no
- IMPI conducts formal and substantive examinations of designs. Substantive examination begins automatically, without a request.
- Grant fee: The applicant should pay the granted fee within 2 months after receiving the notification of granted decision, and pay the annual fee for the first to fifth years at the same time.
- Annuity: Subsequent payment of annual fee every 5 years, overdue payment can be made within the grace period after 6 months, but a penalty must be paid at the same time.
1-2 years
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.
- via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
- Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.
- Grant fee: The applicant should pay the granted registration fee within 2 months after receiving the notification of the granted decision, and pay the annual fee for the first to fifth years at the same time.
- Annuity: Subsequent payment of annual fee every 5 years, overdue payment can be made within the grace period after 6 months, but a penalty must be paid at the same time.
yes
yes. As long as the application is not abandoned, the patent type can be converted from utility model to invention within 3 months of filing the utility model patent application, or within 3 months from the date when IMPI requires the applicant to make the conversion, after paying the relevant fees.
IMPI conducts formal and substantive examinations of utility model patent applications. However, the requirements for substantive examination are relatively loose, only novelty and industrial applicability are required, but innovation is not required.
3-5 years