Hong Kong – New Patent System
It has been announced that Hong Kong will introduce a new system for standard patents, which will present an alternative option for applicants seeking patent protection in Hong Kong. Amendments to the Patents Ordinance and Patent Rules were published on 11th October 2019, and the new patent system will be implemented on 19th December 2019.
Under the new system, applicants can file standard patent applications directly in Hong Kong, and these need no longer be based on granted Chinese, UK or EP(UK) patents as is the case under the current “re-registration” system. In other words, it will no longer be necessary to first file patent applications with one of these designated Patent Offices and then register them in Hong Kong. However, the original system of patent registration will also be available, such that there will be a dual system for obtaining standard patents in Hong Kong.
