China accelerates patent review process to improve innovation protection

With the world's highest number of patents, China is persistently expediting its patent application review process.

According to the latest data from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the country's average examination time for invention patents has been reduced to 15.6 months as of October.

This efficiency level has moved closer to the country's 2025 goal, which is to expedite the examination process to 15 months. Last year, the review time was reduced to 16 months, which was already shorter than that of major IP powers like the U.S., Europe, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

There are 4.66 million valid invention patents in China. In late 2023, China became the first country in the world to have more than 4 million valid invention patents. Since 2019, it has been the leading global source of international patent applications.

Through rapid patent authorization, enterprises can promptly safeguard their innovations and prevent imitation or infringement by competitors.

To meet the demands of the new technological revolution and industrial transformation wave, China will continue enhancing patent examination policies in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, gene technology, quantum information and the biomedical sciences, CNIPA spokesperson Heng Fuguang said at a press conference held on Friday to introduce China's efforts toward becoming an IP powerhouse.

China's pursuit of efficient patent examination can also be seen in its international cooperation. According to Heng, China has established fast-track patent grant programs with 33 countries and regions, including the U.S., Germany, France and Japan. These programs allow patent examination authorities to share their work and expedite the patent examination process.

China has established 123 national IP centers to provide swift protection services for innovators across the country. These centers received 98,000 cases in the first three quarters of this year, and the average processing time was under two weeks, providing enterprises with a convenient, efficient and cost-effective channel to safeguard their rights, according to the CNIPA.