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.

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.

On the morning of October 18, the 30th anniversary of China's accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) was held in Beijing. Shen Changyu, Director of the China National Intellectual Property Administration , Lisa Jorgensen, Deputy Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Christopher Ernst, Deputy Director of the European Patent Office (EPO), attended the event and delivered speeches. Lu Pengqi, Deputy Director of the China National Intellectual Property Administration , presided over the event.

Shen Changyu said that this commemorative event is another concrete action to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the 50th anniversary of China-WIPO cooperation and to deeply participate in the global governance of intellectual property rights. PCT is one of the most important international treaties in the field of intellectual property rights. Since China officially joined the PCT system in 1994, PCT has taken root and developed in China for 30 years, promoting China to become a world intellectual property power and promoting the continuous improvement of China's intellectual property system. Chinese applicants have maintained rapid growth in overseas patent layout through the PCT system and foreign applicants have maintained rapid growth in patent applications in China. At the same time, China and WIPO have carried out a series of fruitful cooperation and continuously contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions. China is willing to further deepen cooperation with WIPO and jointly create a fair, just, open and non-discriminatory global innovation environment and intellectual property ecosystem, so that innovation and creation can better benefit people of all countries and promote common development.

Lisa Jorgensen said that over the past 30 years, China's intellectual property cause has made amazing progress. The number of applications from China has ranked first in PCT applications for five consecutive years. The number of PCT applications accepted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration  exceeds 1/4 of the global total, and a group of Chinese applicants with the highest number of PCT applications have emerged. China has become a veritable patent power and a model for developing countries. China has not only relied on the PCT system to vigorously promote global scientific and technological innovation, but also made great contributions to the improvement of the PCT system. At the same time, WIPO looks forward to further deepening cooperation with China and jointly promoting development.

Christopher Ernst said that China's accession to the PCT has enabled Chinese innovation entities to achieve industrialization more efficiently in the global market, and has also provided innovation entities from all countries with the opportunity to share China's rapid development. China's use and improvement of the PCT system has further promoted global scientific and technological progress and economic and trade exchanges. The EPO is willing to further deepen cooperation with China, work together to improve the global intellectual property governance system, jointly promote technological progress and market prosperity, and work together to create a better future.

During the event, representatives of WIPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration  reviewed the process of China's deep integration with the PCT system and its active participation in the improvement of the PCT system over the past 30 years. In the round-table discussion, representatives of PCT international units of participating countries, local intellectual property management departments in China, domestic innovation entities, and patent agencies conducted in-depth exchanges on how the PCT system can cope with new technological challenges in the new era and provide better services to users.