Amended Patent Law Takes Effect in June 2021

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed a decision to revise the Patent Law on 17 October and the revised law was recently released. The definition of design has been amended to “include, with respect to a product, new designs of the shape in whole or in part, pattern, or the combination thereof, or the combination of the colour with shape and pattern, which are rich in an aesthetic appeal and are fit for industrial application” (Article 2 [4]). Another amendment made reads: “China encourages entities having been granted patents to use equity-based incentives, such as equities, options and dividends, to let inventors or designers enjoy a reasonable share of benefits obtained from their innovation.” The amended Patent Law will take effect on 1 June 2021.

Source: National People’s Congress