Patent Application in Hong Kong

Patent application in Hong Kong is filed with the Patents Registry of the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). A patent protects your invention by giving you, the patent owner, a legal right to prevent others from manufacturing, using, selling or importing your patented invention.

The patent registration system of Hong Kong provides territorial protection. That is to say, applying for a patent elsewhere in the world or in other regions of China does not automatically give you patent protection in Hong Kong, China.

Types of patent in Hong Kong
Patents protect inventions, that is products, substances, or processes which are new and inventive. Patent owners have the right to prevent others from manufacturing, using, selling, or importing the invention. There are two types of patents in Hong Kong, namely,

1. Standard patent: Protection under standard patents is renewable annually after the end of the third year, for a maximum of 20 years.

2. Short-term patent: Protection under short-term patents is renewable, after four years from filing, for a maximum term of eight years.

Considerations before applying for a patent
1. Basic of patent
You should first make yourself familiar with some basic patent law and principles in order to have some ideas as to what patent is and whether your invention is patentable.

2. Prior art search
A patentable invention must be new. You should conduct a prior art search to make sure your invention fulfill this requirement.

3. Self assessment
You may want to assess carefully if your invention is worth patenting. Here are some considerations you may like to think about:

Costs of patent application;
Commercial worth of my invention;
Financial and licensing issues;
Time and effort in pursuing patent application and protection;
Complexity of patent and lack of knowledge and experience in the area;
IP protection strategy.

Required materials for application
1. Standard Patent
Chinese and English names of the invention;
Name and address of the applicant;
Name and address of the inventor;
Patent documents (which include Claim, Abstract, Specification, Drawings);
Abstract in Chinese and English version;
Copy of the letter of publication of the application;
Chinese and English translations of relevant materials and documents.

2. Short-term Patent
Chinese and English names of the invention;
Name and address of the applicant;
Name and address of the inventor;
Patent documents (which include Claim, Abstract, Specification, Drawings);
Search report;
Abstract in Chinese and English version.

Contact Us
If you have further inquires, please do not hesitate to contact Tannet at anytime, anywhere by simply visiting Tannet’s website english.tannet-group.com, or calling Hong Kong hotline at 852-27826888 or China hotline at 86-755-82143422, or emailing to 2355735242@qq.com. You are also welcome to visit our office situated in 16/F, Taiyangdao Bldg 2020, Dongmen Rd South, Luohu, Shenzhen, China.

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