. 

“Our updated patent fees will allow us to enhance patent examination quality, achieve patent pendency goals, and continue investing in modern information technology systems and architecture,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Kathi Vidal. “We appreciate all the public feedback we received as we continue to work to serve America’s innovators and drive our nation’s competitiveness.” 

The America Invents Act of 2011 permits the agency to set and/or adjust individual patent fees above, below, or equal to the cost of particular services, so long as the aggregate revenues for all patent fees recover the aggregate estimated costs of the patent operation. For more information on these fee adjustments, please visit the fee setting section of the USPTO website. 

Recently, a seminar on administrative litigation of patent reexamination invalidation cases was held in Beijing. Liao Tao, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the State Intellectual Property Office, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. The meeting introduced the trial of administrative cases of patent reexamination invalidation, and conducted special exchanges on the coordination and unification of patent protection and legal application in cutting-edge science and technology fields. Liao Tao pointed out that for many years, the State Intellectual Property Office has maintained a good exchange and cooperation relationship with courts and procuratorates at all levels. This exchange will discuss the key issues in the process of patent authorization and confirmation, which will lay a solid foundation for further unifying the examination standards of patent cases, improving the level of patent case handling, and implementing the strategy of strengthening the country with intellectual property rights. Relevant persons in charge of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Beijing People's Procuratorate, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, and the Fourth Branch of the Beijing People's Procuratorate attended the meeting.