Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................... i
Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................. 1
Chapter 2: Deliberations of the Advisory Committee ............................... 5
Chapter 3: Standard Patents....................................................................... 8
Chapter 4: Short-term Patents ................................................................. 35
Chapter 5: Regulation of Patent Agency Services................................... 50
Annex A: Membership List of the Advisory Committee ....................... 60
Annex B: Summary of Comments Received from Public Consultation........................................................................... 61
Annex C: Comparison of Key Features of the Standard/Invention Patent Systems in Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore ........ 184
Annex D: An Overview of the Lesser Patent Systems in Some Jurisdictions......................................................................... 193
Annex E: Short-Term Patents : Number of Applications Filed and Granted in Hong Kong ........................................................ 197
Annex F: An Overview of the Patent Agency Regulatory Regimes in Some Jurisdictions with an “Original Grant” Patent System ................................................................................. 198
Executive Summary The Review To ensure that the Hong Kong patent system continues to meet present-day circumstances and that its further evolution would facilitate the development of Hong Kong into a regional innovation and technology hub, the Administration commenced a comprehensive review of the patent system and issued a Consultation Paper entitled “Review of the Patent System in Hong Kong” in October 2011. The Advisory Committee 2. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development appointed an Advisory Committee on Review of the Patent System in Hong Kong (the Advisory Committee) in the same month to advise him on –
(a) how the Administration should position our patent system, having regard to the issues outlined in the public consultation paper of October 2011 and the responses received; and
(b) how best to implement changes to the patent system,
in light of the decisions made by the Administration on the way forward.
3. The Advisory Committee held a total of six meetings between October 2011 and November 2012. Having carefully examined the submissions of the respondents to the consultation document and all relevant considerations, including the patent systems in other jurisdictions, the Advisory Committee submitted a report to the Administration in December 2012. Key Recommendations 4. The key recommendations made by the Advisory Committee are summarised as follows –
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(A) Standard Patents
(a) An “original grant” patent system should be established in Hong Kong with substantive examination outsourced to other patent offices.
(b) The current re-registration system should be
retained.
(B) Short-term Patents
(a) The short-term patent system should be retained.
(b) The following refinements to the short-term
system should be made –
(i) Substantive examination should be made a pre-requisite to commencement of infringement proceedings.
(ii) A short-term patentee, when making a
threat of infringement proceedings, should furnish the person to whom the threat was made full particulars about the short-term patent in question in support of the threat.
(iii) A failure to comply with the requirement
in (ii) above should have the legal effect of rendering the threat groundless which enables the party aggrieved by the threat to seek a legal remedy.
(iv) Appropriate legislative amendments
should be considered to give effect to the above and to address the perceived
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inconsistency in the burden of proof of patent validity as contained in the existing section 89(2) of the Patents Ordinance (Cap. 514) in relation to short-term patents.
(v) Both the patentees and third parties having
a legitimate concern or doubt about the validity of a short-term patent should have the right to apply to the Hong Kong Patents Registry for substantive examination of a short-term patent.
(vi) The official fees for substantive
examination of a short-term patent should be payable by the person making the request for such examination.
(vii) The Hong Kong Patents Registry may take
advantage of the above new enforcement requirements of short-term patents to explore a more involved role in working with the outsourced examination authority(ies) to meet the possible demands.
(c) The possibility of allowing one short-term
patent application to have no more than one independent claim for a product and one independent claim for a process, provided that they relate to one single invention, should be further explored.
(d) The current maximum term of protection (i.e.
eight years) should be maintained.
(e) The current patentability criteria for short-term patents should be maintained.
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(C) Regulation of Patent Agency Services
(a) A full-fledged regulatory regime on patent agency services (which involves regulating both the provision of services and the use of professional titles) should be set as the ultimate goal in the long run, which has to be achieved in stages, with possible interim measures.
(b) Interim measures to be developed should have
regard to the existing patent agency services being provided on the one hand (e.g. through appropriate grandfathering provisions) and the early building and recognition of a regulated patent agency profession on the other (e.g. through regulating use of particular professional titles such as “patent agent” and “patent attorney”, or a list or register of patent agents with their qualifications).
Way Forward 5. Subject to the Administration’s decision on the way forward, the Advisory Committee will further explore the detailed implementation issues regarding the recommendations in the next phase of the review.
CHAPTER 1
Introduction The Review 1.1 To ensure that the Hong Kong patent system continues to meet present-day circumstances and that its further evolution would facilitate the development of Hong Kong into a regional innovation and technology hub, the Administration commenced a comprehensive review of the system in October 2011, taking into account the latest international developments in patent protection. Background 1.2 Under the Patents Ordinance (Cap. 514) (the Ordinance),1 two types of patents, namely standard patent and short-term patent, are granted in Hong Kong.
1.3 The grant of a standard patent in Hong Kong, which is valid for a maximum term of 20 years, is based on a patent granted by one of the three “designated patent offices”, namely the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the United Kingdom (UK) Patent Office and the European Patent Office (EPO) (for European patents designating the UK). No substantive examination is conducted for a grant of Hong Kong standard patent, i.e. the Hong Kong Patents Registry (Patents Registry) does not assess whether the invention is novel, involves an inventive step and is susceptible of industrial application. This grant system is generally referred to as a “re-registration” system.2 1 The Ordinance was enacted on 27 June 1997. Prior to 1997, a person who had obtained a patent
in the UK or a European patent designating the UK could have his patent registered in Hong Kong within five years of its grant. The patent would be effective in Hong Kong for so long as the corresponding UK or European patent remained in force.
2 The application process for a standard patent involves two stages, i.e.
(a) At stage one, the applicant has to file a “request to record” with the Patents Registry within six months after the date of the publication of the corresponding application in a designated patent office.
(b) At stage two, the applicant has to file a “request for registration and grant” with the Patents Registry within six months after the date of grant of the patent by the designated patent office or publication of the “request to record” in Hong Kong, whichever is later.
The Patents Registry will grant the patent after receiving the relevant documents in relation to the grant of the designated patent.
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1.4 As a supplement to standard patents, short-term patents, which are valid for a maximum term of eight years, may also be granted under the Ordinance to offer protection for products with a shorter commercial life cycle. The applicant may file his application, which is to be supported by a search report, directly with the Patents Registry without first having to apply for a patent at a designated patent office.3
1.5 While the current patent system in Hong Kong, having been in place for more than a decade, is generally accepted as user-friendly and cost-effective, diverging views as to whether it would continue to meet the changing needs of our economy have emerged in recent years. The Consultation Exercise 1.6 A Consultation Paper entitled “Review of the Patent System in Hong Kong” was issued by the Administration in October 2011 to invite views from the public on the following main topics and issues –
(a) Standard patents (i) Whether an “original grant” patent (OGP)
system should be introduced in Hong Kong. (ii) Irrespective of the answer to (i) above, whether
the current re-registration system should be maintained, and if so, whether the system should be expanded to recognise the patents granted by other jurisdiction(s).
3 The applicant is required to submit a search report prepared either by one of the designated patent
offices or by any “International Searching Authority” appointed pursuant to Article 16 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Patents Registry will grant the short-term patent after satisfying itself that the information required is fully furnished.
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(b) Short-term patents
(i) Whether the short-term patent system should be retained as a supplement to the standard patent system.
(ii) Assuming that the short-term patent system is to
be retained, whether and if so what measures should be introduced to enhance the efficacy of the system.
(c) Regulation of patent agency services
Whether the provision of patent agency services in Hong Kong should be regulated, and if so, what form the regulatory system should take.
1.7 Upon the issue of the Consultation Paper in October 2011, the Administration engaged stakeholders through different channels and forums. The views of the relevant advisory boards including the Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Trade and Industry Advisory Board have been gathered. Various briefing sessions targeted at research and development (R&D) centres, small and medium-sized enterprises, industry associations, tertiary education institutes and chambers of commerce were held. The consultation period ended on 31 December 2011. The Advisory Committee 1.8 An Advisory Committee on Review of the Patent System in Hong Kong was appointed by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (SCED) in October 2011. Members of the Advisory Committee comprise government officials4 and non-official members who were drawn from a wide cross section of the patent-related fields,
4 Including officials from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Intellectual
Property Department and Innovation and Technology Commission.
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including legal professionals, patent practitioners, as well as members of the academic, R&D and industrial sectors. 1.9 The terms of reference of the Advisory Committee are to advise SCED on –
(a) how the Administration should position Hong
Kong’s patent system, having regard to the issues outlined in the public consultation paper of October 2011 and the responses received; and
(b) how best to implement changes to the patent system,
in the light of decisions made by the Administration on the way forward.
The membership of the Advisory Committee is at Annex A.
CHAPTER 2
Deliberations of the Advisory Committee 2.1 In drawing up its recommendations, the Advisory Committee held a total of six meetings between October 2011 and November 2012. 2.2 The Advisory Committee first considered carefully the feedback from the consultation exercise on the various topics and issues. The Consultation Feedback 2.3 In response to the consultation, a total of 74 submissions were received (including nine late submissions), 5 mainly from stakeholders in the patent-related fields including various industrial associations and professional organisations, academia, the legal profession, as well as the business and industrial sectors. The views and comments received on the key issues posed in the Consultation Paper are summarised at Annex B, and the main points are set out below –
(a) Standard patents
(i) The vast majority of respondents consider that
the current re-registration system should be maintained.
(ii) However, views on whether Hong Kong should
have an OGP system are diverse. Amongst those who support an OGP system in Hong Kong, there is a good measure of consensus that substantive examination should be outsourced to other patent office(s), at least in the short to medium term. As regards the
5 Available at the websites of the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau (www.cedb.
gov.hk/citb) and the Intellectual Property Department (www.ipd.gov.hk).
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choice of patent office(s) to which substantive examination should be outsourced, many respondents consider SIPO to be an obvious and natural choice.
(iii) On the other hand, those who question the need
for an OGP system in Hong Kong doubt whether there would be a critical mass of OGP applications to support a cost-effective system.
(b) Short-term patents
(i) Quite a number of the respondents oppose the
introduction of substantive examination to the short-term patent system. Those who support substantive examination propose imposing a requirement for substantive examination before the patent owner can commence infringement proceedings.
(ii) Some respondents suggest that the groundless
threats provisions should be strengthened.
(c) Regulation of patent agency services (i) Different views were received regarding
regulation of patent agency services. Some respondents support setting up a regulatory regime for providers of patent agency services in any event. Others see a need for a regulatory regime only if an OGP system is to be introduced in Hong Kong.
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(ii) Amongst those who favour a regulatory regime, there are different views as to whether Hong Kong should regulate the provision of some or all patent-related services.
Patent Systems in Other Jurisdictions 2.4 The Advisory Committee, apart from examining the submissions of respondents to the Consultation Paper, gave careful consideration to relevant research materials, including information on different aspects of the patent systems in other jurisdictions such as Mainland China, Singapore, Macao, Australia, the United States (US), the UK and New Zealand. Details are set out in the following Chapters. Focus of Discussion 2.5 The Advisory Committee first discussed the issue of whether an OGP system should be introduced in Hong Kong, as the direction for any change would affect the consideration of the remaining issues. In examining the public views, positions of other jurisdictions, possible outsourcing options and other relevant factors, the Advisory Committee has borne in mind the long term goals to develop Hong Kong into an innovation and technology hub, to promote R&D, and to nurture the human capital in Hong Kong in such areas. 2.6 Such a holistic perspective has enabled the Advisory Committee to take a broad view on whether an OGP system should be introduced, and, on this basis, on the related issues of whether the existing re-registration system should be maintained, whether changes need to be introduced to the short-term patent system and whether patent agency services should be regulated. This Report sets out the Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the directions for changes that would better position Hong Kong’s patent system to meet our future economic needs. Subject to the Administration’s decision on the way forward, the Advisory Committee will further advise on how best to implement the changes.
CHAPTER 3
Standard Patents
Options 3.1 The Advisory Committee explored the following three options as set out in paragraphs 1.53 to 1.55 of the Consultation Paper –
(a) Option 1 : introduce an OGP system with substantive examination outsourced to other patent offices, in lieu of the current re-registration system;
(b) Option 2 : introduce an OGP system with
substantive examination outsourced to other patent offices whilst retaining the current re-registration system (with possible expansion of the list of designated patent offices); and
(c) Option 3 : do not introduce an OGP system, but
maintain the current re-registration system with possible expansion of the list of designated patent offices.
Views from the Public Consultation (A) OGP System 3.2 The Advisory Committee noted that views on the need to introduce an OGP system into Hong Kong are very diverse –
(a) Most of the local trade associations such as the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, Federation of Hong Kong Industries support having
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an OGP system in Hong Kong, whilst the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Licensing Executives Society China Hong Kong Sub-Chapter hold a contrary view.
(b) The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong
Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce express doubts about the demand for an OGP system in Hong Kong by, amongst others, questioning whether such introduction could attract the critical mass required for supporting a cost-effective OGP system.
(c) The Hong Kong Institute of Patent Attorneys and the
Hong Kong Institute of Patent Practitioners consider an OGP system beneficial to Hong Kong whereas the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Trade Mark Practitioners and the Asian Patent Attorneys Association Hong Kong Group do not see a business case for having an OGP system.
(d) Patent practitioners, other groups and individual
respondents are similarly divided in their views about the introduction of an OGP system in Hong Kong.
3.3 Supporters of an OGP system consider that it would offer tangible and potential benefits including the following –
(a) Facilitating more flexible and expedient examination procedures.
(b) Allowing applicants to obtain patent protection in
Hong Kong at a lower cost.
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(c) Providing a better basis for (i) mutual recognition of patents granted by Hong Kong and Mainland China, or (ii) expedited processing of subsequent corresponding applications by SIPO which has done the examination before, by contracting out the substantive examination work to SIPO, which seems to be a natural choice at least in the initial stage.
(d) Promoting direct communication between local
enterprises and Hong Kong patent practitioners without language barrier, resulting in higher patent quality.
(e) Encouraging local innovation and attracting
enterprises to set up their R&D operations in Hong Kong, thereby promoting Hong Kong as a regional innovation and technology hub.
(f) Stimulating the growth of patent agency business
and helping to build up local patent professionals. (g) Creating added career opportunities for graduates
with science and engineering background. (h) Promoting Hong Kong as the place of “first filing”
for patents. 3.4 On the other hand, commentaries questioning the presence of a business case for adopting an OGP system in Hong Kong include the following – (a) It is doubtful as to whether there would be sufficient
demand for supporting a cost-effective OGP system.
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(b) Cost of obtaining an OGP (particularly if the system is not supported by a sufficient critical mass) could be much higher than that of obtaining a patent under the current re-registration system, and the cost would almost inevitably be passed on to users; an OGP system if introduced should not be at the expense of re-registration system users; public funds should be spent on more worthy causes than providing subsidy to patent applicants.
(c) The current re-registration system is efficient and
inexpensive; having an OGP system would complicate rather than streamline patent grant procedures; the international trend is moving away from duplicate patent examination.
(d) Introduction of an OGP system would not enhance
the quality of standard patents granted which is already very high.
(e) There is no credible empirical evidence to support
the notion that adopting an OGP system would stimulate local innovation.
(f) It is doubtful as to whether an OGP system with
substantive examination outsourced would help develop and train patent professionals.
(g) It is doubtful as to whether the number of added jobs
created for polytechnic graduates would justify the substantial resources and investment required for implementing and up-keeping an OGP system.
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(h) The availability of an OGP system is not a significant factor for deciding where to file a patent application.
(B) Re-registration System 3.5 The vast majority of respondents consider that the current re-registration system should be maintained. Some respondents suggest that the list of designated patent offices should be expanded to include other patent offices. 3.6 On the other hand, there are concerns that if the list of designated patent offices is expanded, the discrepancies between different patent systems may lead to inconsistencies in the scope of protection attached to patents based on patents granted by different designated patent offices. Some individual respondents consider it unfair for Hong Kong to re-register patents granted by other jurisdictions without reciprocity. 3.7 Others consider that no change to the present re-registration system is required. Considerations 3.8 In the light of the diverse views received on the above issues, the Advisory Committee had focused on a more fundamental question, i.e. in what direction our patent system should go to meet the long-term economic development needs of Hong Kong, and had considered the issues from a much broader perspective, including the world economic context, the international patent landscape, Hong Kong’s situation, the strengths and weaknesses of the existing patent re-registration system, and the benefits and difficulties of introducing an OGP system in Hong Kong. The Advisory Committee had also looked into the OGP systems in other jurisdictions, in particular Singapore and Macao where the substantive examinations are outsourced (a comparison of key features of their OGP systems at Annex C).
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(A) World Economic Context 3.9 The multilateral trading system spearheaded by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and later the World Trade Organization (WTO) has set a sea change to the world economy, resulting in significant increase in international trade, globalisation and emergence of new economies. As the momentum continues well into the 21st century, one important consensus is that innovation is an engine of sustained economic growth in the future. This has led to ever increasing competition for talents, investment, knowledge and R&D. 3.10 Apart from the use of public funding, a policy instrument that governments may employ to promote innovation and technology is the design of their intellectual property (IP) system6 as part of the essential infrastructure. The “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” states, amongst others, that IP protection is one of the important factors in deciding where to conduct R&D, while most “new-to-the-world” research is conducted either in the US or in other high-income countries where IP protection tends to be strong.7 It is also noted that compared to other innovation policies, IP protection stands out in that it mobilises decentralised market forces to guide R&D investment.8 3.11 According to a study conducted by Professor Paul Cheung Ying-sheung 9 of the University of Hong Kong for the Advisory Committee, it is noted that R&D investment and innovation are essential for maintaining competitiveness and promoting economic growth of the economies, especially for the well-developed ones. IP-intensive industries require more investment to sustain competitiveness. In
6 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), “World Intellectual Property Report 2011
– The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.82) (www.wipo.int/freepublications/en/intproperty/ 944/wipo_pub_944_2011.pdf).
7 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.88).
8 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation”
(p.103). 9 Professor Cheung is a Member of the Advisory Committee.
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addition to generating IP, investment in R&D leads to an increase in the value-added, revenue and export value per employee. IP-intensive industries also create more jobs and higher annual average wage per worker compared to that of the non-IP-intensive industries. As an illustration, Singapore pursued an aggressive policy in terms of increasing R&D expenditure, progressive revamp of its patent system to become an OGP one (paragraph 3.18 below), etc., and showed a more rapid growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than Hong Kong in the past decade or so. 3.12 Patent protection is a key component of an IP system, as it provides incentives for private firms to carry out R&D which is financed through the market place rather than government funds. Countries with stronger patent rights tend to have greater export volume in patent-intensive sectors,10 and stronger patent rights are associated with faster industrial and economic growth.11 In a research regarding the 10 See Keith E Maskus and Lei Yang, “Patent Reforms and Export Specialization”, Research paper,
University of Colorado at Boulder and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2011 (web.lmdg.econ.au.dk/koldingfjord/maskus.pdf) –
“We find that, conditional on factor endowments and intensities, a country with stronger PRs
[patent rights] tend to have greater exports to the United States in patent-intensive sectors.” (p. 1, emphasis added).
“The empirical results conform broadly with the underlying hypothesis that reforms in PRs can
boost export performance in sectors that rely relatively more on patent protection. More generally, the extent of this impact differs across industries that vary in their technology content as measured by R&D as a percentage of sales. Moreover, we find that the effects of stronger PRs on exports in patent-intensive sectors are stronger in developed countries than in developing countries, but there was some convergence in these rankings late in the period. The estimation also suggests that the impacts of PRs changes are heightened in high-technology and medium-technology industries relative to low-technology industries.” (p.30, emphasis added).
11 See Albert G.Z. Hu and I.P.L. Png, “Patent Rights and Economic Growth: Evidence from
Cross-Country Panels of Manufacturing Industries”, Research paper, National University of Singapore, 2010 (www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~ipng/research/patent_text.pdf) – “Using an ISIC 3-digit industry level database that spanned 54 manufacturing industries in over 72 countries between 1981-2000, we found evidence that stronger patent rights were associated with faster industrial growth measured by value added. The impact of the stronger effective patent rights was economically significant, and became stronger in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. Further, the impact was stronger in advanced economies than in developing economies. Stronger patent rights promoted industry growth through productivity increases in the 1981-85 and 1996-2000 periods and through more rapid factor accumulation in the 1986-90 and 1991-95 periods.” (p.25, emphasis added).
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effect of patenting on start-up companies, it was found that patenting was associated with higher subsequent asset growth.12 It has also been suggested that an effective patent regime which strengthens IP protection will help bring in foreign direct investment (FDI) and promote economic development.13 3.13 It is also noted that IP not only drives change in the field of innovation but is itself also impacted by the changing innovation system.14 There has been a global growing demand for IP rights. Patent applications increased across the world from 800,000 in the early 1980s to 1.8 million in 2009, with a shift towards Asian countries.15 IP rights have become increasingly tradable, with the emergence of new intermediaries and IP marketplaces. 16 Companies, universities and governments are implementing new IP policies to take advantage of the trend.17 Some economies are aspiring to become IP trading hubs. 12 See C Helmers and M Rogers, “Does Patenting Help High-Tech Start-Ups?”, Research paper,
University of Oxford, 2008 (www.epip.eu/conferences/epip03/papers/Rogers_HelmersRogersEPIPPatents14092008.pdf) –
“The Heckman model finds that the association between patenting and subsequent asset growth is around 7% (i.e. a start up that patents in 1999-2001 has a 7% high annual growth rate in 2001 to 2005). The 95% confidence interval for this point estimate is between 0.5% and 12.5%. There is also some evidence that this association is higher for smaller firms. As is well known, the Heckman model results are sensitive to the assumptions it makes, suggesting that we should also note the results from the OLS estimator. These suggested a patent was associated with between 9% and 20% higher subsequent annual growth.” (pp.13, 14, emphasis added).
13 See H G Lim et al., “Impact of the Intellectual Property System on Economic Growth, Country
Report – Malaysia”, WIPO-UNU Joint Research Project paper (www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/about-ip/en/studies/pdf/wipo_unu_07_malaysia.pdf ) –
“Concerning the impact of IPRs on FDI, the results show that there is a positive correlation between FDI inflows and the IP index. This implies that a stronger IP protection attracts more FDI inflows.” (p.20, emphasis added).
14 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.52). 15 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.52). 16 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation”
(p.60) –
“the last decades have seen an increase in licensing and other IP-based collaborative mechanisms such as patent pools. New intermediaries and IP marketplaces have also emerged.”
17 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.67).
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(B) International Patent Landscape 3.14 Given the above context, the patent system of an economy plays an important role in meeting its long term economic goals. Patent registration is territorial. Most countries run their own patent offices to determine the grant of patents and to maintain autonomy of their patent systems. 3.15 Many industrialised countries have made use of patent protection as a policy instrument to promote economic growth by adopting an OGP system. This is the case for advanced economies such as the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. In general, an effective patent system should essentially uphold patent quality, provide a balanced dispute settlement mechanism, be user-friendly and facilitate international cooperation in extending patent protection beyond the domestic market.18 3.16 At the other end of the spectrum, many least developed or developing economies, for various economic, historical and other reasons, accept a patent granted by a recognised industrial economy and accordingly offer local patent protection. For example, the UK patent may be “automatically” extended to a number of smaller economies,19 subject to the completion of certain registration formalities. In general, these economies have rather insignificant economic powers and innovation may not be crucial at their stage of economic development. 18 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation” (p.97). 19 Such small economies include, for example, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Gibraltar, Grenada,
Guernsey, Guyana, Jersey, Kiribati, Montserrat, Nauru, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Tuvala. The UK Patent Office website listed more economies in the same category (www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-policy/policy-information/extendukip.htm). But research of this review cannot verify the information for some (e.g. Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Sierra Leone, Isle of Man, Pitcairn Islands, Tanzania and Vanuatu) and finds that some have adopted an OGP system now (e.g. Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Cyprus, Gambia, Malta, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga and Uganda).
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3.17 More relevant to the present review are economies which were or are on a similar post-GATT path of economic development as Hong Kong, such as Taiwan, Korea and Singapore (these four economies collectively referred to as “Newly Industrialized Asian Economies” by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). 3.18 Taiwan and Korea adopt an OGP system, with their patent laws tracing back to 1949 and 1961 respectively. Singapore used to re-register UK patents and European patents designating the UK. In 1995, Singapore established its current OGP system, with substantive examination outsourced to other examination authorities. It has recently passed the Patents (Amendment) Bill which, inter alia, has proposed to move the OGP system in Singapore from a “self-assessment” to a “positive grant” patent system.20 At the same time, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is developing in-house search and examination capabilities in key technological areas. According to the website of IPOS, the in-house search and examination (with training supported by EPO and Japan Patent Office) is expected to start operations by mid-2013. 3.19 These Asian economies are well-known for their R&D capabilities. Innovation continues to be an important driver for their future economic growth. The experiences of Singapore and Korea in adopting a proactive patent policy have been commended.21 20 Under the “self-assessment” system, patent applications that do not fully meet patentability
requirements, that is, novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, can still be granted. Singapore is moving towards a “positive grant” system, where only applications that fully meet the patentability requirements can be granted.
21 See K Idris, “Intellectual Property: A Power Tool for Economic Growth”, WIPO, 2003
(www.wipo.int/freepublications/en/intproperty/888/wipo_pub_888_1.pdf) –
“Using patents for economic development requires a pro-active patent policy (PPP) intrinsically related to economic development. The experiences of Singapore and the Republic of Korea with patent policy confirm the importance of a pro-active approach…. Handled properly, patents are efficient drivers of national innovation, R&D, product creation and business transactions that have beneficial macro and micro economic effects.” (p.17, emphasis added).
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3.20 Other Asian economies are following a similar approach. Malaysia adopted a patent re-registration system until 1986, and Brunei Darrussalem, until 2011. Both now adopt an OGP system. Other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia have also established their own OGP systems. 3.21 Mainland China, which has risen since the late 1970s and now become the “world factory”, promulgated its patent law to provide for an OGP system in 1984. Annual patent applications in 2010 amounted to over 390,000, bringing SIPO to the second place in terms of filing volume among patent authorities in the world.22 Apparently, IP protection as a policy tool is central to China’s quest for industrialisation and economic development. 3.22 A research survey of the 60 largest economies in terms of the GDP shows that 59 economies have their own OGP systems (in 1997), including economies similar in size to that of Hong Kong such as Israel, Finland and Singapore, as well as smaller economies such as Hungary and New Zealand.23 3.23 The world patent landscape as discussed above suggests a certain degree of correlation between adopting, or migrating to, an OGP system and the stage of economic development. 3.24 To reduce duplication in efforts by applicants as well as by patent offices adopting an OGP system, it seems there is an increasing reliance on international cooperation. Through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) administered by WIPO, a national or resident of a PCT contracting state may file one “international application” with a single patent office, or with the International Bureau of WIPO in Geneva, in one language and with a single set of forms (and fees) instead of filing 22 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Indicators - 2011 Edition” (pp.39, 40). 23 See Josh Lerner, “150 Years of Patent Protection”, NBER Working paper, National Bureau
of Economic Research, 2000 (pp. 10-15 and Table 1) (www.nber.org/papers/w7478).
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numerous separate national and/or regional patent applications. Such benefit has led to the increasing use of the PCT system.24 Separately, various patent examination authorities have begun to enter into bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) 25 arrangements to expedite the examination process through mutual recognitions of certain examination reports, which facilitate applicants to file patent applications in other jurisdictions. (C) Long-term Vision of Hong Kong 3.25 As an exemplary beneficiary of the multilateral trading system, Hong Kong had transformed from an entrepôt to a light industrial economy, thriving as a base for Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) with a limited role in innovation and R&D. The rise of other industrial economies in the region around the same time, together with the opening up of Mainland China since the late 1970s and its steadfast emergence as a world factory, have brought intense competition and significant challenges as well as opportunities to Hong Kong. Market forces have caused Hong Kong to further develop into an international financial and commercial centre. While the services sector now accounts for about 93%26 of the Hong Kong economy, the industrial sector remains a key player, focusing on high value-added activities such as R&D, management (as headquarters) of manufacturing bases outside Hong 24 See WIPO, “PCT Yearly Review: The International Patent System 2012 Edition”
(www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/patents/901/wipo_pub_901_2012.pdf) – “International patent filings under the WIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) set a
new record in 2011 with 181,900 PCT applications – a 10.7% increase on 2010 and the fastest growth since 2005.” (p. 10).
25 A PPH is a bilateral agreement between two patent offices. Under a PPH agreement, a patent
applicant can request an accelerated processing of the patent application at the patent office of second filing (OSF), when the patent office of first filing (OFF) has already found corresponding patent claims allowable. A PPH establishes a process whereby the OSF makes use of the work already carried out by the OFF in relation to the same invention. The OSF can process the patent application quicker because the examination process begins at a more informed level. However, the OSF is not compelled to follow the opinion of the OFF and may make its own decision on whether to grant a patent.
26 See the Hong Kong fact sheet of January 2012
(www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/service_economy.pdf).
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Kong, design and innovation, technology transfer, etc., taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by Mainland China. 3.26 In tandem, government policy has been evolving to support the economic changes. Most significantly, into the 21st century, the Administration sets out a clear vision to promote and exploit innovation and technology as drivers for future growth to race towards a knowledge-based economy amidst increasingly intense competition brought about by globalisation and in collaboration with Mainland China with all of its offerings in store. 3.27 The goal is to turn Hong Kong into an innovation and technology hub, attracting capital, talents, technology, know-how, etc., and creating a clustering effect. Accordingly, significant investments have been made by the Administration in many policy initiatives since 1999, notably –
(a) Setting up the Innovation and Technology Fund with an injection of $5 billion.
(b) Establishing the Innovation and Technology
Commission and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute.
(c) Developing the Hong Kong Science Park, Industrial
Estates and Cyberport as essential infrastructure. (d) Setting up five R&D centres in five focus areas
(namely (i) automotive parts and accessory systems, (ii) information and communications technologies, (iii) logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies, (iv) nanotechnology and advanced materials, and (v) textiles and clothing) to drive and co-ordinate applied R&D.
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(e) Establishing the R&D Cash Rebate Scheme to encourage more private sector investment in R&D and collaboration with public research institutions.
3.28 Such efforts are continuing. The National 12th Five-Year Plan, which was promulgated in March 2011, affirmed the Central People’s Government’s support for Hong Kong in furthering innovation and technology development. Through Mainland China/Hong Kong Science and Technology Cooperation Committee and working with the State Ministry of Science and Technology, the Administration has formulated and implemented initiatives to dovetail with the 12th Five-Year Plan to enhance Hong Kong’s participation in the national roadmap of technology development. In addition, the governments of Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen have formed the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Circle” to promote technological collaboration between the two places. 3.29 In this context, the IP system is an integral part of the whole equation in the quest for innovation. The Hong Kong patent system has remained essentially one of re-registration, even after the enactment of the Ordinance in 1997 which was formulated based on the recommendations of a review conducted between 1986 and 1993 when Hong Kong had a very different economic structure from now. Although the re-registration system has served Hong Kong well for a long time, as Hong Kong moves further away from being an OEM centre, time is ripe to consider whether there are changes that may contribute better to the promotion of innovation in the long run, while preserving the strengths of the present system. 3.30 Another point to note is the feasibility for Hong Kong to promote itself as a regional IP trading hub (paragraph 3.13 above). With sound financial and legal systems, a low-tax regime and a pool of
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world-class business professionals, Hong Kong has long been a jurisdiction engaging in different kinds of IP transactions. With overseas IP owners eagerly eyeing the Asian market, Hong Kong is well placed to develop into a regional market place for providing professional services in licensing, franchising and registration in the IP fields.27 One key factor to such possible development would be the supply of talents and expertise in various professional services, in particular IP practitioners. (D) Strengths and Weaknesses of the Existing Patent Re-registration
System 3.31 As brought out by the consultation exercise, Hong Kong’s re-registration system enjoys much notable strength. The majority of respondents support its retention irrespective of whether an OGP system will be set up in Hong Kong. The strengths of the current re-registration system are set out below –
(a) Strong IP protection
All three designated patent offices conduct in-house substantive examination for patent applications. The quality of the patents granted is high and on par with international standards. There is a well established legal system in Hong Kong for enforcing patent rights. Hong Kong also provides first-class dispute resolution services that meet the needs of different stakeholders.
27 Development of IP trading activities has been happening in Hong Kong. As a regional platform for
technology trading, Hong Kong exported US$1.1 billion in technology to Mainland China in 2010. That put Hong Kong sixth in the world in taking technology to Mainland China. See Trade Development Council, “Hong Kong grows as a regional intellectual property market”, September 2012.
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(b) Cost-effectiveness Many applicants for standard patents in Hong Kong also seek patent protection in other economies, including our major trading partners Europe and Mainland China. If the applicants have already applied for a patent in one of the designated patent offices, the time and costs for obtaining a standard patent in Hong Kong are fairly insignificant, with good assurance about the validity of their patents.28
(c) User-friendliness The present system is generally seen as user-friendly. It allows applications to be filed in either English or Chinese. Applicants may communicate directly with the Patents Registry. Examinations are mainly a matter of formality checking instead of substantive examination on patentability.
(d) Credibility of the system The system has been operating effectively since 1997 and local and overseas users are very familiar with the procedures and practices in relation to filing patent applications in Hong Kong. Together with the high quality of patents granted, the system has high credibility.
3.32 Nevertheless, there are also weaknesses inherent to a re-registration system dependent on original patents granted elsewhere as set out below –
28 There could be no total assurance of validity even for patents granted after substantive examination,
as such patents may still be the subject of revocation proceedings on the ground that the invention is not a patentable invention.
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(a) Lack of control
Given the crucial role played by patent institutions in shaping innovation incentives, 29 the current system does not allow control over essential matters to ensure that it is meeting the changing needs of Hong Kong. For instance, the time required to process the designated patent applications (an average of 25 months in SIPO, and 43.9 months at EPO),30 the cost and fee structure, and the patent standards are, to a certain extent, affected by the laws and practices of the designated patent offices.
(b) Inconvenience to local inventors An applicant who wants to seek patent protection in Hong Kong alone cannot apply for a standard patent directly in Hong Kong. He has to first file a patent application at one of the designated patent offices. The application takes time and may involve complicated procedures. It may be costly, as foreign patent agents have to be engaged and extra filing costs are charged for filing an application at the designated office. This extra step of filing the
29 See WIPO, “World Intellectual Property Report 2011 – The Changing Face of Innovation”
(p.12) –
“economic research has come to recognise the crucial role played by patent institutions in shaping innovation incentives. Patent institutions perform the essential tasks of ensuring the quality of patents granted and providing balanced dispute resolution. Unprecedented levels of patenting have put these institutions under considerable pressure. Many patent offices have seen growing backlogs of pending applications.” “The choices patent offices face can have far-reaching consequences on incentives to innovate. These include the amount of fees to charge, how to involve third parties in the patenting process, how best to make use of [Information and Communication Technologies] and the level and type of international cooperation to pursue. In making these choices, a key challenge is to reconcile incentives for efficient office operations with a patenting process that promotes society’s best interest.”
30 The average duration is calculated according to the patent examination pendency between 2005
and 2009 stated in the Annual Reports of EPO and SIPO.
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designated application may discourage domestic inventor who merely wants to apply for a domestic patent.31
(c) Positioning of our patent system A re-registration system may be perceived as a second-grade patent system given the international trend of adopting or moving towards OGP systems. This perception does not facilitate Hong Kong in promoting innovation or developing into an IP trading hub. Given competing choices of places to invest in R&D activities, some enterprises might not perceive Hong Kong, being outside the OGP mainstream, to be very attractive.
(E) Benefits of an OGP System vis-à-vis Re-registration 3.33 The following is a list of the various benefits of an OGP system that are not necessarily available in a re-registration system –
(a) Promotion of R&D and related investment
An OGP system tailor-designed to meet the specific needs of Hong Kong, provided that it is effective in ensuring patent quality and stringent IP protection, may facilitate Hong Kong to develop into an innovation and technology hub in the long run. It may attract and encourage local and foreign enterprises to make R&D investment and set up their operations in Hong Kong. With more innovations and inventions being originated domestically, Hong Kong may be promoted as the place of first-filing of patent applications.
31 See Biswajit Dhar and C. Niranjan Rao, “International Patent System: An Empirical Analysis”,
2002 (p.20) (www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/about-ip/en/studies/pdf/study_b_dhar.pdf).
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(b) Autonomy
An OGP system would allow Hong Kong to determine patentability criteria and standards, procedures, practices and other matters in accordance with our own requirements, in a way that would best meet the economic needs of Hong Kong.
(c) Positioning of Hong Kong on the world IP map
Establishing our own OGP system may demonstrate to inventors, investors and traders alike Hong Kong’s commitment to IP protection by developing a patent system on par with those of advanced economies and others which aspire to drive economic growth through innovation, thereby raising the international profile of Hong Kong.
(d) User-friendliness for local applicants An OGP system would allow local applicants to obtain patent protection in Hong Kong directly, without first going through another designated office. For those applicants who only want to obtain patents in Hong Kong, this direct filing route is more efficient and user-friendly. Besides, applicants may communicate directly with the Patents Registry or local agents, without the need to engage foreign patent agents for communicating with the designated office.
(e) Development of human capital An OGP system could create opportunities for Hong Kong in terms of nurturing and attracting talents,
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stimulating the growth of patent agency business and widening career paths for graduates with science and engineering degrees. It is noted that some educational institutions in Hong Kong have started conducting courses in relation to patent-related services.32 An OGP system may encourage more education institutions in Hong Kong to provide courses in this area to nurture the required human capital.
(f) Development of patent examination capacity Even if outsourcing is the initial arrangement to make, an OGP system may provide a basis or starting point for Hong Kong to develop its own patent examination capacity in the long run to perfect the Hong Kong patent system, which should be the ultimate goal to be achieved.
(g) Starting point of international cooperation With an OGP system, Hong Kong may explore further international cooperation opportunities, such as the PPH and PCT arrangements, in facilitating local patent applicants to obtain patent protection in other jurisdictions.
(h) Business case Subject to negotiation and agreement with relevant examination authorities on possible outsourcing arrangements, appealing features may be built into
32 As an illustration, the University of Hong Kong has been offering the SEAD course in relation to
patent drafting conducted by overseas registered patent agents/attorneys.
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the OGP system so as to attract applicants to use it instead of the current re-registration system. Such features may include, inter alia, the speed of processing an OGP application, the language requirement, the direct communication between the applicant and the examiner, the recognition of the substantive examination result by other patent offices, etc.
(F) Difficulties in Introducing an OGP System 3.34 On the other hand, the Advisory Committee noted the following difficulties in introducing an OGP system –
(a) Effectiveness of the patent system
In establishing an OGP system, it is important to ensure high quality and strong protection of the patents granted, as well as to maintain a user-friendly system. Careful and detailed planning in advance for implementation would be necessary.
(b) Talents
Based on overseas experience, a large number of technical experts will be required for developing an OGP system with search and examination capabilities. The local supply of talents may not be sufficient in the short to medium term as currently there are not many institutions providing courses related to professional patent services in Hong Kong.
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(c) Library/Database
There is no existing library/database at the Patents Registry which provides the reference materials in the science and engineering aspects involved in substantive examination. Considerable resources have to be assigned to build such infrastructure.
(d) Time required
Setting up an OGP system with substantive examination capability would take substantial time as it requires, inter alia, the building up of technical expertise, comprehensive databases and infrastructure, the drafting of procedures and manuals for examination, and the setting up of a review mechanism. Legislative change is also required. Taking Singapore as an example, it will have taken more than 17 years before it starts conducting its own substantive examination after adopting an OGP system in 1995 (paragraph 3.18 above).
(e) Outsourcing as an interim arrangement
The above difficulties may be mitigated to a certain extent by outsourcing the substantive examination to other patent offices, which may be a more feasible approach in the short to medium term. But the arrangement itself is not straight-forward, with all the necessary negotiations with the potential outsourcing patent offices on the implementation of substantive examination, regarding for example, the examination standards, the procedure and interface for document transfer, and the review mechanism.
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(f) Costs
Considerable costs will inevitably be incurred in setting up and running an OGP system. Currently, the fees charged by the Patents Registry are set at a cost recovery level in accordance with section 149(6) of the Ordinance. There are concerns about whether there will be sufficient market demand to make a business case for the OGP system. Some see any government subsidy unfair.
(G) Case for Expansion of the Re-registration System 3.35 While there is general consensus from the consultation exercise to retain the re-registration system, some further suggest an expansion in the recognition of patents granted by other patent offices, in addition to the three current designated patent offices. Some implications are pertinent –
(a) Entrenchment of the re-registration system
Expanding the recognition of foreign patents would entrench the re-registration system and go against the general direction of setting up an OGP system in Hong Kong. In taking Hong Kong’s patent system forward, it is for consideration that an exclusive approach should be followed to avoid sending conflicting signals to stakeholders.
(b) Benefits and costs
Expanding the recognition of foreign patents does not appear to add much benefit to what we are
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already enjoying under the present system. On the contrary, the addition of other patent authorities may complicate the existing system. The discrepancies between different patent systems may also lead to inconsistencies in the scope of protection attached to patents based on patents granted by different designated patent offices.33
The Direction for Change 3.36 The Advisory Committee reviewed all of the above considerations and agreed that a long-term strategic view on the future patent system for Hong Kong should be taken, which should not be clouded by immediate difficulties. The next step to take, even on a pilot basis, should help Hong Kong to develop into a regional innovation and technology hub, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Mainland China, as well as the increasing demand for and tradability in IP rights. 3.37 In this light, the Advisory Committee favours moving towards the OGP direction, accepting that some of the perceived difficulties are genuine concerns but not insurmountable. Most importantly, the way forward to take must not be at the expense of compromising patent quality, user-friendliness and effectiveness of our present patent system. With reference to the three options set out in the Consultation Paper (paragraph 3.1 above) –
(a) Option 1 appears too ambitious, running a high risk of compromising the patent quality and general effectiveness of our patent system. It is contrary to
33 The selection of the current three designated patent offices is more historical. The UK Patent
Office and EPO (for applications designating UK) were included to preserve the pre-1997 position, while SIPO was added because of the relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China after China assumed sovereignty in 1997.
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the consensual views from the consultation exercise that the re-registration system should be maintained regardless whether there is an OGP system.
(b) Option 2 offers a way forward which is more in line
with the long-term vision of developing Hong Kong into a regional innovation and technology hub.
(c) Option 3 will entrench Hong Kong at where it is,
which may thus lose the opportunity to nurture its human, structural and relational capital, and therefore, compromise its competitiveness and economic growth.
Recommendations 3.38 To conclude, having regard to the long term economic development needs of Hong Kong, the Advisory Committee agrees that it is time for Hong Kong to adjust its patent system as part of the infrastructure which will help Hong Kong achieve its vision of becoming a world class innovation and technology hub, and to keep up with the patent systems of the other developed or developing countries. It recommends Option 2 as the most logical direction to take: introduce an OGP system with substantive examination outsourced to other patent offices whilst retaining the current re-registration system. 3.39 The Advisory Committee also suggests the following preliminary parameters in further exploring Option 2 –
(a) In order to reap as much as possible the benefit of an OGP system as envisaged, it is important for Hong Kong to develop in the long run a full-fledged version with indigenous substantive patent examination capacity (in specific areas where appropriate).
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(b) Building indigenous substantive patent examination capacity will take time. As a start, Hong Kong should outsource substantive examination to one or more reputable and authoritative patent office(s) so as to ensure the high quality of the patents granted under the new regime.
(c) There should be careful planning on the
implementation details, notably the outsourcing office(s) and arrangements, for tackling the difficulties as envisaged (paragraph 3.34 above), and building in appealing features or advantages to attract users (paragraph 3.33 above).
(d) Meanwhile the present re-registration system should
continue to run in parallel to the OGP system, with no expansion of the possible designated patent offices, to ensure continuous strengths of the patent system. While users may have a choice between the two, they should be encouraged to take advantage of the local OGP route.
(e) Such a modest approach may help strengthen Hong
Kong’s IP infrastructure to accumulate expertise and experience, nurture our own human capital (especially in science and engineering disciplines that support our niche industries or sectors34) and encourage development of the patent agency business. It may also form a basis to explore further advantages of an OGP system (like PPH against an outsourcing background) (paragraph 3.33(h) above).
34 cf. the five focus areas of the government-sponsored R&D centres (paragraph 3.27(d) above).
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(f) Depending on users’ acceptance of the new regime and positive developments that may be brought about, consideration should be given to developing in incremental stages in-house substantive patent examination capacity (at least focusing on some specific technological areas on which Hong Kong has acquired considerable expertise).
3.40 The Advisory Committee will further advise the Administration after the latter has taken a decision on the way forward and map out the implementation details in the light of the above recommendations.
CHAPTER 4
Short-term Patents Options 4.1 The Advisory Committee explored the following three options as set out in paragraphs 2.27 to 2.30 of the Consultation Paper –
(a) Option 1 : maintain the status quo of the short-term patent system;
(b) Option 2: refine the short-term patent system; and
(c) Option 3: discontinue the short-term patent system.
Views from the Public Consultation 4.2 The vast majority of respondents to the public consultation consider that the short-term patent system should be retained. 4.3 While some consider that no change is required, others favour changes in the following aspects –
(a) Substantive examination of short-term patents
Quite a number of the respondents oppose the introduction of substantive examination to the short-term patent system as this would defeat the purpose of short-term patents in offering a fast and inexpensive means of protection. However, there are suggestions on requiring substantive
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examination before commencement of infringement proceedings.
(b) Extending the maximum term of protection of
short-term patents
Some respondents do not see the need for change of the maximum term of protection while others support an extension from eight to 10 years, which should be more in line with the international trend.
(c) Increasing the maximum number of independent
claims
Views from respondents varied on this. While some prefer keeping the system simple, there are suggestions that more claims can be allowed against payment of higher application fees.
(d) Modifying the groundless threats provisions under
section 89 of the Ordinance
Some respondents have mentioned that the provisions on groundless threats should be strengthened, e.g. a threat should be considered unjustified if the short-term patent was granted on the basis of an “unclean” search report.
Overview 4.4 In considering the way forward for the short-term patent system, the Advisory Committee had taken into account views received
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on the above issues, as well as the special role of the short-term patent system in Hong Kong, which is to supplement the standard patent system by offering protection to inventions with a shorter commercial life cycle. The Advisory Committee had also looked into other jurisdictions which have a lesser patent system similar to the short-term patent system in Hong Kong, including Australia, Mainland China, Denmark, Germany and Japan (a comparison of key features of their lesser patent systems at Annex D).
Retention of the Short-term Patent System Considerations 4.5 Unlike the re-registration system for standard patents which could be traced back to the early 20th century, the short-term patent system was only introduced in Hong Kong in 1997 when our patent system was localised.35 There have since been a good number of applications and subsequent grants of short-term patents.36 It is apparent that the short-term patent system is serving the intended purposes by offering a fast and inexpensive means of protecting inventions with a limited commercial life span in the market. It encourages local inventions for exploiting the indigenous market early, without the need for seeking full-fledged standard patent protection first in one of the three designated patent offices outside Hong Kong which may otherwise incur considerable time and expenses.
4.6 The present system also has the advantage of providing a convenient and inexpensive way of securing a Paris Convention priority date for subsequent standard patent application elsewhere or in Hong
35 Enacted in 1997, the Ordinance repealed the then Registration of Patents Ordinance which hitherto
provided for re-registration of patents obtained in the UK and EPO (designating the UK). 36 See Annex E.
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Kong. This should not only help incubate new and developing technology-based companies but also encourage local and outside investors to build R&D capability in Hong Kong. This is all the more important with our aspiration to become an innovation and technology hub.
4.7 The retention of the short-term patent system would also be compatible with the introduction of an OGP system in Hong Kong as recommended in Chapter 3. The proposed new OGP system may naturally become the full-fledged infrastructure for granting standard patents with all the rigours of formalities and substantive examinations. The original objective of providing for a supplementary short-term patent system with mitigating features but lesser protection will remain valid without conflicting with the proposed OGP system. Several overseas jurisdictions (paragraph 4.4 above) have also established a dual patent system by running an OGP system and a lesser patent system in parallel.
Recommendation 4.8 In light of the aforesaid considerations, the Advisory Committee recommends that the short-term patent system should be retained.
Possible Changes for Refinement 4.9 The following changes had been considered by the Advisory Committee –
(a) Introducing substantive examination into the
short-term patent system.
(b) Extending the maximum term of protection.
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(c) Relaxing the number of independent claims.
(d) Lowering the patentability criteria.
(A) Substantive Examination of Short-term Patents
4.10 A mechanism for substantive examination may deter abuse, reduce litigation and discourage registration of non-patentable inventions on the one hand, but impair the user-friendliness and increase costs on the other. The following questions were set out in the Consultation Paper –
(a) Timing – whether substantive examination should be carried out before or after the short-term patent is granted, and if it is to be carried out after grant, at what point of time should it be carried out (paragraphs 4.11 - 4.21 below)?
(b) Mandatory or optional – whether substantive examination should be made a mandatory requirement or optional, for example, whether it should be a condition for commencement of infringement proceedings (paragraphs 4.11 - 4.21 below)?
(c) Who may request substantive examination – if
substantive examination is optional, whether the patent owner or a third party or both should be able to request substantive examination (paragraphs 4.22 - 4.23 below)?
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(d) Who should pay for the costs of the substantive
examination – if substantive examination may be requested by a third party, whether the costs should be borne by the patent owner, the third party, or split between them (paragraphs 4.24 - 4.27 below)?
Timing and mandatory/optional (questions (a) and (b) of paragraph 4.10 above) Considerations 4.11 The imposition of a mandatory requirement of substantive examination before grant would defeat the underlying purpose served by the short-term patent system. On the other hand, requiring substantive examination before commencement of an infringement action regardless of whether the short-term patent at issue was granted on the basis of a “clean” report can assist the court in determining the patent validity issue.
4.12 The existing Patents Ordinance contains provisions governing court proceedings in relation to short-term patents. Section 129(1) of the Ordinance provides that in any proceedings before a court for the enforcement of rights conferred under the Ordinance in relation to a short-term patent –
(a) It is for the patent owner to establish the validity of
the patent, and the fact that the patent has been granted shall be of no account in that regard.
(b) Evidence by the patent owner which is sufficient to
establish prima facie the validity of the patent shall
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in the absence of evidence to the contrary be sufficient proof of such validity.37
4.13 The suggestion of requiring substantive examination of a short-term patent before court proceedings is in line with the principle enshrined in section 129(1) by putting the onus of proof of patent validity on the patent owner, and the proposed substantive examination may be introduced as a tightening or elaboration of the current statutory requirements.
4.14 As regards the pre-action stage concerning the making of threats of proceedings, such threats (for example those made at trade fairs) can be insidious and intimidating in nature. The patentee who is making the threat normally has better support and resources, and may also be legally represented. If the recipient of the threat is not suitably advised or cannot afford legal representation, he/she is likely to succumb to that threat. It is not in the public interest for a patentee to make a threat of infringement proceedings merely based on a non-examined short-term patent which does not in fact meet the patentability requirements. There are suggestions on whether substantive examination of a short-term patent should be required before a short-term patentee can make a threat of intended infringement action (as opposed to commencing infringement proceedings). 4.15 The existing Patents Ordinance has provided for a safeguard against abuse in its section 89 entitled “Remedy for groundless threats of infringement proceedings”. In essence, section 89(1) provides that a person aggrieved by such threats may bring court proceedings against the patent owner (or any other person making the threats) to seek relief.
37 There is no similar provision in relation to standard patents, as apparently such patents have
already been subject to substantive examination when first registered in a designated patent office outside Hong Kong.
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Section 89(2) further provides that the person aggrieved by the threats would be entitled to the relief unless –
(a) the defendant (for example, the patent owner) proves
that the acts in respect of which proceedings were threatened constitute, or if done, would constitute an infringement of a patent; and
(b) the patent alleged to be infringed is not shown by the
plaintiff (i.e. the person aggrieved by the threats) to be invalid in a relevant respect.
4.16 The above condition (b) imposed by section 89(2) carries a presumption of validity of a patent grant, and seemingly raises an inconsistency with section 129(1) of the Ordinance as far as short-term patents are concerned.38 4.17 To reconcile the matter and to consider the question of whether to make substantive examination of short-term patents as a pre-requisite for making threats of infringement proceedings, one needs to bear in mind the basic point that a short-term patent needs no substantive validity check before registration in Hong Kong and it should be reasonable for the one relying on it to provide certain proof as to its validity. The issues are how best for the system to strike a reasonable balance between the legitimate interest of a patentee and that of a recipient of a threat of infringement actions and to save potential costs in formal court proceedings which may be presided over by non-specialist judges by tackling technical issues beforehand as far as possible.
38 There is no such perception of inconsistency in the case of standard patents to which section 89
equally applies, as apparently such patents have already undergone substantive examination upon their first grant in a designated patent office outside Hong Kong. Section 89 is similar to a corresponding provision in the Patents Act 1977 of the UK which does not have a lesser patent system.
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4.18 Should substantive examination of short-term patents be made a pre-requisite requirement for making threats of infringement proceedings, it might have the practical effect of requiring a short-term patentee to obtain an examination report as early as possible (given the time and efforts required) before the occurrence of an infringement in order to avoid delay in enforcing his patent rights. This would in a way equate a short-term patent with a standard patent, which may be seen as contrary to the underlying rationale of the short-term patent system. 4.19 It would appear more reasonable to require the patentee to provide sufficient information of the patent and supporting documents when making the threats to facilitate the threatened party in making an informed decision of whether and how to respond to the threats. Legislative amendments may be necessary to provide for such a requirement and a remedy for non-compliance and to ensure the proper burden of proof in related court proceedings.39
4.20 As regards the authority that could carry out substantive examination in relation to enforcement of short-term patents discussed above, the outsourced examination authority(ies) for the new OGP system would appear to be a natural choice. That said, this may be a potential
39 In respect of overseas precedents, Australia, being the only common law jurisdiction amongst the
five overseas jurisdictions studied in the Consultation Paper that have lesser patent systems comparable to the Hong Kong short-term patent system (Annex D), has a statutory provision to the effect that if threats are made based on an innovation patent (the Australian lesser patent system) which has not been certified, such threats are considered unjustifiable (Section 129A(1) of the Patents Act 1990). The person aggrieved may then apply to the court for an injunction against the continuance of the threats and the recovery of any damages sustained by the applicant as a result of the threats.
Certification of an innovation patent in Australia refers to a post-grant procedure in which a patent
owner or a third party may, at any time after grant of an innovation patent, requests the Commissioner of Patents to conduct substantive examination. The Commissioner must examine the specification relating to the innovation patent to ascertain whether it meets certain requirements. If the Commissioner is satisfied that the innovation patent meets the requirements, a certificate of examination will be issued to the patent owner and the innovation patent will be regarded as certified. If the innovation patent fails to meet the requirements, it will be revoked by the patent office. An appeal may be filed at the Federal Court against the patent office’s decision to revoke the innovation patent.
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area where the Patents Registry may explore to play a more involved role, as the experience may assist development of our own substantive examination capacity under the OGP system. Recommendations 4.21 In the above light, the Advisory Committee makes the following recommendations –
(a) Substantive examination should be made a pre-requisite to commencement of infringement proceedings.
(b) A short-term patentee, when making a threat of infringement actions, should furnish the person to whom the threat was made full particulars about the short-term patent in question, including, in particular, the search report(s) and any other relevant documentation (including but not limited to details of amendment to the patent, if any) in support of the threat.
(c) A failure to produce the requisite supporting
documents on the part of the patentee who makes a threat of infringement proceedings should have the legal effect of rendering the threat groundless, which enables the party aggrieved by the threat to seek a legal remedy.
(d) Appropriate legislative amendments should be
considered to give effect to the above and to address
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the inconsistency in the burden of proof of patent validity as contained in the existing section 89(2) in relation to short-term patents.
(e) The Patents Registry may take advantage of the
above new enforcement requirements of short-term patents to explore a more involved role in working with the outsourced examination authority(ies) to meet the possible demands.
Who may request substantive examination (question (c) of paragraph 4.10 above) Considerations 4.22 Apart from the patentees who may request substantive examination of their patents at any time to support their enforcement actions, a third party having a legitimate concern or doubt about the validity of a short-term patent should be allowed to request substantive examination of the patent. This is in line with the safeguard against abuse in the current section 91 of the Ordinance which provides for an option for any person to initiate court proceedings to revoke a granted short-term patent on the ground that the invention is not patentable. Amongst the five jurisdictions with lesser patent systems as studied in the Consultation Paper, Australia, Denmark, Germany and Japan also permit a patentee and a third party to request substantive examination of the lesser patent. Recommendation 4.23 In the above light, the Advisory Committee recommends that both the patentees and third parties having a legitimate concern or doubt
- 46 -
about the validity of a short-term patent should have the right to apply to the Patents Registry for substantive examination of a short-term patent.
Which party should pay for the costs of substantive examination (question (d) of paragraph 4.10 above) Considerations 4.24 The official application fee for substantive examination is normally payable by the applicant. This is consistent with overseas practice.40 4.25 Apart from examination fees, costs such as the professional charges of patent agents or attorneys may have to be incurred on the part of the patentee for responding to queries raised by the examination authority.
4.26 Generally speaking, where the costs in relation to substantive examination have been incurred in relation to a particular proceeding, they may be recoverable under the general costs rule, in particular, that costs should follow the event.
Recommendation 4.27 The Advisory Committee recommends that the official fees for substantive examination of a short-term patent should be payable by the person making the request for such examination.
40 This is the position in the four comparable overseas jurisdictions in Denmark, Germany and Japan
although Australia specifically provides that in a case where a third party requests a substantive examination report, half of the fee will be paid by the party making the request and the other half by the patent owner.
- 47 -
(B) Extending the Maximum Term of Protection Considerations 4.28 Amongst the five jurisdictions with lesser patent systems as set out in Annex D, the maximum term of protection of innovation patents in Australia is eight years, whereas the maximum term of protection of lesser patents in the other four jurisdictions, namely Mainland China, Denmark, Germany and Japan, is 10 years.
4.29 An obvious benefit is that extending the eight-year term of protection would enable the patentee to have extra time to market and realise additional commercial gain from the invention.
4.30 On the other hand, extending the maximum term of protection of a short-term patent will lengthen the period of time during which members of the public cannot freely use the patented invention for commercial purpose without the consent of the patentee. Besides, taking into account the fact that short-term patents are catered for inventions with a short commercial life cycle, extending the current maximum term of protection may not be seen as consistent with the original intention underlying the introduction of the short-term patent system.
Recommendation 4.31 In view of the above considerations, the Advisory Committee takes the view that the maximum term of protection should be maintained.
- 48 -
(C) Increasing the Maximum Number of Independent Claims
Considerations 4.32 As the short-term patent system is an unexamined system, there always exists an inherent uncertainty in the validity of the patent granted. The current restriction in the number of independent claims can serve to keep the patent claims as simple as possible.
4.33 Relaxing the current restriction may increase the degree of uncertainty in terms of the validity of short-term patents. This may not be commensurate with the original intention underlying the introduction of a simple and speedy short-term patent system. Further, allowing multiple independent claims in a single application may add incentives for one to apply for a short-term patent not meeting the patentability requirements thereby aggravating the potential room for abuse of the short-term patent system.
4.34 Nevertheless, allowing short-term patent applications with multiple independent claims can reduce the costs of obtaining short-term patent protection and increase the flexibility of the system. In particular, there is a case to further explore the possibility of allowing one short-term patent application to have not more than one independent claim for a product and one independent claim for a process, provided that they are related to one single invention.
Recommendation 4.35 The Advisory Committee recommends further exploring the possibility of allowing one short-term patent application to have not more than one independent claim for a product and one independent claim for a process, provided that they relate to one single invention.
- 49 -
(D) Lower the Patentability Criteria Considerations 4.36 Of the five jurisdictions surveyed (Annex D), the lesser patents granted at least in Australia and Japan have a relatively lower inventive threshold.
4.37 The present short-term patent system has the advantage of providing a convenient and inexpensive way of securing a Paris Convention priority date for subsequent standard patent application elsewhere or in Hong Kong. If the patentability criteria of short-term patents are lowered, the filing of a short-term patent with a lower patentability might no longer be good enough to support a subsequent standard patent application.
4.38 Further, the benefits of practitioners’ and users’ familiarity with the current patentability requirements and availability of case law on the standards to be met would be lost if the criteria are indeed lowered. Recommendation
4.39 The Advisory Committee thus recommends that the current patentability criteria of short-term patents should be maintained. Summing Up 4.40 To recap, the Advisory Committee recommends retention of the short-term patent system with a number of refinements in the direction proposed above, i.e. Option 2 of the Consultation Paper (paragraph 4.1 above).
CHAPTER 5
Regulation of Patent Agency Services Options 5.1 The Advisory Committee explored the following two options as set out in paragraph 3.16 of the Consultation Paper –
(a) Option 1: maintain the status quo; and (b) Option 2: establish a regulatory regime for
providers of patent agency services. Views from the Public Consultation 5.2 The Advisory Committee noted the views from the public consultation exercise, which are summarised as follows –
(a) Most respondents support some kinds of regulation on patent agency services. Some respondents are of the view that a local regulatory regime for providers of patent agency services should be set up in any event whereas others consider that a local regulatory regime should be required only upon introduction of an OGP system in Hong Kong.
(b) There are however different views amongst those who support a regulatory regime as to whether the provision of all or some of the patent-related services should be restricted to persons meeting certain qualifications or requirements, or whether restrictions should only be imposed on the use of particular titles.
- 51 -
(c) There are also some concerns that regulation may
drive up fees of patent agency services, and some consider that no regulation is better than poor, ambiguous or sub-standard regulation.
Overview 5.3 The Ordinance and Patents (General) Rules (Cap. 514C) enable the Registrar of Patents to exercise some regulatory powers over patent agents to the extent that he shall refuse to recognise as an agent a person who neither resides nor has a place of business in Hong Kong,41 and that he may refuse to recognise any agent under certain circumstances, such as where the person has been convicted of a criminal offence. 42 Other than the above provisions, there is no statutory regulation governing the provision of patent agency services in Hong Kong. 5.4 In considering the way forward for the regulation of patent agency services in Hong Kong, the Advisory Committee had taken into account views received on the issue, as well as the possible future developments in the standard patent and short-term patent systems, in particular, whether an OGP system would be established. The Advisory Committee had also looked into the regulatory framework in several overseas jurisdictions which have an OGP system, including Australia, Mainland China, European Patent Convention countries, New Zealand, Singapore and the US (Annex F).
41 Section 140(4) of the Ordinance. 42 Section 85(7) of the Patents (General) Rules.
- 52 -
Whether to Regulate or Not Considerations (A) Costs and Benefits 5.5 In determining whether to establish a regulatory framework for providers of patent agency services in Hong Kong, the Advisory Committee noted the need for striking a balance between the costs of regulating the profession and the benefits to users of the services, including benefits in terms of access to and the quality of such services. 5.6 From the users’ perspective, a non-regulatory regime offers more flexibility in terms of choice of patent agency services. This may also promote competition amongst service providers, thus keeping the fees down. Indeed, there were concerns raised in the public consultation exercise that the extra cost of regulating the agency services would be passed onto users. 5.7 On the other hand, in an unregulated regime, any person, with or without the relevant technical and/or legal expertise, may claim to be a patent practitioner. As such, there is inevitably less assurance of the service quality. Further, some users may have difficulty under an unregulated regime in seeking the appropriate agents which are competent to provide the services required by the users. The above considerations would become more pertinent when an OGP system is in operation. (B) To Complement the Overall Direction of Hong Kong Moving
towards an OGP system and Proposed Refinements to the Short-term Patent System
5.8 The adoption of an OGP system in Hong Kong (Chapter 3 above) which requires substantive examination of standard patent applications, and the proposed refinements to the short-term patent system which require substantive examination before commencement of
- 53 -
infringement proceedings (Chapter 4 above) would increase the demand for competent patent agents with the necessary professional qualifications and experience, particularly in technical areas covering drafting patent specification and claims, responding to technical queries on patentability raised by examiners, and advising on patent validity and infringement issues. Regulating the agency services may not only help build a local patent profession that is competent to carry out the above technical tasks, but also nurture a talent pool by creating more career opportunities for local graduates with science, engineering or other technical background to enter the profession. A strong patent profession and a competent talent pool are complementary components to an OGP system, contributing to developing Hong Kong as an innovation and technology hub. (C) Positions in Selected Overseas Jurisdictions 5.9 From the Administration’s study (Annex F), it appears generally that the patent agent profession is regulated under a statutory regime in jurisdictions with an OGP system. In particular, it is noted that –
(a) The majority of the overseas jurisdictions studied by the Administration including Australia, Mainland China, European Patent Convention countries, New Zealand, Singapore and the US limit the provision of patent agency services to registered patent attorneys/agents who have acquired certain prescribed professional qualifications.43
(b) The UK restricts the use of titles such as “patent
agents” or “patent attorneys” to those who are qualified, without restricting who can provide patent-related services.
43 In Australia, European Patent Convention countries, New Zealand and Singapore, legal
practitioners may also be allowed to act for parties in patent-related proceedings.
- 54 -
(c) In each of the jurisdictions studied which has a regulatory regime on the patent agent profession, recognition of patent agents/attorneys is based on its own independent accreditation scheme for the profession.
(d) Macao which also operates an OGP system has not
established a regulatory regime for patent agency services so far.
Recommendation 5.10 In light of the aforesaid considerations, the Advisory Committee recommends that Hong Kong should establish a regulatory regime for providers of patent agency services (Option 2 in paragraph 5.1 above). 5.11 The Advisory Committee also considered the form and scope of regulation as set out in the following paragraphs. The Form and Scope of Regulation 5.12 The following issues were posed by the Consultation Paper for public consultation, on the assumption that a regulatory regime is to be introduced for providers of patent agency services –
(a) Should we restrict the provision of such services to persons meeting certain qualifications or requirements only? Or should we limit the use of particular titles only but allow the provision of such services by any person?
- 55 -
(b) Should the regulation apply to all types of patent agency services or only certain services, e.g. the drafting and amendment of patent specification under an OGP system?
5.13 On the above issues, the Advisory Committee considered the following options –
(a) Option A:
To regulate the provision of either –
(i) all patent-related services (including services for re-registration); or
(ii) only services that involve technical expertise
(mainly under the OGP system e.g. drafting patent specification and claims, conducting clearance search, advising on responding to the queries on patentability raised by examiners, giving advice on the validity or infringement of patents)
so that only qualified persons or firms may provide such services; and/or
(b) Option B:
To limit the use of particular titles such as “patent agents” and “patent attorneys” to qualified persons or qualified firms.44
44 Option B may be pursued as a corollary to Option A, or exclusively in its own right.
- 56 -
Considerations 5.14 In assessing Options A and B, the Advisory Committee had taken into account a number of factors as set out in the following paragraphs. (A) Quality of Services 5.15 Regulating all patent-related services under Option A(i) may better assure the service quality across the board, including the handling of re-registration which involves mainly procedural matters whereas Option A(ii) will confine the regulation to those types of patent agency services that require technical expertise, particularly in those areas identified in paragraph 5.8 above where service quality is of principal concern.45 5.16 The adoption of Option B alone will allow provision of patent-related services by non-qualified agents or firms so long as they do not use the regulated titles. It will then be up to the users to decide whether or not patent service providers with the regulated titles should be hired to represent them in individual cases. Accordingly, the “caveat emptor” remains to be the cardinal principle of Option B. (B) Costs 5.17 Option A may add to the operation costs of agents. In particular, for Option A(i), agency firms which currently only handle patent re-registration in Hong Kong may not have qualified persons
45 In this regard, the Advisory Committee noted that the practices in other overseas jurisdictions
studied by the Administration (see paragraph 5.9 and footnote 43 above) may provide a useful reference.
- 57 -
working with them and will need to incur extra costs in hiring such persons under the future regime, which may result in an increase in fees to be passed onto users in turn. 5.18 On the other hand, implementing Option B alone will still allow the users to choose between agents with or without the regulated titles, depending on their own needs in individual cases. The user-pay principle is more enshrined. (C) Nurturing a Strong Patent Profession 5.19 From a strategic viewpoint of supporting the overall development of Hong Kong as an innovation and technology hub (paragraph 3.27 above), there may be a case for expediting the building up of a strong patent agent profession as a complementary component to the introduction of an OGP system as well as the proposed refined short-term patent system. 5.20 Combining Options A and B can be seen as a comprehensive approach to drive change. On the other hand, one may see pursuing Option B alone as a healthy step forward in establishing a regulatory regime quickly to jumpstart the development of the profession and allowing strong players to emerge through market forces. (D) Timing and Interim Arrangements 5.21 Considerable time is inevitably required to build up the local patent professionals for setting up a regulatory body to administer the accreditation scheme and to uphold professional discipline. It is not practicable to adopt Option A immediately.
- 58 -
5.22 Instead, the regulatory regime has to be established in stages upon the commencement of the OGP system, with interim or short-term measures in place to facilitate transition to the new full-fledged regulatory regime. 5.23 One factor to bear in mind is that the re-registration system will still be maintained in the foreseeable future, which requires attendance mainly to formalities. There is no immediate need for introducing drastic changes to the current re-registration practice. 5.24 Another important factor is the promotion of the transparency of the profession and qualifications of the practitioners prior to the introduction of regulation, as this may help educate the users to find the right service they need and encourage service providers to enhance professional practices meeting market demands. Interim measures in this direction may take, for example, the form of Option B with full statutory controls over titles, or the form of provision of essential information about the practitioners through a list centrally administered and made publicly available. Recommendations 5.25 Having considered the factors as set out above, the Advisory Committee recommends that –
(a) A full-fledged regulatory regime on patent agency services (i.e. by combining Options A and B altogether) should be set as the ultimate goal in the long run, which has to be achieved in stages, with possible interim measures.
(b) Option A(ii) is preferred to Option A(i) in
- 59 -
introducing the regulatory regime in the first instance, given the retention of the re-registration system in parallel with the new OGP route. The need for Option A(i) may be reviewed in the longer term subject to the future development of the patent system in Hong Kong.
(c) Interim measures to be developed should have
regard to the existing patent agency services being provided on the one hand (e.g. through appropriate grandfathering provisions) and the early building and recognition of a regulated patent agency profession on the other (e.g. through Option B or a list or register of patent agents with their qualifications).
5.26 Subject to the Administration’s decision on the way forward, the Advisory Committee will further explore the detailed implementation issues in the next phase of the review, including accreditation, professional discipline, transitional and interim arrangements, implementation timetable and consultation plans.
- 60 -
Annex A
Membership List of the Advisory Committee
Chairman
Mr Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, GBS, SC, JP
Members
Mr Ewan Bewley
Mr Christopher William Britton
Dr Sunny Chai Ngai-chiu
Dr Jackson Chan Chik-sum
Professor Paul Cheung Ying-sheung
Ms Helen Jiang Hua
Mr Kwong Chi-keung, JP
Miss Alice Lee Suet-ching
Mr Joseph Poon Wing-sang
Mr Gabriel Tong Yui-lung
Dr Claudia Xu Jian
Director of Intellectual Property
Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce and Industry) 2
Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Funding Schemes)
61
Sum
mar
y of
Com
men
ts R
ecei
ved
from
Pub
lic C
onsu
ltatio
n
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
1.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
The
Chi
nese
Man
ufac
ture
rs’ A
ssoc
iatio
n of
H
ong
Kon
g (�������
) (“
CM
A”)
�
Hon
g K
ong
Aut
o Pa
rts In
dust
ry A
ssoc
iatio
n (���� �����
) (“H
KA
PIA
”)
�
The
Toys
Man
ufac
ture
rs’ A
ssoc
iatio
n of
H
ong
Kon
g (������
) (“T
MH
K”)
�
The
Hon
g K
ong
Elec
troni
c In
dust
ries
Ass
ocia
tion
(������
) (“H
KEI
A”)
�
Hon
g K
ong
Met
al F
inis
hing
Soc
iety
(��
�������
) (“H
KM
FS”)
�
The
Prof
essi
onal
Val
idat
ion
Cou
ncil
of
Hon
g K
ong
Indu
strie
s (�������
!) (
“PV
CH
K”)
�
Hon
g K
ong
Fede
ratio
n of
Inno
vativ
e Te
chno
logi
es a
nd M
anuf
actu
ring
Indu
strie
s
�
CM
A is
of
the
view
that
by
the
intro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em, e
nter
pris
es w
ill b
e m
otiv
ated
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a b
ase
for t
heir
rese
arch
and
dev
elop
men
t (“R
&D
”)
busi
ness
es,
whi
ch m
ay i
n tu
rn p
rom
ote
Hon
g K
ong
as a
reg
iona
l in
nova
tion
and
tech
nolo
gy h
ub.
At t
he s
ame
time,
the
grow
th o
f pa
tent
age
ncy
busi
ness
in H
ong
Kon
g co
uld
be
stim
ulat
ed
and
the
room
fo
r de
velo
pmen
t of
pr
ovis
ion
of
prof
essi
onal
serv
ices
cou
ld b
e br
oade
ned.
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS
and
PVC
HK
op
ine
that
m
ore
flexi
ble
exam
inat
ion
proc
edur
es w
ith u
tilis
atio
n of
loca
l res
ourc
es c
an b
e ad
opte
d un
der
an
OG
P sy
stem
. T
hey
furth
er o
pine
tha
t th
e ex
amin
atio
n pr
oced
ures
cou
ld b
e ex
pedi
ted
unde
r a lo
cal O
GP
syst
em so
that
a p
aten
t cou
ld b
e gr
ante
d to
an
appl
ican
t so
oner
. A
lso,
if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, l
ocal
ent
erpr
ises
co
uld
com
mun
icat
e di
rect
ly w
ith H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
pra
ctiti
oner
s w
ithou
t lan
guag
e ba
rrie
r. C
once
pts
of in
vent
ions
cou
ld b
e co
nvey
ed to
the
pate
nt p
ract
ition
ers
mor
e cl
early
and
acc
urat
ely.
Th
e sc
ope
of th
e pa
tent
s co
uld
ther
efor
e be
mor
e pr
ecis
e.
Sinc
e pa
tent
s co
uld
be g
rant
ed to
app
lican
ts in
a s
horte
r tim
e if
an O
GP
syst
em is
in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, l
ocal
inn
ovat
ion
coul
d be
pro
mot
ed a
s in
vent
ors
coul
d ge
nera
te re
venu
e so
oner
from
the
pate
nted
inve
ntio
ns.
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS a
nd P
VC
HK
pro
pose
tha
t m
echa
nism
s to
re
voke
or
inva
lidat
e pa
tent
s ot
her
than
cou
rt pr
ocee
ding
s sh
ould
be
set u
p to
geth
er
with
an
OG
P sy
stem
. W
ith r
evoc
atio
n or
inv
alid
atio
n pr
oced
ures
set
up
on t
he
basi
s of
an
OG
P sy
stem
, pu
blic
or
rela
ted
parti
es c
an h
ave
an e
ffici
ent
and
econ
omic
al w
ay to
obj
ect t
o th
e gr
ant o
f a p
aten
t with
out t
he n
eed
to re
sort
to c
ourt
Ann
ex B
62
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
(��"#$%&'(��)
) (“
FITM
I”)
�
Fede
ratio
n of
Hon
g K
ong
Indu
strie
s (��
��)
) (“F
HK
I”)
�
Hon
g K
ong
Met
al M
erch
ants
Ass
ocia
tion
(��*���)
) (“H
KM
MA
”)
�
Hon
g K
ong
Gen
eral
Cha
mbe
r of
Com
mer
ce (��)�
) (“H
KG
CC
”)
�
The A
mer
ican
Cha
mbe
r of C
omm
erce
in
Hon
g K
ong
(��+,�
) (“A
mC
ham
”)
�
The
Hon
g K
ong
Ass
ocia
tion
of th
e Ph
arm
aceu
tical
Indu
stry
(��$-'.�
) (
“HK
API
”)
�
The
Lice
nsin
g Ex
ecut
ives
Soc
iety
Chi
na -
Hon
g K
ong
Sub-
Cha
pter
(�,/012�
34���5
) (“L
ESC
-HK
”)
proc
eedi
ngs.
Thi
s w
ill d
eter
abu
se (
espe
cial
ly i
n re
spec
t of
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts),
prot
ect
third
par
ties’
right
s, en
hanc
e pa
tent
sta
bilit
y an
d re
duce
the
cos
ts o
f lit
igat
ion.
�
FITM
I op
ines
tha
t th
e es
tabl
ishm
ent
of a
n O
GP
syst
em i
s an
im
porta
nt f
acto
r in
pr
omot
ing
Hon
g K
ong
as a
reg
iona
l in
nova
tion
and
tech
nolo
gy h
ub i
n A
sia.
FI
TMI b
elie
ves
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
brin
g in
nova
tive
tech
nolo
gy a
nd fu
nds
to a
co
untry
/city
. A
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill a
lso
attra
ct t
alen
ts p
osse
ssin
g fin
anci
al o
r te
chni
cal e
xper
tise.
�
FHK
I co
nsid
ers
that
all
maj
or e
cono
mie
s fo
cus
on i
nnov
ativ
e te
chno
logy
as
thei
r m
ain
axes
for
eco
nom
ic d
evel
opm
ent.
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld s
et u
p a
pate
nt s
yste
m
tailo
red
for
the
curr
ent c
ompe
titiv
e en
viro
nmen
t. G
iven
the
good
lega
l pro
tect
ion
of i
ntel
lect
ual
prop
erty
(“I
P”)
and
a pr
ospe
rous
fin
anci
al m
arke
t, a
pate
nt s
yste
m
coul
d he
lp
Hon
g K
ong
deve
lop
into
an
IP
tra
ding
hu
b an
d cr
eate
fu
rther
em
ploy
men
t opp
ortu
nitie
s fo
r loc
al ta
lent
s. T
o ra
ise
the
leve
l of H
ong
Kon
g in
the
inte
rnat
iona
l ar
ea o
f te
chno
logi
cal
inno
vatio
n an
d IP
, Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld h
ave
an
OG
P sy
stem
with
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion.
�
HK
MM
A c
onsi
ders
tha
t an
OG
P sy
stem
will
stim
ulat
e th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
pat
ent
agen
cy b
usin
ess
in H
ong
Kon
g, h
elp
build
up
loca
l ex
perti
se a
nd f
urth
er c
reat
e ca
reer
opp
ortu
nitie
s for
gra
duat
es w
ith sc
ienc
e an
d te
chni
cal b
ackg
roun
d.
�
HK
GC
C is
of t
he v
iew
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
shou
ld o
nly
be se
t up
in H
ong
Kon
g if
it (a
) ser
ves
the
criti
cal m
ass
bette
r to
just
ify a
sig
nific
ant c
hang
e in
the
syst
em; (
b) is
at
reas
onab
le c
osts
; and
(c) e
nhan
ces t
he g
row
th o
f the
pat
ent s
yste
m in
Hon
g K
ong.
A
n O
GP
syst
em d
oes
not n
eces
saril
y br
ing
thes
e be
nefit
s to
Hon
g K
ong
and
such
sy
stem
sho
uld
not b
e se
t up
for
the
sake
of
havi
ng o
ne o
r pr
omot
ing
the
imag
e of
H
ong
Kon
g if
it do
es n
ot s
erve
the
int
eres
t of
the
use
rs o
f th
e sy
stem
. I
n its
op
inio
n, in
nova
tion
and
pate
nt q
ualit
y m
ay n
ot b
e br
ed o
r pr
omot
ed p
er s
e by
an
OG
P sy
stem
as
econ
omic
, soc
iolo
gica
l and
oth
er f
acto
rs c
ould
be
mor
e pr
eval
ent,
63
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
such
as t
he re
spec
t and
faci
lity
for p
rote
ctio
n of
pat
ents
by
enfo
rcem
ent.
�
Am
Cha
m d
oes
not
belie
ve t
hat
a st
rong
eno
ugh
case
has
bee
n ad
vanc
ed f
or
intro
duci
ng a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g, b
earin
g in
min
d th
e co
st i
nvol
ved
in
setti
ng u
p an
d op
erat
ing
such
a sy
stem
.
�
HK
API
is c
once
rned
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
unn
eces
saril
y ra
ise
pate
ntin
g co
sts,
espe
cial
ly c
onsi
derin
g th
at it
is u
nlik
ely
that
ther
e w
ill b
e su
ffici
ent d
eman
d fo
r OG
P pa
tent
ing
and
beca
use
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
mor
e th
an a
dequ
atel
y m
eets
th
e ne
eds o
f the
pha
rmac
eutic
al in
dust
ry a
nd o
ther
sect
ors i
n H
ong
Kon
g.
�
LESC
-HK
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at it
is n
ot n
eces
sary
for
Hon
g K
ong
to h
ave
an O
GP
syst
em.
It b
elie
ves
that
the
curr
ent s
tand
ard
pate
nt s
yste
m is
alre
ady
user
-frie
ndly
, in
expe
nsiv
e an
d ca
n en
sure
qua
lity
in p
aten
t pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
An
OG
P sy
stem
whi
ch r
equi
res
inve
stor
s to
allo
cate
mor
e re
sour
ces,
in t
erm
s of
tim
e an
d m
oney
, in
de
alin
g w
ith
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
of
thei
r H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns w
ill d
eter
rat
her
than
pro
mot
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n.
LESC
-HK
fur
ther
ex
pres
ses
thei
r con
cern
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
may
unn
eces
saril
y dr
ain
Hon
g K
ong
of
prec
ious
res
ourc
es f
rom
oth
er m
ore
urge
nt n
eeds
. L
ESC
-HK
opi
nes
that
a m
ore
dire
ct w
ay to
pro
mot
e in
nova
tion
wou
ld b
e in
vest
men
t in
educ
atio
n an
d re
sear
ch,
rath
er th
an b
y an
OG
P sy
stem
. L
ESC
-HK
furth
er n
otes
that
sev
eral
lead
ing
pate
nt
offic
es h
ave
ente
red
into
or
are
nego
tiatin
g ar
rang
emen
ts to
ent
er in
to th
e “P
aten
t Pr
osec
utio
n H
ighw
ay”
(“PP
H”)
to r
educ
e du
plic
ate
pate
nt e
xam
inat
ion
wor
k be
ing
carr
ied
out a
nd to
redu
ce c
osts
and
incr
ease
effi
cien
cy in
pat
ent g
rant
. I
ntro
duci
ng
an O
GP
syst
em w
ill b
e m
ovin
g aw
ay f
rom
this
tren
d an
d co
mpl
icat
es r
athe
r th
an
stre
amlin
es p
aten
t gra
nt in
Hon
g K
ong.
1.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
Hon
g K
ong
Inst
itute
of P
aten
t Atto
rney
s
�
HK
IPA
sug
gest
s th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em s
houl
d be
intro
duce
d to
Hon
g K
ong
as s
oon
as
poss
ible
. H
KIP
A o
pine
s th
at m
ore
flexi
ble
exam
inat
ion
proc
edur
es w
ith u
tilis
atio
n of
loca
l res
ourc
es c
an b
e ad
opte
d un
der a
n O
GP
syst
em.
It f
urth
er o
pine
s th
at th
e
64
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
(���67�
) (“H
KIP
A”)
�
The
Hon
g K
ong
Inst
itute
of P
aten
t Pr
actit
ione
rs (���68�9:
) (“
HIP
P”)
�
The
Hon
g K
ong
Inst
itute
of T
rade
Mar
k Pr
actit
ione
rs (���;7:
) (“
HK
ITM
P”)
�
Asi
an P
aten
t Atto
rney
s Ass
ocia
tion
Hon
g K
ong
Gro
up (<=�68�9���5
) (
“APA
A”)
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
of H
ong
Kon
g (��>7
) (
“The
Law
Soc
iety
”)
exam
inat
ion
proc
edur
es c
ould
be
expe
dite
d un
der
a lo
cal
OG
P sy
stem
so
that
a
pate
nt c
ould
be
gran
ted
to a
n ap
plic
ant
soon
er.
Als
o, i
f an
OG
P sy
stem
is
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong,
loca
l ent
erpr
ises
cou
ld c
omm
unic
ate
dire
ctly
with
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt p
ract
ition
ers
with
out l
angu
age
barr
ier.
Con
cept
s of
inve
ntio
ns c
ould
be
con
veye
d to
pat
ent p
ract
ition
ers
mor
e cl
early
and
acc
urat
ely.
Th
e sc
ope
of th
e pa
tent
s co
uld
ther
efor
e be
mor
e pr
ecis
e.
Sinc
e pa
tent
s co
uld
be g
rant
ed t
o ap
plic
ants
in
a sh
orte
r tim
e if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, l
ocal
in
nova
tion
coul
d be
pro
mot
ed a
s inv
ento
rs c
ould
gen
erat
e re
venu
e so
oner
from
thei
r pa
tent
ed in
vent
ions
.
�
HK
IPA
pro
pose
s th
at m
echa
nism
s to
rev
oke
or in
valid
ate
pate
nts
othe
r th
an c
ourt
proc
eedi
ngs s
houl
d be
set u
p to
geth
er w
ith a
n O
GP
syst
em.
With
the
revo
catio
n or
in
valid
atio
n pr
oced
ures
set
up
on t
he b
asis
of
an O
GP
syst
em,
publ
ic o
r re
late
d pa
rties
can
hav
e an
effi
cien
t and
eco
nom
ical
way
to o
bjec
t to
the
gran
t of
a pa
tent
w
ithou
t the
nee
d to
reso
rt to
cou
rt pr
ocee
ding
s. T
his w
ill d
eter
abu
se (e
spec
ially
in
resp
ect o
f sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
), pr
otec
t thi
rd p
artie
s’ rig
hts,
enha
nce
pate
nt s
tabi
lity
and
redu
ce th
e co
sts o
f liti
gatio
n.
�
HIP
P op
ines
that
a “
full
OG
P sy
stem
” (in
whi
ch p
aten
ts a
re e
xam
ined
by
a fu
ll te
am
of e
xam
iner
s in
Hon
g K
ong)
will
hel
p H
ong
Kon
g pr
epar
e its
elf t
o be
a re
gion
al h
ub
and
deve
lop
its o
wn
pate
nt p
rofe
ssio
nals
for I
P tra
ding
. A
lso,
the
train
ing
brou
ght
to H
ong
Kon
g to
bui
ld u
p its
pat
ent
prof
essi
on c
an b
e ut
ilise
d by
inv
ento
rs a
nd
rese
arch
ers
to i
ncre
ase
thei
r kn
owle
dge
and
awar
enes
s of
pat
ent
law
and
the
n to
pr
ovid
e a
stim
ulat
ing
effe
ct o
n R
&D
. H
IPP
does
not
sup
port
an O
GP
syst
em w
ith
exam
inat
ion
outs
ourc
ed.
Acc
ordi
ng to
thei
r pro
posa
l, a
full
OG
P sy
stem
shou
ld b
e in
trodu
ced
in fi
ve y
ears
’ tim
e.
�
HK
ITM
P po
ints
out
tha
t th
ere
is n
o cr
edib
le e
mpi
rical
evi
denc
e su
ppor
ting
the
notio
n th
at t
he p
rese
nce
of a
n O
GP
syst
em (
with
add
ition
al c
osts
ass
ocia
ted
with
pu
rsui
ng g
rant
) will
hav
e an
y ef
fect
on
stim
ulat
ing
loca
l inn
ovat
ion.
H
KIT
MP
also
65
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
thin
ks t
here
will
be
a de
crea
se i
n pa
tent
qua
lity
unle
ss t
here
is
a su
bsta
ntia
l in
vest
men
t of t
ime
and
reso
urce
s in
purs
uing
an
OG
P sy
stem
, whi
ch w
ould
be
bette
r sp
ent f
or o
ther
pur
pose
s.
�
Bot
h H
KIT
MP
and
APA
A h
ighl
ight
tha
t du
e to
cos
ts a
ssoc
iate
d w
ith p
aten
t ex
amin
atio
n pr
oces
s an
d in
crea
sing
ba
cklo
ads
at
mos
t of
th
e m
ajor
pa
tent
ex
amin
atio
n of
fices
, the
re is
an
inte
rnat
iona
l tre
nd to
mov
e aw
ay fr
om lo
cal o
rigin
al
exam
inat
ion.
Ex
ampl
es o
f th
is t
rend
as
men
tione
d by
HK
ITM
P an
d A
PAA
in
clud
e:
(a)
allo
win
g gr
ant o
f a p
aten
t in
one
reco
gnis
ed su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
ing
juris
dict
ion
to
be
reco
gnis
ed
in
anot
her
(ofte
n sm
alle
r)
juris
dict
ion
(“m
odifi
ed
exam
inat
ion”
);
(b)
requ
iring
loc
al p
aten
t pr
actit
ione
rs t
o su
bmit
sear
ch r
esul
ts a
nd e
xam
inat
ion
resu
lts o
f rel
ated
app
licat
ions
in o
ther
cou
ntrie
s to
the
loca
l pat
ent o
ffice
(with
se
rious
pen
altie
s for
failu
re to
do
so) s
o th
at th
e lo
cal e
xam
iner
s can
revi
ew th
e as
sess
men
t re
sults
reg
ardi
ng t
he s
ubst
antiv
e va
lidity
of
the
rela
ted
pate
nt
appl
icat
ions
in o
ther
juris
dict
ions
;
(c)
exam
inin
g pa
tent
app
licat
ions
bas
ed o
n se
arch
res
ults
and
/or
exam
inat
ion
resu
lts
of
corr
espo
ndin
g ap
plic
atio
ns
in
othe
r ju
risdi
ctio
ns,
e.g.
PP
H
arra
ngem
ents
bet
wee
n di
ffere
nt ju
risdi
ctio
ns;
(d)
an i
ncre
asin
g re
lianc
e on
“In
tern
atio
nal
Sear
ch R
epor
ts”
and
“Int
erna
tiona
l Pr
elim
inar
y O
pini
on o
n Pa
tent
abili
ty”
issu
ed d
urin
g th
e in
tern
atio
nal p
hase
in
a pa
tent
app
licat
ion
unde
r th
e Pa
tent
Coo
pera
tion
Trea
ty (
“PC
T”)
syst
em b
y pa
tent
exa
min
atio
n au
thor
ities
in o
ther
juris
dict
ions
;
(e)
relia
nce
on s
earc
h re
sults
and
bac
kgro
und
info
rmat
ion
from
pro
secu
tion
in
fore
ign
juris
dict
ions
; and
66
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
(f)
a pa
tent
is
only
gra
nted
if
an a
pplic
ant
furn
ishe
s ev
iden
ce o
f gr
ant
of a
co
rres
pond
ing
pate
nt
in
a ju
risdi
ctio
n ha
ving
a
cred
ible
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n pa
tent
offi
ce a
nd th
e cl
aim
s ar
e am
ende
d in
the
loca
l app
licat
ion
to c
orre
spon
d w
ith th
ose
gran
ted
in th
e fo
reig
n ju
risdi
ctio
n.
Acc
ordi
ngly
, int
rodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g is
not
in li
ne w
ith th
e in
tern
atio
nal t
rend
.
�
APA
A c
onsi
ders
tha
t in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
wou
ld n
ot
incr
ease
the
qual
ity o
f H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s as
the
qual
ity o
f H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s is
al
read
y ve
ry h
igh.
�
APA
A o
pine
s th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill n
ot i
tsel
f pr
omot
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n.
Any
in
crea
sed
publ
ic a
war
enes
s of
pat
ents
by
the
intro
duct
ion
of s
uch
a sy
stem
and
any
co
nseq
uent
in
crea
sed
inte
rest
in
pu
rsui
t of
pa
tent
rig
hts
and
stim
ulat
ion
of
inno
vatio
n w
ill b
e m
inim
al.
�
APA
A is
war
y th
at a
ny c
hang
e to
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt s
yste
m w
hich
res
ults
in a
de
crea
se in
the
pres
umpt
ion
of v
alid
ity w
ould
lose
the
wel
l-est
ablis
hed
inte
rnat
iona
l re
spec
t of
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt s
yste
m, a
nd is
like
ly to
stif
le lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n as
w
ell a
s det
er fo
reig
n in
vest
men
t in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
has
ser
ious
res
erva
tions
of
the
exte
nt th
at th
e th
eore
tical
ben
efits
of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in h
elpi
ng to
dev
elop
and
trai
n lo
cal p
aten
t pro
fess
iona
ls c
ould
be
real
ised
if
Hon
g K
ong
is t
o ad
opt
an O
GP
syst
em w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n be
ing
outs
ourc
ed t
o ot
her
pate
nt o
ffice
s. I
n pa
rticu
lar,
the
Law
Soc
iety
is
conc
erne
d th
at i
f su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
out
sour
ced
to t
he S
tate
Int
elle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty
Offi
ce
of
the
Peop
le’s
R
epub
lic
of
Chi
na
(“SI
PO”)
, it
will
gi
ve
prac
titio
ners
of
the
Peop
le’s
Rep
ublic
of
Chi
na (
“PR
C”)
an
enha
nced
com
petit
ive
adva
ntag
e ov
er p
aten
t pra
ctiti
oner
s no
t qua
lifie
d un
der
the
PRC
sys
tem
. I
t poi
nts
out
that
the
PR
C g
over
nmen
t on
ly a
llow
s PR
C q
ualif
ied
pate
nt a
gent
s to
han
dle
67
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
pate
nt w
ork
and
the
qual
ifyin
g ex
amin
atio
n is
onl
y op
en to
PR
C C
hine
se n
atio
nals
(a
nd i
n re
cent
yea
rs t
o H
ong
Kon
g an
d M
acan
ese
citiz
ens
of C
hine
se e
thni
cal
orig
in).
The
Law
Soc
iety
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at if
the
goal
is to
dev
elop
loca
l Hon
g K
ong
expe
rtise
, it
is i
mpo
rtant
to
intro
duce
a s
yste
m t
o en
sure
tha
t th
e lo
cal
prof
essi
on m
ay in
deed
be
enco
urag
ed to
lear
n, st
rive
and
grow
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is d
oubt
ful h
ow a
n O
GP
syst
em m
ay p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion.
It
note
s th
at th
e cu
rren
t sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
is a
kin
to a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ith p
aten
t se
arch
bei
ng “
outs
ourc
ed”.
Ye
t, al
thou
gh H
ong
Kon
g re
mai
ns th
e to
p us
ers
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m in
the
past
fiv
e ye
ars
(fro
m 2
006
to 2
010)
, the
num
ber
of
Hon
g K
ong
filin
gs re
mai
ns lo
w.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
bel
ieve
s tha
t the
qua
lity
of th
e cu
rren
t Hon
g K
ong
stan
dard
pat
ents
is
hig
h as
the
pate
nts
have
bee
n su
bsta
ntiv
ely
exam
ined
by
the
pate
nt o
ffice
s of
the
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
(“th
e U
K”)
, Eur
opea
n Pa
tent
Offi
ce (“
EPO
”) o
r SIP
O, a
nd c
anno
t se
e ho
w a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
may
enh
ance
pat
ent q
ualit
y.
On
the
othe
r ha
nd, d
epen
ding
on
how
the
OG
P sy
stem
ope
rate
s, th
e La
w S
ocie
ty i
s co
ncer
ned
that
the
pate
nt q
ualit
y m
ay d
eter
iora
te.
It n
otes
that
Sin
gapo
re d
oes
not i
mpo
se a
n ob
ligat
ion
on a
pplic
ants
to
amen
d th
eir
appl
icat
ions
in
resp
onse
to
exam
inat
ion
resu
lts, a
nd in
pra
ctic
e, S
inga
pore
an p
aten
ts a
re p
ublis
hed
and
gran
ted
wha
teve
r the
re
sults
of
exam
inat
ion
are.
In
tha
t se
nse,
the
Law
Soc
iety
com
men
ts t
hat
the
Sing
apor
ean
syst
em i
s in
ferio
r to
the
cur
rent
sys
tem
of
Hon
g K
ong
whi
ch
guar
ante
es
prop
erly
ex
amin
ed,
amen
ded
(if
requ
ired)
an
d gr
ante
d pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
dou
bts
if an
OG
P sy
stem
can
be
mor
e us
er-f
riend
ly a
nd
cost
-effe
ctiv
e th
an th
e cu
rren
t sys
tem
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
que
ries
whe
ther
the
num
ber
of j
obs
crea
ted
for
poly
tech
nic
grad
uate
s w
ould
just
ify th
e su
bsta
ntia
l res
ourc
es a
nd in
vest
men
ts in
impl
emen
ting
68
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
an O
GP
syst
em.
1.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
Dem
ocra
tic A
llian
ce fo
r the
Bet
term
ent a
nd
Prog
ress
of H
ong
Kon
g (?@�
) (“D
AB
”)
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
(ABCD
)
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty (#?E
)
�
DA
B s
uppo
rts t
he i
ntro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g fo
r va
rious
re
ason
s:
(a)
havi
ng th
e ab
ility
to c
ondu
ct p
aten
t exa
min
atio
n on
its
own
mea
ns h
avin
g th
e gr
eate
st c
ontro
l on
the
stan
dard
s of
pat
ents
gra
nted
so
that
they
can
alig
n w
ith
the
loca
l act
ual n
eeds
on
inno
vatio
n an
d te
chno
logy
dev
elop
men
t;
(b)
the
scal
e of
the
pate
nt-r
elat
ed in
dust
ry in
Hon
g K
ong
coul
d be
dev
elop
ed b
y th
e gr
adua
l est
ablis
hmen
t of a
pat
ent s
yste
m w
ith “
self-
exam
inat
ion”
cap
acity
;
(c)
the
deve
lopm
ent o
f a
pate
nt s
yste
m in
whi
ch lo
cal e
xam
inat
ion
of p
aten
ts is
ca
rrie
d ou
t can
stim
ulat
e th
e gr
owth
of p
aten
t-rel
ated
indu
stry
, and
in tu
rn w
ill
offe
r al
tern
ativ
e ca
reer
rou
tes
for
grad
uate
s w
ith s
cien
ce a
nd t
echn
ical
ba
ckgr
ound
and
pro
vide
the
m w
ith g
reat
er r
oom
for
dev
elop
men
t lo
cally
in
thei
r spe
cial
ised
are
as; a
nd
(d)
if H
ong
Kon
g is
to im
plem
ent a
pat
ent s
yste
m in
whi
ch e
xam
inat
ion
is c
arrie
d ou
t loc
ally
and
ther
e is
loca
l exp
ertis
e fo
r pa
tent
indu
stry
, app
lican
ts w
ill b
e be
nefit
ed a
nd w
ill th
en b
e en
cour
aged
to a
pply
for p
aten
ts fo
r the
ir in
vent
ions
.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
bel
ieve
s th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em c
an a
ttrac
t en
terp
rises
to
set
up
thei
r fa
cilit
ies
for
R&
D
in
Hon
g K
ong.
The
syst
em
can
also
be
nefit
sm
all-a
nd-m
ediu
m e
nter
pris
es (
“SM
Es”)
whi
ch o
nly
wis
h to
enf
orce
pat
ent
right
s w
ithin
Hon
g K
ong
with
sim
plifi
ed p
aten
t app
licat
ion
proc
edur
es, a
nd in
turn
res
ult
in a
redu
ctio
n of
cos
ts a
nd ti
me
requ
ired
to o
btai
n pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
adv
ises
tha
t se
tting
up
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g ca
n le
t H
ong
Kon
g be
com
e th
e pl
ace
of “
first
fili
ng”
for
pate
nts.
Firs
t fili
ng c
an a
fford
ap
plic
ants
with
ear
ly p
ublic
atio
n, s
peed
y ex
amin
atio
n an
d sh
orte
r tim
e in
obt
aini
ng
69
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
prot
ectio
n.
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Pa
rty s
uppo
rts th
e es
tabl
ishm
ent o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
to fa
cilit
ate
thos
e pa
rties
who
onl
y w
ant t
o se
ek p
aten
t pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d w
ill th
us p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion.
In
add
ition
, the
y co
nsid
er a
n O
GP
syst
em to
be
inst
rum
enta
l to
the
train
ing
of lo
cal e
xper
tise
to a
sses
s pat
enta
bilit
y.
1.4
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu (D
ivis
ion
of S
ocia
l Sci
ence
, H
ong
Kon
g U
nive
rsity
of S
cien
ce a
nd
Tech
nolo
gy)
�
Dr C
W T
so (A
djun
ct P
rofe
ssor
, Sch
ool o
f En
ergy
and
Env
ironm
ent,
City
Uni
vers
ity
of H
ong
Kon
g)
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu s
uppo
rts t
he i
ntro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g so
tha
t in
dige
nous
inn
ovat
ion
wou
ld b
e en
cour
aged
and
tha
t an
inn
ovat
ion
ecos
yste
m
wou
ld b
e fo
ster
ed in
Hon
g K
ong.
In
his
vie
w, a
n O
GP
syst
em c
ould
als
o en
able
H
ong
Kon
g’s
trans
form
atio
n in
to a
reg
iona
l inn
ovat
ion
hub.
G
iven
Hon
g K
ong’
s re
puta
tion
and
long
-sta
ndin
g pr
actic
e of
the
rule
of l
aw, t
he e
stab
lishm
ent o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
cou
ld e
xert
a po
sitiv
e an
d si
gnifi
cant
im
pact
on
the
deve
lopm
ent
of t
he
IP-r
elat
ed p
rofe
ssio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Dr C
W T
so is
of t
he v
iew
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
can
offe
r the
follo
win
g be
nefit
s:
(a)
allo
w in
vent
ors
who
do
not n
eed
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n el
sew
here
to a
pply
dire
ctly
in
Hon
g K
ong;
(b)
save
cos
ts fo
r inv
ento
rs;
(c)
com
plem
ent
the
effo
rts b
eing
mad
e to
enc
oura
ge m
ore
entre
pren
eurs
to
use
Hon
g K
ong
as a
laun
chin
g pa
d fo
r the
ir R
&D
bus
ines
ses;
(d)
stim
ulat
e th
e gr
owth
of
pate
nt a
genc
y bu
sine
ss i
n H
ong
Kon
g, a
nd s
o he
lp
build
up
loca
l exp
ertis
e in
dra
fting
and
pro
secu
ting
appl
icat
ions
for p
aten
ts;
(e)
crea
te
care
er
oppo
rtuni
ties
for
grad
uate
s w
ith
scie
nce
and
engi
neer
ing
back
grou
nd; a
nd
(f)
help
for
tify
the
furth
er d
evel
opm
ent
of H
ong
Kon
g as
a r
egio
nal
inno
vatio
n
70
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
and
tech
nolo
gy h
ub.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
is
of t
he v
iew
tha
t th
e pr
opos
ed O
GP
syst
em w
ill n
ot o
nly
brin
g ab
stra
ct IP
into
mor
e so
lid, t
angi
ble
asse
ts in
Hon
g K
ong
indu
strie
s, bu
t al
so p
rovi
de t
he n
iche
for
mul
tinat
iona
l co
rpor
atio
ns a
nd r
esea
rch
expe
rts to
cre
ate
thei
r bus
ines
s op
portu
nitie
s w
ith H
ong
Kon
g se
rvin
g as
a p
latfo
rm;
trans
form
ing
Hon
g K
ong
into
an
inte
rnat
iona
l IP
exc
hang
e hu
b.
With
suc
h fu
nctio
n, H
ong
Kon
g w
ould
def
inite
ly a
ttrac
t ent
repr
eneu
rs, r
esea
rch
expe
rts a
nd IP
sp
ecia
lists
to
stat
ion
and
expa
nd t
heir
proj
ects
; re
sulti
ng i
n th
e cr
eatio
n of
mor
e ca
reer
opp
ortu
nitie
s fo
r exp
erts
of b
oth
lega
l and
tech
nica
l bac
kgro
und
as w
ell a
s an
at
mos
pher
e fo
r th
e co
oper
atio
n an
d co
llabo
ratio
n be
twee
n th
e in
dust
ries
and
the
acad
emia
to w
ork
out t
he b
est s
olut
ions
to fu
lfil t
he te
chno
logi
cal d
evel
opm
ent w
ith
mar
keta
ble
com
mer
cial
val
ues.
Pat
ent
qual
ity w
ill s
urel
y be
enh
ance
d an
d th
e su
ppor
t of o
pen
inno
vatio
n in
uni
vers
ities
and
rese
arch
inst
itute
s will
be
prom
oted
.
1.5
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
(UK
Cha
rtere
d Pa
tent
A
ttorn
ey, e
x-pr
esid
ent o
f the
HK
ITM
P)
�
Chr
is M
urra
y (P
aten
t Atto
rney
)
�
A g
roup
of p
rofe
ssio
nally
qua
lifie
d pa
tent
at
torn
eys c
urre
ntly
pra
ctis
ing
in H
ong
Kon
g (“
QPA
Gro
up”)
:
(a)
Tim
othy
J. L
ette
rs (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey, R
egis
tere
d N
ew Z
eala
nd P
aten
t Atto
rney
)
(b)
Laur
ence
Tho
o (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
�
Ric
hard
R.
Hal
stea
d co
nsid
ers
that
the
pre
sent
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em h
as n
othi
ng
wro
ng a
nd i
f so
me
chan
ges
have
to
be m
ade,
no
stru
ctur
al c
hang
es s
houl
d be
in
trodu
ced:
(a)
he c
onsi
ders
cre
dibi
lity
of p
aten
ts i
ssue
d to
be
very
im
porta
nt t
o th
e sy
stem
us
ers
and
the
publ
ic a
nd th
at, e
ven
by s
ettin
g up
an
OG
P sy
stem
, Hon
g K
ong
coul
d ha
rdly
m
atch
up
w
ith
the
effic
ienc
y an
d le
vel
of
expe
rtise
of
w
ell-e
stab
lishe
d pa
tent
offi
ces
such
as
the
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
Int
elle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty O
ffice
(“U
KIP
O”)
and
SIP
O;
(b)
he b
elie
ves,
by p
oint
ing
out
that
mos
t co
nsum
ers
pref
er t
o us
e th
e un
ified
ex
amin
atio
n sy
stem
und
er E
PO ra
ther
than
filin
g in
indi
vidu
al c
ount
ries,
a la
ck
of o
rigin
al p
aten
t gra
nt sy
stem
doe
s not
cor
rela
te w
ith th
e ab
ility
to in
nova
te;
(c)
he c
onsi
ders
abu
se o
f th
e pa
tent
sys
tem
by
seek
ing
to e
nfor
ce in
valid
pat
ents
71
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
(c)
Jeffr
ey M
cLea
n (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
(d)
Jam
es W
an (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey, R
egis
tere
d N
ew
Zeal
and
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey, R
egis
tere
d Si
ngap
ore
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
(e)
Mic
hael
Flin
t (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey, R
egis
tere
d N
ew
Zeal
and
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
(f)
Ow
en G
ee (R
egis
tere
d A
ustra
lian
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey, R
egis
tere
d N
ew
Zeal
and
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
(g)
Mic
hael
Lin
(Reg
iste
red
US
Pate
nt
Atto
rney
)
(h)
Chi
n-W
ah T
sang
(UK
Cha
rtere
d Pa
tent
A
ttorn
ey)
(i)
Eric
C F
Lam
(UK
Cha
rtere
d Pa
tent
A
ttorn
ey)
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d (�F>7GHI
) (la
w
firm
)
� JK
& LMN
(“S
ong
& C
han”
):
to b
e a
big
prob
lem
. T
he r
ampa
nt a
buse
of
the
pate
nt s
yste
m d
isco
urag
es
inno
vatio
n if
the
accu
sed
coul
d on
ly s
how
the
pat
ents
to
be i
nval
id v
ia
expe
nsiv
e co
urt p
roce
edin
gs.
He
cons
ider
s th
ere
is m
ore
likel
y to
be
abus
e w
hen
pate
nt o
ffice
s w
ith p
oor
nove
lty s
earc
h us
ually
gra
nt a
muc
h br
oade
r pa
tent
tha
n th
e on
es w
ith g
ood
prio
r ar
t se
arch
fac
ilitie
s an
d ar
gues
tha
t it
wou
ld b
e un
fair
to th
e ge
nera
l pub
lic in
this
rega
rd; a
nd
(d)
in o
rder
to p
reve
nt a
buse
of
the
syst
em, h
e su
gges
ts r
equi
ring
appl
ican
ts f
or
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nts t
o de
clar
e th
at (i
) the
pat
ent i
s bel
ieve
d to
be
valid
; and
(ii)
all p
rior a
rt kn
own
to h
im b
ut n
ot c
ited
durin
g su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
the
corr
espo
ndin
g de
sign
ated
app
licat
ion
shal
l be
disc
lose
d to
the
defe
ndan
t prio
r to
lega
l pro
ceed
ings
, with
cos
ts p
enal
ties f
or fa
iling
to d
o so
.
�
Chr
is
Mur
ray
is
agai
nst
the
setti
ng
up
of
an
OG
P sy
stem
be
caus
e lit
tle
man
ufac
turin
g is
do
ne
in
Hon
g K
ong
and
no
high
vo
lum
e pr
oduc
ts
are
man
ufac
ture
d fo
r th
e H
ong
Kon
g m
arke
t on
ly.
The
val
ue o
f a
stan
dalo
ne H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
is m
inim
al a
nd, h
ence
, the
cos
ts in
volv
ed a
re u
njus
tifia
ble.
�
QPA
Gro
up e
mph
asis
es t
hat
alth
ough
the
pot
entia
l be
nefit
s of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
clud
e en
hanc
ed p
ublic
aw
aren
ess
of p
aten
ts a
nd in
telle
ctua
l pro
perty
righ
ts, w
hich
m
ay re
min
d th
e pu
blic
of “
inno
vatio
n”, a
n O
GP
syst
em a
lone
will
not
pro
mot
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n.
�
QPA
Gro
up b
elie
ves
that
the
intro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
will
not
en
hanc
e th
e qu
ality
of
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nts
as t
he t
hree
exi
stin
g de
sign
ated
pat
ent
offic
es a
re a
lread
y pr
ovid
ing
high
qua
lity
exam
inat
ions
.
�
From
the
expe
rienc
e of
mem
bers
of Q
PA G
roup
:
(a)
they
are
yet
to
have
any
Hon
g K
ong
loca
l cl
ient
s w
ho p
ursu
e pa
tent
rig
hts
sugg
est t
hat a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
wou
ld b
e of
any
ben
efit
to th
em;
72
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
(a) JK
(PR
C P
aten
t Atto
rney
); an
d
(b) LMN
(PR
C P
aten
t Atto
rney
)
�
Dan
ny C
han
(Aut
horiz
ed IP
Atto
rney
of t
he
natio
nal I
P O
ffice
of M
alta
of E
urop
ean
Uni
on, L
iste
d IP
Atto
rney
in th
e re
cord
of
the
Dan
ish
Pate
nt &
Tra
dem
ark
Offi
ce)
�
Nig
el L
ee (U
K C
harte
red
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey,
PRC
Pat
ent A
ttorn
ey)
�
Kam
Wah
Law
(US
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
�
Ken
neth
Yip
(sol
icito
r)
�
Sam
Yip
(US
Pate
nt A
ttorn
ey)
�
Chi
na In
telle
ctua
l Pro
perty
(H.K
.) Li
mite
d
�
Ben
ny K
ong
(sol
icito
r)
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
(b)
they
are
yet
to
hear
any
for
eign
clie
nts
sugg
estin
g an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
wou
ld b
e of
ben
efit
to fo
reig
n ap
plic
ants
for H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s; a
nd
(c)
they
are
yet
to h
ear
any
prof
essi
onal
ly q
ualif
ied
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys
prov
ide
any
cohe
rent
arg
umen
t as t
o ho
w a
n O
GP
syst
em c
ould
hel
p H
ong
Kon
g ap
plic
ants
fr
om a
com
mer
cial
or f
inan
cial
stan
dpoi
nt.
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d su
ppor
ts e
stab
lishm
ent
of a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
hile
m
aint
aini
ng t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
bec
ause
und
er t
he c
urre
nt s
yste
m,
thei
r cl
ient
s w
ho h
ave
busi
ness
es o
nly
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d de
sire
pat
ent p
rote
ctio
n on
ly i
n H
ong
Kon
g ar
e re
quire
d to
spe
nd s
ubst
antia
l ex
pens
es t
o ob
tain
pat
ent
regi
stra
tion
in o
ne o
f the
des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s bef
ore
obta
inin
g pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
If th
ey d
o no
t wis
h to
incu
r the
ext
ra e
xpen
ses,
they
can
onl
y ap
ply
for s
hort-
term
pat
ents
whi
ch d
o no
t offe
r a fu
ll 20
-yea
r ter
m o
f pro
tect
ion.
Fu
rther
, pr
ovin
g th
e va
lidity
of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts is
har
sher
than
pro
ving
reg
istra
bilit
y an
d pa
tent
abili
ty.
In
prac
tice,
the
ir cl
ient
s do
not
use
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t ro
ute
for
any
“ser
ious
” in
vent
ions
. A
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill fa
cilit
ate
the
obta
inin
g of
full-
term
pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g fo
r “se
rious
” in
vent
ions
cre
ated
loca
lly, p
artic
ular
ly
thos
e of
hi
gh
com
mer
cial
va
lue,
an
d H
ong
Kon
g w
ill
be
cons
ider
ed
as
a te
chno
logi
cally
inno
vativ
e ci
ty.
�
Song
& C
han
opin
e th
at it
is n
ot re
alis
tic to
say
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g w
ill b
ring
grea
t eco
nom
ic a
dvan
tage
s an
d cr
eate
car
eer o
ppor
tuni
ties.
The
y ar
e of
th
e vi
ew t
hat
Hon
g K
ong
does
not
hav
e th
e st
reng
th t
o ad
opt
an O
GP
syst
em.
Th
ey n
ote
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
mus
t be
bac
ked
by s
trong
R&
D c
apac
ity i
n hi
gh
tech
nolo
gy in
dust
ries,
whi
ch is
cur
rent
ly la
ckin
g in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Dan
ny C
han
opin
es t
hat
it is
not
nec
essa
ry t
o in
trodu
ce a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g as
the
mar
ket s
ize
and
popu
latio
n is
not
larg
e en
ough
.
�
Nig
el L
ee c
onsi
ders
that
hav
ing
an O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
wou
ld h
ave
bene
fits
73
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
incl
udin
g:
(a)
high
er l
egal
cer
tain
ty a
bout
the
val
idity
of
a H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
whe
n co
mpa
red
to a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t;
(b)
a le
ss e
xpen
sive
and
mor
e co
nven
ient
way
for
a p
aten
t app
lican
t to
obta
in a
20
-yea
r ful
l ter
m H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
, par
ticul
arly
whe
n th
e ap
plic
ant d
oes
not
wan
t to
appl
y fo
r a p
aten
t in
Chi
na, E
urop
e or
the
UK
;
(c)
esta
blis
hmen
t of a
loca
l exa
min
atio
n te
am in
Inte
llect
ual P
rope
rty D
epar
tmen
t (“
IPD
”) fo
r OG
P w
ould
allo
w IP
D to
pro
vide
opi
nion
s on
pat
ent i
nfrin
gem
ent
and
pate
nt v
alid
ity is
sues
whi
ch m
eans
a c
ost-e
ffect
ive
rout
e fo
r the
pub
lic to
se
ek re
liabl
e op
inio
ns w
hen
com
pare
d w
ith ta
king
out
exp
ensi
ve le
gal a
ctio
ns
befo
re th
e co
urt;
and
(d)
enco
urag
emen
t of
dev
elop
men
t of
the
pat
ent
atto
rney
pro
fess
ion,
the
reby
im
prov
ing
the
qual
ity o
f loc
al p
aten
t ser
vice
s.
He
also
thin
ks th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em c
an p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt
qual
ity b
ecau
se it
enc
oura
ges
deve
lopm
ent o
f th
e pa
tent
atto
rney
pro
fess
ion
whi
ch
can
then
pro
vide
stro
ng s
uppo
rt an
d co
nsul
tatio
n to
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
indu
stry
and
it
also
enc
oura
ges
the
depl
oym
ent o
f in
-hou
se p
aten
t spe
cial
ists
in R
&D
com
pani
es,
rese
arch
inst
itute
s and
uni
vers
ities
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
con
side
rs a
n O
GP
syst
em t
o ha
ve t
he a
dditi
onal
ben
efits
of
supp
ortin
g a
larg
e nu
mbe
r of
hig
hly
paid
pat
ent
exam
iner
s an
d pa
tent
age
nts
and
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys i
n H
ong
Kon
g an
d th
is w
ill b
e go
od fo
r the
eco
nom
y of
Hon
g K
ong
as w
ell a
s loc
al sc
ienc
e an
d en
gine
erin
g gr
adua
tes.
�
Ken
neth
Yip
sup
ports
hav
ing
an O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
H
e th
inks
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
wor
ks f
ine
only
if th
e G
over
nmen
t is
will
ing
to g
ive
up i
ts j
udic
ial
pow
er t
o tre
at i
tsel
f as
a c
olon
ial
stat
e of
a f
orei
gn c
ount
ry,
just
74
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
anot
her c
ity o
f Chi
na o
r on
par w
ith o
ther
dev
elop
ing
coun
tries
.
�
Sam
Yip
is o
f the
vie
w th
at fo
ster
ing
econ
omic
and
soc
ial c
ondi
tions
, ava
ilabi
lity
of
high
ly e
duca
ted
wor
kfor
ce, h
uman
ent
repr
eneu
rial
spiri
ts, p
rogr
essi
ve g
over
nmen
t po
licie
s, re
spec
t fo
r IP
and
effe
ctiv
e en
forc
emen
t on
the
pro
tect
ion
of I
P, b
ut n
ot
mer
ely
havi
ng a
n O
GP
syst
em, a
re th
e pr
imar
y m
otiv
ator
s fo
r lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n or
in
vest
men
t in
R&
D.
As
for
pate
nt q
ualit
y, h
e th
inks
tha
t it
depe
nds
on t
he
proc
urem
ent,
exam
inat
ion
and
enfo
rcem
ent
of p
aten
ts,
but
ther
e is
no
subs
tant
ial
defic
ienc
y in
any
of t
hese
are
as.
�
Chi
na I
ntel
lect
ual P
rope
rty (
H.K
.) Li
mite
d do
es n
ot s
uppo
rt th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
is o
f the
vie
w th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em h
as a
bet
ter a
bilit
y to
kee
p in
vent
ors
and
inve
stor
s in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
A r
espo
nden
t no
tes
that
in
addi
tion
to t
he b
enef
its a
lread
y m
entio
ned
in t
he
Con
sulta
tion
Pape
r, it
is a
fund
amen
tal r
ight
for a
n ap
plic
ant t
o ha
ve th
e op
tion
and
free
dom
to p
ursu
e a
pate
nt w
ith a
ny p
artic
ular
con
tent
and
cla
im w
ordi
ng th
at h
e se
es fi
t. W
ithou
t an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g, th
e co
nten
t and
cla
im w
ordi
ng o
f a
Hon
g K
ong
stan
dard
pat
ent w
ould
alw
ays b
e de
pend
ent o
n a
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t and
th
eref
ore
the
pate
nt a
pplic
ant w
ill b
e de
priv
ed o
f su
ch r
ight
. F
urth
er, s
ome
lega
l pa
tent
test
s or
sta
ndar
ds w
hich
are
app
licab
le o
r sui
tabl
e in
the
cont
ext o
f the
UK
or
Euro
pe m
ight
not
alw
ays
be s
uita
ble
in H
ong
Kon
g.
Unl
ess
Hon
g K
ong
has
its
own
OG
P sy
stem
, the
dev
elop
men
t of t
he le
gal p
aten
t sys
tem
and
the
prec
eden
ts in
H
ong
Kon
g w
ould
be
hind
ered
by
the
relia
nce
of p
aten
ts i
ssue
d in
the
sai
d ju
risdi
ctio
ns.
He
also
not
es th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ould
cre
ate
a m
ore
enco
urag
ing
envi
ronm
ent
for
first
fu
ll-te
rm
pate
nt
filin
gs
in
Hon
g K
ong
and
mor
e jo
b op
portu
nitie
s and
wou
ld p
rom
ote
tradi
ng o
f IP/
pate
nt ri
ghts
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
A r
espo
nden
t se
ts o
ut t
he n
eed
for
Hon
g K
ong
to e
stab
lish
a ho
me
pate
nt o
ffice
75
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
whi
ch w
ould
pro
vide
an
imag
e of
inn
ovat
ion
as w
ell
as p
lay
a pr
actic
al r
ole
for
driv
ing
and
supp
ortin
g ot
her
tech
nolo
gy/in
nova
tion-
rela
ted
initi
ativ
es i
n H
ong
Kon
g, su
ch a
s dev
elop
men
t of a
pat
ent e
quity
inde
x.
1.6
Oth
ers
�
Hon
g K
ong
Prod
uctiv
ity C
ounc
il (��O
PDQR!
) (“H
KPC
”)
�
Asi
a Pa
cific
Inte
llect
ual C
apita
l Cen
tre
(“A
PIC
C”)
�
Uni
vers
al D
ispl
ay C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n
�
Ble
ssed
Inc
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC c
onsi
ders
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
wou
ld h
ave
bene
fits i
nclu
ding
:
(a)
allo
w d
irect
app
licat
ions
in
Hon
g K
ong,
and
it
is a
ntic
ipat
ed t
hat
the
appl
icat
ion
proc
ess w
ould
take
a sh
orte
r tim
e;
(b)
the
publ
ic w
ill h
ave
bette
r ac
cess
to
and
a be
tter
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
the
ap
plic
atio
n pr
oced
ures
an
d re
quire
men
ts;
the
proc
edur
es
can
be
bette
r co
ntro
lled
in ti
me
and
qual
ity;
(c)
incr
ease
the
loc
al d
eman
d fo
r an
d pr
omot
e th
e gr
owth
of
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es i
n H
ong
Kon
g an
d fa
cilit
ate
pate
nt p
rofe
ssio
nals
to
enha
nce
thei
r te
chni
cal s
kills
;
(d)
crea
te e
mpl
oym
ent o
ppor
tuni
ties a
nd in
spire
trai
ning
inst
itutio
ns to
des
ign
new
co
urse
s to
train
pat
ent p
rofe
ssio
nals
;
(e)
prom
ote
inno
vatio
n an
d IP
pro
tect
ion
whe
n th
e re
gist
ratio
n ag
ency
pro
vide
s di
rect
adv
isor
y se
rvic
es o
n pa
tent
app
licat
ions
, ass
essm
ent c
riter
ia, e
tc.;
and
(f)
prov
ide
an
impr
oved
le
gal
fram
ewor
k th
at
supp
orts
lo
cal
indu
stry
in
tra
nsfo
rmin
g to
inno
vatio
n an
d IP
trad
ing.
�
API
CC
is o
f the
vie
w th
at a
robu
st O
GP
syst
em is
one
of t
he k
ey b
usin
ess c
ondi
tions
w
hich
are
nee
ded
if H
ong
Kon
g is
to b
ecom
e a
wor
ld c
lass
kno
wle
dge
econ
omy.
Su
ch a
sys
tem
is
also
a f
ound
atio
n bu
sine
ss c
ondi
tion
to t
he “
IP a
nd T
echn
olog
y Tr
ansf
er”,
“O
pen
Inno
vatio
n” a
nd “
Com
mer
cial
isat
ion”
cap
aciti
es w
hich
Hon
g K
ong
need
s to
deve
lop
in th
e ne
xt fi
ve to
10
year
s. A
PIC
C a
lso
supp
orts
hav
ing
an
76
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
OG
P sy
stem
but
onl
y if
a H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
will
als
o be
rec
ogni
sed
in M
ainl
and
Chi
na.
�
Uni
vers
al D
ispl
ay C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g, L
td.
is o
f th
e vi
ew t
hat
it is
not
ne
cess
ary
to in
trodu
ce a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n, B
less
ed In
c an
d B
ach
Lim
ited
poin
t out
that
ther
e is
no
coge
nt
evid
ence
to su
ppor
t a c
laim
that
ther
e w
ill b
e m
ore
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns fo
r inv
entio
ns
in H
ong
Kon
g if
an O
GP
syst
em is
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
ey c
omm
ent t
hat:
(a)
ther
e is
no
proo
f tha
t aca
dem
ics
will
dis
cont
inue
app
lied
rese
arch
if th
ere
is n
o O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g as
aca
dem
ics
are
by n
atur
e pr
edis
pose
d to
co
ntin
uing
res
earc
h.
It is
dou
btfu
l th
at t
heir
curio
sity
and
fer
vour
for
ex
plor
ing
the
boun
darie
s of
exi
stin
g kn
owle
dge
will
be
dim
inis
hed
if th
ere
is
no O
GP
syst
em.
The
ir pa
ssio
n to
exp
lore
pos
sibl
e de
velo
pmen
ts a
nd n
ew
know
ledg
e is
als
o fu
elle
d by
pre
ssur
e fr
om th
eir e
mpl
oyin
g in
stitu
tions
;
(b)
ther
e is
no
com
pelli
ng r
easo
n w
hy i
ndiv
idua
l re
sear
cher
s in
the
com
mer
cial
en
viro
nmen
t will
sud
denl
y ha
ve m
ore
insi
ght o
r ins
pira
tion
sim
ply
beca
use
of
a po
ssib
le o
ppor
tuni
ty to
app
ly fo
r an
orig
inal
gra
nt p
aten
t in
Hon
g K
ong;
and
(c)
imag
inat
ion
and
crea
tivity
are
not
fet
tere
d un
der
the
curr
ent
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
.
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d ad
ds th
at in
divi
dual
s an
d in
vent
ors
are
mos
t lik
ely
to b
e in
spire
d by
pr
ofit
mot
ive,
nec
essi
ty, a
cade
mic
inte
rest
and
/or c
ompe
titio
n to
inve
nt a
nd in
vest
.
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n, B
less
ed In
c an
d B
ach
Lim
ited
emph
asis
e th
at w
hils
t the
re a
re
loud
cal
ls f
or a
n O
GP
syst
em to
be
set u
p in
Hon
g K
ong
from
a v
ocal
/con
nect
ed
min
ority
, the
Gov
ernm
ent m
ust s
crut
inis
e w
heth
er th
ere
is a
ny c
ompe
lling
pro
of o
r re
ason
ing
behi
nd th
e ca
ll fo
r sup
port.
77
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
�
Blu
e O
cean
St
rate
gy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Li
mite
d su
ppor
ts
the
para
llel
deve
lopm
ent
of
an
OG
P sy
stem
w
hile
ke
epin
g st
atus
qu
o of
th
e cu
rren
t re
-reg
istra
tion
stan
dard
pat
ent s
yste
m a
nd th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m b
ecau
se, l
ike
the
need
for
a t
hird
run
way
in
the
Hon
g K
ong
airp
ort,
the
OG
P w
ill b
e ab
le t
o ha
ndle
mor
e tra
ffic
in th
e lic
ensi
ng a
nd tr
adin
g of
IP fo
r pro
duct
s and
inve
ntio
ns th
at
are
very
ofte
n so
urce
d in
Hon
g K
ong
and
the
Pear
l D
elta
Reg
ion
whe
n th
e tw
o cu
rren
t sys
tem
s are
exp
erie
ncin
g di
fficu
lty to
kee
p up
.
1.7
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Tom
Lam
�
Ms.
Lee
�
Eric
Yun
g (STU
)
� VW#
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai (i
nven
tor,
hold
er o
f pat
ents
in
the
Uni
ted
Stat
es, C
hina
and
Hon
g K
ong)
�
Hui
Win
g K
in (i
nven
tor,
hold
er o
f mor
e th
an 2
0 pu
blis
hed
pate
nts i
n th
e U
nite
d St
ates
, Chi
na a
nd E
urop
e)
� XYZ
� [\]
Som
e in
divi
dual
res
pond
ents
sup
port
the
esta
blis
hmen
t of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong.
R
easo
ns c
ited
incl
ude:
(a)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an s
ave
the
time
and
cost
s fo
r ob
tain
ing
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n in
H
ong
Kon
g as
it
allo
ws
an a
pplic
ant
to a
pply
for
pat
ent
prot
ectio
n di
rect
ly i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ithou
t the
nee
d to
firs
t file
an
appl
icat
ion
with
one
of t
he d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces;
(b)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an r
aise
the
soci
ety’
s aw
aren
ess
rega
rdin
g re
sear
ch a
nd p
aten
ts
and
let H
ong
Kon
g en
titie
s lea
rn m
ore
abou
t the
com
mer
cial
val
ue o
f pat
ents
;
(c)
an
OG
P sy
stem
ca
n ch
ange
so
ciet
y’s
view
to
war
ds
rese
arch
an
d pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns a
s it a
llow
s you
ng in
vent
ors t
o ob
tain
pat
ent p
rote
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong
at a
ver
y lo
w c
ost t
here
by le
tting
them
ear
n su
bsta
ntia
l pro
fits i
f lar
ge c
orpo
ratio
ns
deci
de to
acq
uire
the
inve
ntio
ns;
(d)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an p
rovi
de a
dditi
onal
car
eer
oppo
rtuni
ties
for
grad
uate
s w
ith
scie
nce
and
tech
nica
l bac
kgro
und;
(e)
ther
e w
ill b
e m
ore
empl
oym
ent
oppo
rtuni
ties
for
loca
l pe
ople
, es
peci
ally
the
el
derly
and
han
dica
pped
;
78
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
�
Pind
ar W
ong
�
Guy
Cha
n
� ^_K
� `ab
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
(f)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an e
ncou
rage
loca
l inn
ovat
ion;
(g)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an a
ttrac
t use
rs to
app
ly fo
r pat
ents
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d th
us c
an
incr
ease
sou
rces
of
inco
me
for
the
Gov
ernm
ent
if fe
es f
or p
aten
t se
arch
and
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
be
co
nduc
ted
are
low
an
d co
nduc
ive
to
the
deve
lopm
ent o
f inn
ovat
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g; a
nd
(h)
an O
GP
syst
em c
an e
nabl
e ap
plic
ants
to
avoi
d th
e is
sue
of i
nade
quat
e pa
tent
pr
otec
tion
in C
hina
or t
he n
eed
to p
ay fo
r the
ser
vice
s of
an
agen
t to
get a
pat
ent
from
SIP
O.
Som
e in
divi
dual
resp
onde
nts
do n
ot s
ee th
e ne
ed o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
and
thin
k th
at th
e co
sts f
or g
ettin
g an
OG
P m
ay d
eter
app
licat
ions
.
Spec
ific
view
s
�
Stan
ley
is o
f th
e vi
ew t
hat
owne
rs o
f im
porta
nt i
nven
tions
will
not
cho
ose
Hon
g K
ong
to a
pply
for p
aten
t pro
tect
ion
beca
use
the
mar
ket i
n H
ong
Kon
g is
too
smal
l.
�
Tom
Lam
doe
s not
supp
ort e
stab
lishi
ng a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
A re
spon
dent
opi
nes
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nven
tions
and
impr
ove
the
qual
ity
of
pate
nts.
Th
e G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
be
re
spon
sibl
e fo
r th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em.
�
Ms.
Lee
thin
ks t
hat
if an
OG
P sy
stem
is
carr
ied
out
effe
ctiv
ely
in H
ong
Kon
g,
appl
icat
ions
fro
m o
ther
reg
ions
will
als
o be
mad
e in
Hon
g K
ong
beca
use
it is
less
ex
pens
ive
and
quic
ker
if ap
plic
atio
ns a
re d
irect
ly m
ade
in H
ong
Kon
g.
Als
o, a
n ap
plic
ant
can
test
the
mar
ket
resp
onse
of
the
inve
ntio
n in
Hon
g K
ong
befo
re h
e de
cide
s w
heth
er t
o ap
ply
for
a pa
tent
in
othe
r re
gion
s of
the
wor
ld o
r to
sel
l th
e pa
tent
.
79
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
�
Eric
Yun
g is
of
the
view
tha
t an
OG
P sy
stem
can
sav
e th
e tim
e an
d co
sts
for
obta
inin
g pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g as
it
allo
ws
an a
pplic
ant
to a
pply
for
pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
dire
ctly
in H
ong
Kon
g w
ithou
t the
nee
d to
firs
t file
an
appl
icat
ion
with
one
of t
he d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces.
He
opin
es th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em c
an ra
ise
the
soci
ety’
s aw
aren
ess
rega
rdin
g re
sear
ch a
nd p
aten
ts a
nd le
t Hon
g K
ong
entit
ies
lear
n m
ore
abou
t the
com
mer
cial
val
ue o
f pat
ents
. H
e fu
rther
bel
ieve
s tha
t an
OG
P sy
stem
can
cha
nge
ente
rpris
es’ v
iew
tow
ards
res
earc
h an
d pa
tent
app
licat
ions
as
it al
low
s yo
ung
inve
ntor
s to
obt
ain
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong
at a
ver
y lo
w c
ost
ther
eby
letti
ng th
em e
arn
subs
tant
ial p
rofit
s if
larg
e co
rpor
atio
ns d
ecid
e to
acq
uire
th
e in
vent
ions
. H
e al
so th
inks
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
can
pro
vide
add
ition
al c
aree
r op
portu
nitie
s for
gra
duat
es w
ith sc
ienc
e an
d te
chni
cal b
ackg
roun
d.
� VW#
thi
nks
that
intro
duci
ng a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
whi
le m
aint
aini
ng a
re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em w
ill e
ncou
rage
loc
al i
nnov
atio
n.
He
belie
ves
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
cre
ate
mor
e em
ploy
men
t opp
ortu
nitie
s fo
r lo
cal p
eopl
e, e
spec
ially
the
elde
rly a
nd h
andi
capp
ed.
He
is o
f the
vie
w th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em c
an a
ttrac
t use
rs to
ap
ply
for
pate
nts
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d th
us c
an i
ncre
ase
sour
ces
of i
ncom
e fo
r th
e G
over
nmen
t if
fees
for
pat
ent s
earc
h an
d su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
be
cond
ucte
d ar
e ve
ry lo
w a
nd c
ondu
cive
to th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
inno
vatio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
H
e fu
rther
com
men
ts th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em c
an e
nabl
e ap
plic
ants
to a
void
the
issu
e of
in
adeq
uate
pat
ent p
rote
ctio
n in
Chi
na o
r the
nee
d to
pay
for a
n ag
ent t
o ge
t a p
aten
t fr
om S
IPO
.
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai a
lso
supp
orts
the
esta
blis
hmen
t of a
n O
GP
syst
em w
hile
mai
ntai
ning
a
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in d
oes
not c
onsi
der
it ne
cess
ary
to in
trodu
ce a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
and
com
men
ts t
hat
an O
GP
syst
em w
ill c
reat
e an
ext
ra s
tep
in a
pat
ent
appl
icat
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
80
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
� XYZ
is
of th
e vi
ew th
at s
ince
set
ting
up a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
will
not
be
cos
t-effe
ctiv
e, s
uch
a m
ove
will
not
be
cond
uciv
e to
attr
actin
g fo
reig
n co
mpa
nies
to
set u
p R
&D
cen
tres i
n H
ong
Kon
g.
� [\]
doe
s no
t thi
nk th
at H
ong
Kon
g ne
eds
an e
xtra
OG
P sy
stem
sin
ce, n
ot b
eing
co
st-e
ffect
ive,
it is
unl
ikel
y th
at in
vent
ions
of l
ocal
ent
erpr
ises
will
just
be
aim
ed a
t th
e sm
all
mar
ket
of H
ong
Kon
g.
He
wou
ld r
athe
r pr
efer
the
Gov
ernm
ent
to
empl
oy th
e re
sour
ces
for t
rain
ing
pate
nt a
gent
s, pa
tent
adm
inis
trativ
e m
anag
ers
and
pate
nt a
gent
bro
kers
, pro
mot
ing
the
valu
e of
pro
tect
ion
of IP
and
pos
ition
ing
Hon
g K
ong
as a
n IP
trad
ing
plat
form
.
�
Pind
ar W
ong
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at th
e ac
tive
enco
urag
emen
t of
pate
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n fr
om c
omm
on l
aw-b
ased
eco
nom
ies
for
the
purp
ose
of e
stab
lishi
ng p
aten
t po
ols
shou
ld t
ake
polic
y pr
iorit
y.
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld p
ositi
on i
tsel
f as
the
wor
ld’s
pr
emie
r “P
aten
t Saf
e H
arbo
ur”,
that
is, a
n en
trepr
eneu
rial e
nviro
nmen
t whe
re le
gal
risks
ass
ocia
ted
with
exp
erim
enta
tion
and
inno
vatio
n ar
e m
inim
ised
, and
the
mar
ket
and
finan
cial
opp
ortu
nitie
s ar
e m
axim
ised
by
activ
ely
enco
urag
ing
lega
l lic
ensi
ng
from
pat
ents
that
are
poo
led
toge
ther
to a
void
litig
atio
n.
�
Guy
Cha
n be
lieve
s tha
t an
OG
P sy
stem
will
onl
y be
effe
ctiv
e if
the
cost
s can
be
kept
lo
w.
� ^_K
is o
f the
opi
nion
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
can
ben
efit
a pa
tent
app
lican
t as h
e ca
n ap
ply
for
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n di
rect
ly i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ithou
t th
e ha
ssle
of
goin
g th
roug
h a
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ce.
� `ab
is o
f the
vie
w th
at H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
est
ablis
h an
OG
P sy
stem
.
�
Two
resp
onde
nts
do n
ot s
ee th
e ne
ed to
hav
e an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g, o
ne
poin
ting
to th
e pu
rpos
es o
f pr
otec
ting
new
inve
ntio
ns b
eing
ser
ved
by th
e ex
istin
g
81
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
1.
Wha
t ben
efits
will
an
OG
P sy
stem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill a
n O
GP
syst
em p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
enha
nce
pate
nt q
ualit
y?
pate
nt sy
stem
and
the
othe
r to
the
low
vol
ume
of a
pplic
atio
ns in
the
past
five
yea
rs.
�
A r
espo
nden
t thi
nks
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
is b
enef
icia
l bec
ause
it w
ill b
e ch
eape
r to
ap
ply
for a
pat
ent l
ocal
ly, t
he a
pplic
atio
n ca
n be
file
d in
Chi
nese
and
the
proc
essi
ng
time
will
be
shor
ter.
�
A re
spon
dent
thin
ks th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
is v
ery
unlik
ely
to e
nhan
ce
pate
nt q
ualit
y.
With
the
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
s no
w g
rant
ed b
eing
bas
ed o
n pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
SIP
O, t
he U
nite
d K
ingd
om P
aten
t Offi
ce (“
UK
PO”)
or E
PO, a
ll of
whi
ch
have
hig
h st
anda
rds
and
good
rep
utat
ion,
at
best
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
coul
d ho
pe fo
r is t
o eq
ual t
he q
ualit
y of
the
curr
ent s
tand
ard
pate
nts (
an O
GP
syst
em
whi
ch h
as it
s ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to S
IPO
is e
xpec
ted
to h
ave
the
sam
e qu
ality
as
a st
anda
rd p
aten
t bas
ed o
n a
desi
gnat
ed C
hine
se p
aten
t), b
ut a
t a g
reat
er c
ost.
In
his
view
, fac
tors
affe
ctin
g m
ultin
atio
nal
com
pani
es i
n de
cidi
ng w
heth
er t
o se
t up
re
gion
al h
eadq
uarte
rs o
r R
&D
cen
tres
are
avai
labi
lity
of a
qua
lifie
d te
chni
cally
tra
ined
wor
kfor
ce, c
ost o
f op
erat
ions
and
pro
xim
ity to
larg
e m
arke
ts.
As
rega
rds
loca
l co
mpa
nies
, he
belie
ves
that
the
y ar
e m
ore
conc
erne
d w
ith p
rote
ctio
n in
the
U
nite
d St
ates
(“t
he U
S”)
and
Chi
na.
He
cons
ider
s th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em m
ay h
ave
the
adva
ntag
e of
bui
ldin
g up
the
pat
ent
prof
essi
on i
n H
ong
Kon
g, e
spec
ially
if
coup
led
with
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e an
d it
may
als
o be
adv
anta
geou
s to
the
leg
al
prof
essi
on a
nd p
aten
t age
ncie
s if
prof
essi
onal
fees
are
incr
ease
d w
ithou
t a re
duct
ion
in th
e le
vel o
f fili
ng fr
om o
vers
eas e
ntiti
es.
82
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
2.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
HK
API
A
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
GC
C
�
HK
API
�
LESC
-HK
�
HK
API
A, H
KEI
A, H
KM
FS a
nd P
VC
HK
refe
r to
the
resu
lts o
f a s
urve
y co
nduc
ted
by H
KIP
A w
hich
was
res
pond
ed to
by
13 tr
ade
orga
nisa
tions
(“H
KIP
A S
urve
y”)46
in
dica
ting
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
attr
act m
ore
SMEs
to a
pply
for
pat
ents
, whi
ch
can
then
supp
ort a
cos
t-effe
ctiv
e O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Am
Cha
m d
oubt
s w
heth
er th
ere
is li
kely
to b
e ad
equa
te d
eman
d fo
r us
ing
an O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong,
esp
ecia
lly c
onsi
derin
g th
e co
st o
f est
ablis
hing
and
ope
ratin
g su
ch a
syst
em.
�
Am
Cha
m c
omm
ents
tha
t ev
en i
f an
OG
P sy
stem
is
intro
duce
d, i
t sh
ould
onl
y be
op
erat
ed i
n pa
ralle
l w
ith t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
bec
ause
the
cur
rent
sc
hem
e al
read
y pr
ovid
es a
n in
expe
nsiv
e an
d ef
fect
ive
met
hod
for p
aten
tees
to o
btai
n pa
tent
pro
tect
ion.
It
opin
es th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em, i
f int
rodu
ced,
sho
uld
not b
e at
the
shor
t or l
ong-
term
exp
ense
of r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
use
rs; n
or s
houl
d th
e co
st o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
be
subs
idis
ed b
y th
e us
ers o
f the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
.
�
HK
GC
C is
of t
he v
iew
that
sinc
e it
is u
nlik
ely
that
inve
ntor
s wou
ld d
eplo
y co
sts a
nd
reso
urce
s on
a s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n th
at l
eads
to
a gr
ant
of p
aten
t in
a s
mal
l
46
Th
e La
w S
ocie
ty c
omm
ents
that
the
core
que
stio
ns in
the
ques
tionn
aire
for t
he H
KIP
A S
urve
y w
hich
are
sai
d to
sup
port
an O
GP
syst
em w
ere
“Q5.
D
o yo
u co
nsid
er a
co
mpl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
trat
ion
syst
em (
incl
udin
g sh
ort t
erm
pat
ents
and
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
s) w
ould
be
bene
ficia
l to
the
Hon
g K
ong
econ
omy?
Q6.
If
Hon
g K
ong
had
a co
mpl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
trat
ion
syst
em, w
ill th
is e
ncou
rage
you
to a
pply
for
pate
nts?
” Th
e La
w S
ocie
ty c
omm
ents
that
a “
com
plet
e pa
tent
reg
istra
tion
syst
em”
is n
eith
er
expl
aine
d no
r de
fined
in th
e qu
estio
nnai
re, a
nd q
uerie
s w
heth
er th
e re
spon
dent
s un
ders
tand
wha
t a c
ompl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
mea
ns w
hen
acco
rdin
g to
the
HK
IPA
Sur
vey,
74.
6% o
f the
resp
onde
nts d
id n
ot k
now
the
diffe
renc
e be
twee
n a
shor
t-ter
m a
nd a
stan
dard
pat
ent.
83
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
mar
ket l
ike
Hon
g K
ong,
they
may
fors
ake
the
Hon
g K
ong
mar
ket.
�
HK
API
opi
nes
that
the
cur
rent
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em m
ore
than
ade
quat
ely
mee
ts
the
need
s of
the
pha
rmac
eutic
al i
ndus
try a
nd o
ther
sec
tors
in
Hon
g K
ong.
It
is
conc
erne
d th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill u
nnec
essa
rily
rais
e th
e co
sts
of o
btai
ning
pat
ent
prot
ectio
n in
Hon
g K
ong,
esp
ecia
lly c
onsi
derin
g th
at it
is u
nlik
ely
that
ther
e w
ill b
e si
gnifi
cant
dem
and
for
orig
inal
gra
nt p
aten
ts.
It
furth
er n
otes
tha
t in
lig
ht o
f th
e si
ze o
f th
e lo
cal m
arke
t, it
is d
oubt
ful w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill e
ver
attra
ct a
su
ffici
ent c
ritic
al m
ass
of u
sers
who
app
ly o
nly
for a
dom
estic
Hon
g K
ong
orig
inal
gr
ant,
so a
s to
ade
quat
ely
cove
r th
e op
erat
iona
l co
sts
of a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ithou
t ha
ving
to ra
ise
fees
or r
equi
ring
subs
idie
s fro
m u
sers
of t
he re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em.
�
LESC
-HK
hig
hlig
hts
the
fact
that
Hon
g K
ong’
s m
arke
t is
smal
l and
it is
ver
y ra
re
for
an i
nves
tor
to s
eek
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n of
his
tec
hnol
ogy
in H
ong
Kon
g al
one.
Lo
okin
g at
pas
t st
atis
tics,
it is
not
iced
tha
t th
ere
is a
dec
linin
g tre
nd o
f st
anda
rd
pate
nt f
iling
s in
Hon
g K
ong
and
ther
efor
e th
ere
will
not
be
suffi
cien
t de
man
d to
su
ppor
t an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong.
It
follo
ws
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
will
not
be
a co
st-e
ffect
ive
syst
em.
2.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
IPA
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
Bas
ed o
n th
e H
KIP
A S
urve
y, H
KIP
A c
onsi
ders
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
attr
act m
ore
SMEs
to a
pply
for p
aten
ts, w
hich
can
in tu
rn su
ppor
t a c
ost-e
ffect
ive
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
HIP
P pr
opos
es th
at a
pat
ent s
earc
h an
d ex
amin
atio
n di
visi
on a
s a
Wor
ld In
telle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty
Org
aniz
atio
n (“
WIP
O”)
ac
cred
ited
Inte
rnat
iona
l Se
arch
ing
Aut
horit
y (“
ISA
”) a
nd In
tern
atio
nal P
relim
inar
y Ex
amin
ing
Aut
horit
y (“
IPEA
”) s
houl
d be
set
up
in
Hon
g K
ong
with
the
ass
ista
nce
of S
IPO
and
WIP
O.
In
addi
tion
to l
ocal
ap
plic
atio
ns,
the
said
pat
ent
sear
ch a
nd e
xam
inat
ion
divi
sion
in
Hon
g K
ong
can
rece
ive
inbo
und
wor
k fr
om o
ther
pat
ent o
ffice
s w
orld
wid
e an
d ca
n ac
t as
a sa
telli
te
offic
e of
SIP
O i
n th
e sa
me
way
as
the
Aus
trian
Pat
ent
Offi
ce a
ssis
ts E
PO i
n
84
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
cond
uctin
g se
arch
and
exa
min
atio
n.
The
said
div
isio
n m
ay a
lso
parti
cipa
te in
the
PPH
agr
eem
ent b
etw
een
the
Uni
ted
Stat
es P
aten
t and
Tra
dem
ark
Offi
ce (“
USP
TO”)
an
d SI
PO s
o th
at it
can
ass
ist b
oth
pate
nt o
ffice
s in
exa
min
ing
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns
filed
in th
e U
S an
d C
hina
. B
y be
ing
an IS
A a
nd IP
EA, a
ctin
g as
a sa
telli
te o
ffice
of
SIPO
and
par
ticip
atin
g in
the
PPH
agr
eem
ent b
etw
een
USP
TO a
nd S
IPO
, the
pat
ent
sear
ch a
nd e
xam
inat
ion
divi
sion
cou
ld g
ener
ate
inco
me
and
beco
me
finan
cial
ly
self-
sust
aina
ble.
�
HK
ITM
P st
rong
ly b
elie
ves
that
ther
e w
ill n
ot b
e a
suffi
cien
t dem
and
to s
uppo
rt an
O
GP
syst
em, a
nd a
ccor
ding
ly, i
t is
unl
ikel
y to
be
a co
st-e
ffect
ive
syst
em.
The
y fu
rther
op
ine
that
ev
en
if su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
ou
tsou
rced
to
an
othe
r ex
amin
ing
auth
ority
, the
OG
P sy
stem
wou
ld a
dd u
nnec
essa
ry c
ompl
exity
, cos
ts a
nd
adm
inis
trativ
e bu
rden
s to
loc
al a
pplic
ants
. H
KIT
MP
emph
asis
es t
he n
eed
to
scru
tinis
e w
heth
er t
here
is
any
soun
d re
ason
ing
behi
nd t
he c
all
for
an O
GP
and
whe
ther
ther
e is
pro
of o
f suc
h ne
ed.
�
HK
ITM
P id
entif
ies
a nu
mbe
r of
fac
tors
that
affe
ct a
n in
vent
ion
owne
r in
dec
idin
g w
here
to fi
le a
pat
ent a
pplic
atio
n:
(a)
spec
ific
requ
irem
ents
of s
ome
juris
dict
ions
(for
exa
mpl
e, s
ome
coun
tries
hav
e na
tiona
l “fir
st fi
ling”
requ
irem
ents
und
er n
atio
nal s
ecur
ity la
ws
whi
ch c
ompe
l th
e fil
ing
of p
aten
t app
licat
ions
for i
nven
tions
dev
elop
ed/c
ompl
eted
with
in th
at
juris
dict
ion
to b
e fir
st fi
led
in th
at ju
risdi
ctio
n);
(b)
whe
re th
e pr
oduc
t is b
eing
dev
elop
ed;
(c)
whe
re in
frin
gem
ent i
s occ
urrin
g;
(d)
whe
re th
e m
arke
t exi
sts f
or th
e pr
otec
ted
prod
uct;
(e)
whe
re a
com
petit
or is
filin
g/co
mm
erci
ally
act
ive;
85
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
(f)
whe
re IP
hija
ckin
g m
ay b
e oc
curr
ing;
(g)
the
time
requ
ired
to o
btai
n gr
ant o
f a p
aten
t in
diffe
rent
juris
dict
ions
; and
(h)
the
cost
s of a
pply
ing
for p
aten
t pro
tect
ion
in d
iffer
ent j
uris
dict
ions
.
HK
ITM
P is
of t
he v
iew
that
the
abse
nce
or p
rese
nce
of a
n O
GP
syst
em is
unl
ikel
y in
its
elf t
o af
fect
the
mot
ivat
ion
to fi
le p
aten
t app
licat
ions
.
�
HK
ITM
P po
ints
out
tha
t th
ere
is n
o pr
oof
of i
nven
tors
and
/or
com
pani
es b
eing
fe
ttere
d in
the
ir bu
sine
sses
by
the
finan
cial
cos
t of
hav
ing
to a
pply
for
gra
nt o
f a
pate
nt in
one
of t
he d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces
befo
re th
ey c
an a
pply
in H
ong
Kon
g.
If a
n O
GP
syst
em is
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong
and
it fo
llow
s th
e “u
ser p
ays”
pol
icy,
th
e co
st f
or a
n or
igin
al g
rant
may
be
as m
uch,
if n
ot m
ore,
than
obt
aini
ng a
pat
ent
gran
t und
er th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em.
�
APA
A c
onsi
ders
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g is
like
ly to
be
only
util
ised
by
loca
l Hon
g K
ong
entit
ies t
hat:
(a)
have
com
mer
cial
reas
ons f
or re
quiri
ng a
Hon
g K
ong-
base
d pa
tent
;
(b)
do n
ot h
ave
a bu
sine
ss i
nter
est
in a
ny f
orei
gn m
ajor
jur
isdi
ctio
ns, i
nclu
ding
C
hina
, and
the
refo
re d
o no
t ha
ve a
n op
portu
nity
for
re-
regi
stra
tion
in H
ong
Kon
g; a
nd
(c)
do n
ot h
ave
lega
l res
trict
ions
dic
tatin
g th
at th
e “f
irst f
iling
” m
ust b
e in
Chi
na.
The
num
ber
of a
pplic
ants
who
ful
fil t
hese
crit
eria
is
min
imal
and
the
lev
el o
f de
man
d is
insu
ffici
ent t
o ju
stify
the
intro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
APA
A is
of t
he v
iew
that
if a
n O
GP
syste
m w
ith su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
is
intro
duce
d w
hils
t the
cur
rent
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
is m
aint
aine
d, th
e m
ajor
ity o
f
86
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
inte
rnat
iona
l pat
ente
es w
ill c
hoos
e to
pro
ceed
und
er th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em.
�
APA
A i
s co
ncer
ned
that
if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
to r
epla
ce t
he e
xist
ing
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
, bot
h lo
cal a
nd fo
reig
n ap
plic
ants
for H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s w
ill
be e
xpos
ed to
pay
ing
very
sig
nific
ant c
ost f
or s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n.
This
will
be
ver
y co
st-in
effe
ctiv
e an
d w
ill d
issu
ade
Hon
g K
ong
appl
ican
ts f
rom
obt
aini
ng
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nts
and
diss
uade
for
eign
app
lican
ts f
rom
pur
suin
g H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
righ
ts.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
poi
nts
out t
hat s
ince
Hon
g K
ong
is a
sm
all m
arke
t and
is n
ot a
m
anuf
actu
ring
or R
&D
bas
e, it
is u
nlik
ely
that
the
maj
or u
sers
of
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt s
yste
m (
over
seas
bus
ines
smen
) w
ould
wis
h to
app
ly f
or a
n or
igin
al H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
alo
ne.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e co
st o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
will
be
muc
h hi
gher
th
an u
nder
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
fea
rs t
hat
if an
OG
P sy
stem
is
intro
duce
d in
lie
u of
the
cur
rent
re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em, w
ith th
e in
evita
ble
mas
sive
ly in
crea
sed
cost
s, th
e nu
mbe
r of
pate
nt f
iling
s in
Hon
g K
ong
will
be
subs
tant
ially
red
uced
. I
t co
mm
ents
tha
t at
pr
esen
t, H
ong
Kon
g is
a c
ost-e
ffect
ive
addi
tion
to a
regi
onal
/glo
bal p
aten
t por
tfolio
, bu
t an
OG
P sy
stem
will
rend
er it
an
expe
nsiv
e an
d un
nece
ssar
y lu
xury
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
cal
ls fo
r cau
tion
in re
view
ing
the
relia
bilit
y of
the
prem
ises
upo
n w
hich
thos
e ad
voca
ting
the
intro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em b
ase
thei
r cas
e.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
poi
nts
out t
hat s
trate
gica
lly, H
ong
Kon
g do
es n
ot r
ank
very
hig
h am
ongs
t co
untri
es w
here
pat
ent
regi
stra
tion
is i
mpo
rtant
. C
ount
ries
of m
ost
impo
rtanc
e ar
e ar
guab
ly th
e pl
ace(
s) o
f m
anuf
actu
re a
nd u
ltim
ate
plac
e(s)
of
sale
, e.
g. C
hina
, the
US,
Jap
an, G
erm
any,
the
UK
and
Eur
ope.
H
ong
Kon
g co
mpa
nies
en
gage
d in
R&
D a
re h
ighl
y lik
ely
enga
ged
in m
anuf
actu
re i
n C
hina
, an
d th
eir
87
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
ultim
ate
cust
omer
s ar
e in
one
or
mor
e of
the
dev
elop
ed c
ount
ries
men
tione
d.
Furth
er, t
he L
aw S
ocie
ty n
otes
that
the
PRC
pat
ent l
aw re
quire
s tha
t inv
entio
ns fr
om
R&
D c
ondu
cted
in C
hina
mus
t firs
t be
filed
with
in C
hina
bef
ore
filin
g ov
erse
as.
It
ther
efor
e fo
llow
s th
at H
ong
Kon
g co
mpa
nies
who
se R
&D
ope
ratio
ns a
re in
Chi
na
will
hav
e to
file
in
Chi
na f
irst
and
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g fo
r th
em i
s an
un
nece
ssar
y re
petit
ion
of ti
me
and
cost
s.
2.3
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
con
side
rs t
hat
the
impr
essi
ve g
row
th
rate
in
licen
sed
prod
ucts
im
plie
s a
prom
isin
g fo
unda
tion
for
the
setti
ng u
p of
an
OG
P sy
stem
and
the
effo
rts s
pent
in b
uild
ing
the
syst
em w
ould
brin
g in
trem
endo
us
econ
omic
ben
efits
, the
reby
ens
urin
g th
at th
e sy
stem
is c
ost-e
ffect
ive.
2.4
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Sam
Yip
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
QPA
Gro
up b
elie
ves
it is
ver
y un
likel
y th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
will
be
exte
nsiv
ely
utili
sed
beca
use:
(a)
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g is
lik
ely
to b
e us
ed b
y lo
cal
entit
ies
only
(p
rovi
ded
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
is m
aint
aine
d in
som
e fo
rm);
(b)
ther
e ar
e re
stric
tions
on
filin
g;
(c)
Hon
g K
ong
has a
smal
l pop
ulat
ion;
and
(d)
man
y H
ong
Kon
g en
titie
s do
not h
ave
com
mer
cial
inte
rest
in H
ong
Kon
g.
In th
eir
view
, it i
s do
ubtfu
l tha
t the
re w
ill b
e su
ffici
ent d
eman
d to
sup
port
an O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
QPA
Gro
up is
of t
he v
iew
that
if a
n O
GP
syst
em is
intro
duce
d to
repl
ace
the
exis
ting
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
, the
cos
ts w
ill in
crea
se s
igni
fican
tly a
nd th
e nu
mbe
r of f
iling
s w
ill d
ecre
ase.
88
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
�
QPA
Gro
up d
oubt
s th
e ex
tent
of
use
of a
Hon
g K
ong
“firs
t fili
ng”
syst
em a
s fir
st
filin
g is
unl
ikel
y to
be
mad
e in
Hon
g K
ong
for
vario
us r
easo
ns,
incl
udin
g co
mpl
ianc
e of
nat
iona
l se
curit
y le
gisl
atio
n in
Chi
na.
QPA
Gro
up p
oint
s ou
t th
at
unde
r th
e am
ende
d C
hine
se l
aw,
“an
inve
ntio
n co
mpl
eted
in
Chi
na”
(i.e.
an
inve
ntio
n fo
r w
hich
a s
ubst
antia
l or
reas
onab
le p
ortio
n of
res
earc
h or
dev
elop
men
t w
as c
ondu
cted
in C
hina
) m
ust e
ffect
ivel
y be
firs
t file
d in
Chi
na in
ord
er to
sat
isfy
th
e na
tiona
l se
curit
y te
chno
logy
cl
eara
nce
requ
irem
ents
, fa
ilure
of
w
hich
is
pu
nish
able
by
impr
ison
men
t. T
ypic
al H
ong
Kon
g ap
plic
ants
who
man
ufac
ture
in
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
wou
ld h
ave
a su
bsta
ntia
l or
rea
sona
ble
porti
on o
f an
inv
entio
n co
ntrib
uted
to th
eir f
acili
ties
in M
ainl
and
Chi
na.
The
y w
ould
ther
efor
e ef
fect
ivel
y ha
ve to
firs
t file
in C
hina
.
�
Song
& C
han
thin
k th
at H
ong
Kon
g do
es n
ot h
ave
the
abili
ty t
o ad
opt
an O
GP
syst
em.
�
Dan
ny C
han
thin
ks t
hat
it is
not
nec
essa
ry t
o in
trodu
ce a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g as
the
mar
ket s
ize
and
popu
latio
n ar
e no
t lar
ge e
noug
h.
�
Sam
Yip
con
side
rs it
unl
ikel
y th
at in
vent
ors
will
dep
loy
reso
urce
s to
go
thro
ugh
an
expe
nsiv
e pa
tent
app
licat
ion
proc
ess
just
to o
btai
n a
pate
nt in
Hon
g K
ong
and
the
mor
e co
mm
on s
cena
rio is
to s
eek
at le
ast a
pat
ent i
n a
larg
er m
arke
t in
addi
tion
to
Hon
g K
ong.
H
ence
, an
OG
P sy
stem
that
co-
exis
ts w
ith th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em w
ill n
ot g
ener
ate
suffi
cien
t de
man
d w
hile
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
plac
e of
the
cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em w
ill n
ot b
e co
st-e
ffect
ive.
�
Nig
el L
ee th
inks
that
ther
e w
ill b
e su
ffici
ent d
eman
d to
sup
port
an O
GP
syst
em in
th
e lo
ng r
un, a
s in
nova
tion
and
crea
tivity
are
get
ting
mor
e an
d m
ore
impo
rtant
in
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
e in
itial
cos
t for
an
OG
P sy
stem
may
, in
his
view
, be
min
imis
ed b
y ou
tsou
rcin
g pa
rt of
the
exa
min
atio
n pr
oces
s (e
.g.
pate
nt s
earc
hing
) to
ove
rsea
s pa
tent
offi
ces
like
SIPO
and
as
filin
g ra
te in
crea
ses,
the
full
impl
emen
tatio
n of
an
89
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
OG
P sy
stem
with
in H
ong
Kon
g ca
n be
laun
ched
.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
thi
nks
that
the
re w
ill b
e su
ffici
ent
dem
and
as t
he n
umbe
r of
ap
plic
atio
ns fo
r sta
ndar
d pa
tent
s in
Hon
g K
ong
is h
ighe
r tha
n th
at o
f app
licat
ions
for
pate
nts i
n Si
ngap
ore.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e de
man
d fo
r an
OG
P sy
stem
is m
assi
ve –
not
onl
y th
e lo
cals
, but
als
o ov
erse
as in
vent
ors h
ave
such
a d
eman
d.
�
A r
espo
nden
t th
inks
tha
t th
ere
is n
o ha
rm t
o in
itial
ly m
aint
ain
a du
al O
GP
and
re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em a
nd m
arke
t fo
rces
will
dec
ide
whe
ther
one
or
both
sys
tem
s sh
ould
be
mai
ntai
ned.
�
A r
espo
nden
t no
tes
that
it
is d
iffic
ult
to f
orec
ast
whe
ther
the
re w
ill b
e su
ffici
ent
dem
and
to s
uppo
rt an
OG
P sy
stem
and
tha
t w
hils
t an
OG
P sy
stem
will
be
disc
oura
ging
to a
cer
tain
ext
ent f
or c
erta
in in
vent
ions
or p
aten
t app
lican
ts, a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill n
ot b
e di
scou
ragi
ng f
or p
rodu
cts
with
hig
h co
mm
erci
al p
oten
tial.
He
furth
er o
pine
s th
at th
e de
man
d sh
ould
be
rega
rded
as
suffi
cien
t eve
n if
only
10%
of
the
stan
dard
pat
ent f
iling
s ar
e O
GP
filin
gs.
He
estim
ates
that
the
num
ber
of O
GP
filin
gs w
ould
not
fal
l be
low
1,0
00 p
er y
ear
give
n th
e hi
gh c
omm
erci
al v
alue
s of
m
any
prod
ucts
in th
e H
ong
Kon
g m
arke
t. H
e co
nsid
ers
that
the
issu
e of
whe
ther
an
OG
P sy
stem
is c
ost-e
ffect
ive
shou
ld b
e vi
ewed
fro
m a
t lea
st tw
o pe
rspe
ctiv
es,
nam
ely
that
fro
m a
pat
ent a
pplic
ant a
nd th
at f
rom
the
Gov
ernm
ent.
Whi
lst i
t is
a pu
rely
co
mm
erci
al
deci
sion
to
an
ap
plic
ant
as
to
whe
ther
th
e sy
stem
is
co
st-e
ffect
ive,
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d as
sess
the
cost
-effe
ctiv
enes
s of
the
syst
em o
n th
e ba
sis
whe
ther
the
Hon
g K
ong
soci
ety
as a
who
le w
ould
ben
efit.
H
e co
nsid
ers
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
wou
ld c
reat
e a
mor
e en
cour
agin
g en
viro
nmen
t for
pat
ent f
iling
s an
d m
ore
job
oppo
rtuni
ties
and
prom
ote
tradi
ng o
f IP
rig
hts.
Fur
ther
mor
e, i
n co
mpa
rison
to th
e O
GP
syst
em in
Sin
gapo
re (w
hich
has
onl
y ha
lf of
the
popu
latio
n in
Hon
g K
ong)
that
is c
onsi
dere
d as
cos
t-effe
ctiv
e, th
e re
spon
dent
con
side
rs a
n O
GP
90
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong
(whi
ch is
a la
rger
mar
ket)
shou
ld b
e co
st-e
ffect
ive
as w
ell.
2.5
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC
�
Uni
vers
al D
ispl
ay C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n
�
Ble
ssed
Inc
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC o
pine
s tha
t an
OG
P sy
stem
stan
ds re
ady
to o
btai
n lo
cal c
usto
mer
supp
ort a
s it
can
dire
ctly
und
erta
ke p
aten
t sea
rche
s an
d ex
amin
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
with
out t
he
use
of o
vers
eas
pate
nt o
ffice
s. I
t al
so h
ighl
ight
s th
e fa
ct t
hat
Hon
g K
ong
is a
n at
tract
ive
juris
dict
ion
for
over
seas
app
lican
ts t
o fil
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
, w
ith i
ts
stat
us
as
the
wor
ld’s
fr
eest
ec
onom
y an
d as
a
step
ping
st
one
to
the
huge
te
chno
logi
cal
mar
ket
in M
ainl
and
Chi
na.
Hon
g K
ong,
bei
ng A
sia’
s IP
bus
ines
s hu
b, h
as a
n ef
ficie
nt m
arke
ting
infr
astru
ctur
e to
offe
r IP
trad
ing
thro
ugh
a ne
twor
k of
exp
erie
nced
age
nts
with
inte
rnat
iona
l exp
osur
e.
HK
PC a
ntic
ipat
es th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ill d
rive
up t
he d
eman
d fo
r pa
tent
app
licat
ions
. T
his
is
beca
use
Hon
g K
ong’
s bi
lingu
al O
GP
syst
em c
ould
attr
act p
aten
t app
licat
ions
fro
m
over
seas
and
thus
cre
ate
a la
rger
dem
and
for t
he fi
ling
of p
aten
t app
licat
ions
and
the
trans
latio
n of
pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
for f
iling
in M
ainl
and
Chi
na.
HK
PC a
lso
opin
es
that
the
dem
and
will
incr
ease
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em if
Hon
g K
ong
Pate
nts
Reg
istry
an
d SI
PO w
ould
set
up
a PP
H s
o th
at o
nce
a pa
tent
is g
rant
ed b
y ei
ther
SIP
O o
r the
H
ong
Kon
g Pa
tent
s R
egis
try,
the
appl
ican
t of
the
sai
d pa
tent
cou
ld r
eque
st t
he
exam
iner
s of
the
othe
r pa
tent
aut
horit
y to
reu
se th
e se
arch
and
exa
min
atio
n re
sults
of
that
pat
ent t
o sp
eed
up th
e ap
plic
atio
n pr
oces
s. G
iven
that
the
num
ber o
f pat
ent
appl
icat
ions
has
con
tinue
d to
gro
w, a
n O
GP
syst
em, o
nce
esta
blis
hed,
will
then
gai
n ec
onom
ies o
f sca
le a
nd w
ill in
crea
se th
e co
st-e
ffect
iven
ess o
f its
ope
ratio
n.
�
Uni
vers
al
Dis
play
C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
th
inks
th
at
mod
ifyin
g th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em is
mor
e co
st-e
ffect
ive.
�
Scho
lar
Cor
pora
tion,
Ble
ssed
Inc
and
Bac
h Li
mite
d ar
e of
the
view
that
if a
n O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d th
e “u
ser
pays
” ap
proa
ch i
s ad
opte
d, t
he
cost
of o
btai
ning
a p
aten
t und
er th
e O
GP
syst
em m
ay b
e as
muc
h, if
not
mor
e, th
an
that
und
er th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em.
In
view
of
the
sign
ifica
nt a
mou
nt o
f tim
e an
d fu
nds
requ
ired
to a
chie
ve th
e ne
cess
ary
leve
l of
com
pete
ncy,
ther
e is
no
91
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
hope
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
can
be
intro
duce
d at
a c
ost t
hat i
s ev
en c
ompe
titiv
e w
ith
the
exam
inat
ion
syst
ems
alre
ady
in p
lace
in o
ther
firs
t wor
ld in
dust
rialis
ed c
ount
ries
arou
nd th
e w
orld
.
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d co
mm
ents
that
a w
ell m
anag
ed/“
smar
t” b
usin
ess
will
not
res
trict
its
pate
nt fi
ling
prog
ram
to H
ong
Kon
g, a
nd id
entif
ies
the
follo
win
g fa
ctor
s th
at a
ffect
bu
sine
sses
in d
ecid
ing
whe
re to
obt
ain
prot
ectio
n fo
r the
ir pa
tent
righ
ts:
(a)
whe
re th
eir g
oods
are
man
ufac
ture
d (in
man
y ca
ses C
hina
);
(b)
whe
re t
hey
mar
ket,
licen
se a
nd/o
r di
strib
ute
thei
r go
ods
(in m
any
case
s Eu
rope
, Jap
an, t
he U
S an
d m
ore
rece
ntly
Chi
na);
and
(c)
whe
re t
he c
ompe
titor
s’ go
ods
are
man
ufac
ture
d (in
man
y ca
ses
Chi
na)
and
mar
kete
d (in
man
y ca
ses
Euro
pe, J
apan
, the
US
and
mor
e re
cent
ly C
hina
) to
pr
even
t pos
sibl
e in
frin
gem
ents
.
�
Scho
lar
Cor
pora
tion,
Ble
ssed
Inc
and
Bac
h Li
mite
d ar
e co
ncer
ned
that
if a
n O
GP
syst
em i
s se
t up
in
Hon
g K
ong
but
the
“use
r pa
ys”
appr
oach
is
not
adop
ted,
ta
xpay
ers
and
the
publ
ic w
ill n
eed
to s
ubsi
dise
the
OG
P sy
stem
and
a l
imite
d nu
mbe
r of i
nven
tors
and
com
mer
cial
ent
ities
who
may
wis
h to
file
pat
ents
.
2.6
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Ms.
Lee
�
Eric
Yun
g
� VW#
�
Stan
ley
belie
ves
that
sin
ce H
ong
Kon
g is
onl
y a
smal
l m
arke
t, th
ere
will
not
be
suffi
cien
t fil
ings
to
supp
ort
the
cost
s of
suc
h a
syst
em a
nd h
ence
it
is n
ot
cost
-effe
ctiv
e.
�
Ms.
Lee
opin
es t
hat
the
cost
s w
ill b
e lo
wer
if
the
syst
em i
s m
ore
inte
nsiv
ely
man
aged
, hav
ing
diffe
rent
sta
ff m
embe
rs a
lloca
ted
to b
e in
cha
rge
of d
iffer
ent t
ypes
of
wor
ks, w
ith s
taff
hand
ling
mor
e ca
ses
to b
e pa
id m
ore.
Sh
e is
of t
he v
iew
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g w
ill d
efin
itely
be
cost
-effe
ctiv
e.
92
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
� XYZ
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
� [\]
�
Guy
Cha
n
� ^_K
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Des
pite
an
insu
ffici
ent d
eman
d to
sup
port
an O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong,
Eric
Yun
g is
of t
he v
iew
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d, n
onet
hele
ss, e
stab
lish
an O
GP
syst
em to
st
art
the
ball
rolli
ng.
He
opin
es t
hat
this
will
pro
vide
con
fiden
ce t
o in
dust
ries
(esp
ecia
lly t
echn
olog
y-re
late
d in
dust
ries)
tha
t th
e G
over
nmen
t is
det
erm
ined
to
assi
st a
nd e
ncou
rage
res
earc
h in
Hon
g K
ong.
It
will
enh
ance
the
tru
st b
etw
een
indu
strie
s an
d th
e G
over
nmen
t lea
ding
to a
red
uctio
n of
pol
itica
l pre
ssur
e it
face
s, an
d an
incr
ease
in e
ffici
ency
in p
rom
otio
n of
tech
nolo
gy-r
elat
ed p
olic
ies.
�
Eric
Yun
g th
inks
tha
t w
hen
cons
ider
ing
the
cost
-effe
ctiv
enes
s of
an
OG
P sy
stem
, po
tent
ial b
enef
its o
f the
OG
P sy
stem
to H
ong
Kon
g as
a w
hole
sho
uld
be ta
ken
into
ac
coun
t, su
ch a
s in
crea
se in
for
eign
dire
ct in
vest
men
t due
to th
e O
GP
syst
em a
nd
grow
th
in
GD
P re
sulte
d fr
om
new
bu
sine
sses
(e
.g.
pate
nt-r
elat
ed
educ
atio
n bu
sine
sses
).
� VW#
com
men
ts t
hat
in l
ight
of
the
Gov
ernm
ent’s
cla
im t
o de
velo
p cr
eativ
e in
dust
ries
in H
ong
Kon
g, th
e G
over
nmen
t sho
uld
not b
e de
terr
ed fr
om e
stab
lishi
ng
an O
GP
syst
em s
impl
y be
caus
e th
ere
is c
urre
ntly
an
insu
ffici
ent d
eman
d to
sup
port
the
syst
em.
� XYZ
doe
s no
t thi
nk th
at it
will
be
cost
-effe
ctiv
e to
est
ablis
h an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
at th
is s
tage
. S
he is
con
cern
ed th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill in
crea
se th
e co
st o
f ob
tain
ing
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong,
whi
ch i
n tu
rn w
ill d
isco
urag
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n an
d hi
nder
ove
rsea
s co
mpa
nies
fro
m s
ettin
g up
R&
D c
entre
s in
H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in c
omm
ents
tha
t H
ong
Kon
g is
a s
mal
l ci
ty a
nd c
anno
t su
ppor
t an
in
nova
tive
prod
uct
sole
ly o
n lo
cal
dem
and.
A
lthou
gh h
is c
ompa
ny i
s H
ong
Kon
g-ba
sed,
it
alw
ays
look
s fo
r op
portu
nitie
s to
exp
ort
prod
ucts
to
over
seas
m
arke
ts, s
uch
as C
hina
, the
US
and
Euro
pe.
He
ofte
n ob
tain
s pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
for
inno
vativ
e pr
oduc
ts in
Chi
na.
Und
er th
e cu
rren
t pat
ent s
yste
m, h
e ca
n fir
st o
btai
n
93
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
pate
nt g
rant
in C
hina
, the
n ap
ply
for
re-r
egis
tratio
n of
the
pate
nt in
Hon
g K
ong
at
reas
onab
le c
osts
. H
owev
er, i
f an
OG
P sy
stem
is in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, h
e w
ill
need
to
file
a se
para
te p
aten
t ap
plic
atio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
H
e is
war
y th
at t
he
addi
tiona
l pa
tent
app
licat
ion
will
cre
ate
extra
cos
ts,
unce
rtain
ty a
nd d
elay
for
an
inve
ntor
seek
ing
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
� [\]
doe
s not
thin
k th
ere
will
be
dem
and
for t
he O
GP
syst
em.
�
Guy
Cha
n th
inks
that
any
syst
em c
an b
e co
st-e
ffect
ive
if th
e on
e w
ho ru
ns it
wan
ts it
to
be.
H
e ho
wev
er o
pine
s th
at t
he h
ighe
r th
e pr
ice
tag,
the
low
er w
ill b
e th
e de
man
d an
d th
e sy
stem
will
end
up
bein
g a
whi
te e
leph
ant.
� ^_K
thin
ks th
at a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ill b
e co
st-e
ffect
ive
if su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
out
sour
ced
sinc
e th
e ex
amin
atio
n ca
n be
don
e by
the
jur
isdi
ctio
n in
whi
ch t
he
appl
ican
t wis
hes t
o ap
ply
for a
pat
ent.
�
A r
espo
nden
t hi
ghlig
hts
the
fact
tha
t th
e nu
mbe
r of
app
licat
ions
for
pat
ents
file
d du
ring
the
past
five
yea
rs is
on
the
low
sid
e an
d th
e co
sts
will
out
wei
gh th
e be
nefit
s of
setti
ng u
p a
sepa
rate
bod
y or
mec
hani
sm to
dea
l with
pat
ent a
pplic
atio
ns.
�
A r
espo
nden
t st
ress
es t
hat
impo
rtanc
e sh
ould
be
plac
ed o
n pr
omot
ing
inno
vativ
e in
vent
ions
rath
er th
an th
e co
st-e
ffect
iven
ess o
f the
syst
em.
�
A r
espo
nden
t th
inks
tha
t w
heth
er t
here
will
be
suffi
cien
t de
man
d fo
r th
e O
GP
syst
em w
ill d
epen
d on
whe
ther
the
OG
P sy
stem
is to
rep
lace
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
or
th
e st
anda
rd
pate
nt
syst
em.
H
e su
gges
ts
that
, fo
r m
ultin
atio
nal
corp
orat
ions
, the
filin
g st
rate
gy is
mad
e ea
rly o
n an
d m
akin
g th
e H
ong
Kon
g sy
stem
m
ore
expe
nsiv
e an
d co
mpl
icat
ed w
ould
incr
ease
the
risk
of s
uch
parti
es n
ot o
ptin
g to
file
in
Hon
g K
ong;
whe
reas
for
sm
alle
r co
mpa
nies
, th
ey g
ener
ally
file
a f
irst
pate
nt i
n th
eir
hom
e co
untry
and
the
n de
cide
whe
ther
to
file
else
whe
re l
ater
and
, be
caus
e of
the
sm
all
mar
ket
that
Hon
g K
ong
repr
esen
ts,
filin
g in
Hon
g K
ong
is
94
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
2.
Will
ther
e be
suff
icie
nt d
eman
d to
supp
ort a
n O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong?
W
ill it
be
a co
st-e
ffec
tive
syst
em?
ofte
n do
ne o
nly
beca
use
thes
e co
mpa
nies
hav
e al
read
y fil
ed a
t EP
O o
r C
hina
.
Man
y fa
ctor
s af
fect
the
deci
sion
and
one
of
thes
e is
cos
t. O
vera
ll, th
e re
spon
dent
be
lieve
s th
e O
GP
syst
em c
ould
wor
k bu
t IPD
sho
uld
assu
me
that
ove
r a
few
yea
rs
the
filin
g ra
te m
ay d
rop
by 2
5-50
% if
OG
P is
the
only
opt
ion.
�
A r
espo
nden
t be
lieve
s th
at t
here
will
be
suffi
cien
t de
man
d fo
r an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
beca
use
ther
e ar
e st
ill m
any
loca
l com
pani
es th
at c
reat
e ne
w p
rodu
cts.
H
e al
so s
ugge
sts
that
the
re s
houl
d be
diff
eren
t ch
arge
s fo
r pa
tent
app
licat
ions
for
di
ffere
nt p
rodu
cts,
rang
ing
from
a f
ew h
undr
ed t
o a
few
tho
usan
d H
ong
Kon
g do
llars
so a
s to
cove
r the
exa
min
atio
n fe
es a
nd th
e sy
stem
can
rem
ain
cost
-effe
ctiv
e.
95
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
3.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
CM
A
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
FHK
I
�
PVC
HK
�
HK
GC
C
�
LESC
-HK
�
CM
A i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
at t
he b
egin
ning
sta
ge o
f th
e pr
omul
gatio
n of
the
OG
P sy
stem
, pa
rt of
the
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
wor
k sh
ould
be
outs
ourc
ed t
o ot
her
appr
opria
te p
aten
t offi
ces
such
as
SIPO
. T
he r
eput
atio
n of
the
outs
ourc
ed p
aten
t of
fices
in r
espe
ct o
f co
nfid
entia
lity
is im
porta
nt in
con
side
ring
the
pate
nt o
ffice
to
whi
ch su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
outs
ourc
ed.
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS
and
PVC
HK
co
nsid
er
the
optio
n of
in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
with
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
outs
ourc
ed t
o ot
her
pate
nt o
ffice
(s)
to b
e m
ore
viab
le.
The
y fu
rther
sug
gest
tha
t SI
PO s
houl
d be
the
pat
ent
offic
e to
whi
ch s
uch
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
is
outs
ourc
ed,
and
they
con
side
r th
is w
ill h
ave
the
bene
fit o
f (a
) pr
ovid
ing
a be
tter
basi
s fo
r th
e m
utua
l re
cogn
ition
of
pate
nts
gran
ted
by H
ong
Kon
g an
d M
ainl
and
Chi
na;
and
(b)
the
filin
g of
mor
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
for
ove
rsea
s in
nova
tive
inve
ntio
ns a
ttrac
ted
thro
ugh
Hon
g K
ong.
�
FHK
I co
nsid
ers
that
Hon
g K
ong
does
not
hav
e en
ough
exp
ertis
e to
han
dle
vario
us
field
s of
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion,
and
it w
ill b
e ap
prop
riate
to o
utso
urce
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
to S
IPO
in
the
begi
nnin
g.
The
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld p
roce
ed t
o fo
rmul
ate
plan
s fo
r pe
rson
nel
train
ing
and
even
tual
ly
aim
at
re
plac
ing
the
outs
ourc
ing
with
in-h
ouse
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion.
�
As
ther
e is
no
com
pelli
ng n
eed
to s
et u
p an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g, H
KG
CC
th
inks
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d ta
ke ti
me
to o
rgan
ise
and
mai
ntai
n a
larg
e te
am
of e
xam
iner
s and
dev
elop
a c
ompr
ehen
sive
tech
nica
l dat
abas
e at
reas
onab
le c
osts
.
96
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
�
Whi
lst L
ESC
-HK
in p
rinci
ple
obje
cts
to th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
to H
ong
Kon
g, in
cas
e an
OG
P sy
stem
is to
be
impl
emen
ted,
it p
ropo
ses
that
the
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
shou
ld b
e ou
tsou
rced
and
the
cost
s of s
ettin
g up
and
ope
ratin
g th
e O
GP
syst
em s
houl
d be
bor
ne b
y th
e us
ers
of th
at s
yste
m.
It f
urth
er p
ropo
ses
that
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld se
t up
PPH
with
oth
er p
aten
t offi
ces.
3.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
IPA
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
IPA
con
side
rs th
e op
tion
of in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g w
ith
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
outs
ourc
ed t
o ot
her
pate
nt o
ffice
(s)
to b
e m
ore
viab
le.
H
KIP
A f
urth
er s
ugge
sts
that
SIP
O s
houl
d be
the
pat
ent
offic
e to
whi
ch s
uch
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
is o
utso
urce
d, a
nd it
con
side
rs th
is w
ill h
ave
the
bene
fit o
f (a
) pr
ovid
ing
a be
tter
basi
s fo
r th
e m
utua
l rec
ogni
tion
of p
aten
ts g
rant
ed b
y H
ong
Kon
g an
d M
ainl
and
Chi
na;
and
(b)
the
filin
g of
mor
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
for
ov
erse
as in
nova
tive
inve
ntio
ns a
ttrac
ted
thro
ugh
Hon
g K
ong.
�
HIP
P op
pose
s th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
with
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
outs
ourc
ed to
oth
er p
aten
t offi
ce(s
) and
pro
pose
s tha
t Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld in
trodu
ce a
fu
ll O
GP
syst
em in
a p
erio
d of
five
yea
rs so
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent w
ill h
ave
suffi
cien
t tim
e to
bui
ld t
he e
xam
inat
ion
divi
sion
, ex
amin
ers,
certi
fied
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys
and
rela
ted
prof
essi
on.
At t
he in
itial
sta
ge o
f the
full
OG
P sy
stem
, IPD
can
wor
k w
ith
SIPO
to
train
up
Hon
g K
ong
exam
iner
s as
it
take
s tim
e fo
r th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
ex
perti
se.
�
HK
ITM
P is
of
the
view
that
the
curr
ent s
tand
ard
pate
nt s
yste
m is
aki
n to
an
OG
P sy
stem
with
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
outs
ourc
ed to
oth
er p
aten
t offi
ces.
�
APA
A i
s no
t co
nvin
ced
that
est
ablis
hmen
t of
an
OG
P sy
stem
whe
re s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
out
sour
ced
wou
ld a
chie
ve th
e ob
ject
ives
of a
n O
GP
syst
em a
s set
out
97
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
in P
arag
raph
1.4
0 of
the
Con
sulta
tion
Pape
r.
�
APA
A d
oes
not c
onsi
der e
stab
lishm
ent o
f an
OG
P sy
stem
with
in-h
ouse
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
capa
bilit
y in
Hon
g K
ong
is e
ven
rem
otel
y vi
able
. T
here
fore
, if
an
OG
P sy
stem
is in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n w
ill n
eed
to b
e ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
offi
ces
that
are
cre
dibl
e an
d m
eet
any
conc
erns
on
lang
uage
-rel
ated
issu
es, s
uch
as th
e U
SPTO
, EPO
, SIP
O, U
KPO
, Aus
tralia
Pat
ent
Offi
ce (“
IP A
ustra
lia”)
and
Japa
n Pa
tent
Offi
ce (“
JPO
”).
�
Inst
ead
of in
trodu
cing
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
offi
ce(s
), A
PAA
rec
omm
ends
int
rodu
cing
a “
mod
ified
ex
amin
atio
n” p
aten
t sys
tem
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
con
side
rs th
at if
an
OG
P sy
stem
is in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, in
vi
ew o
f th
e su
bsta
ntia
l res
ourc
es to
be
inve
sted
and
the
time
requ
ired
to b
uild
up
loca
l ex
perti
se, i
t is
sen
sibl
e to
out
sour
ce s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
oth
er p
aten
t of
fices
. H
owev
er, i
t poi
nts
out t
hat i
f it i
s co
nsid
ered
impo
rtant
to d
evel
op a
loca
l pa
tent
pro
fess
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g, c
are
shou
ld b
e ta
ken
to c
onsi
der
whe
ther
ou
tsou
rcin
g to
SI
PO
may
gi
ve
PRC
pa
tent
pr
actit
ione
rs
adde
d co
mpe
titiv
e ad
vant
age
henc
e co
unte
r-pro
duct
ive
to th
e ob
ject
ive
of n
urtu
ring
loca
l tal
ents
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is o
f the
opi
nion
that
, tak
ing
into
acc
ount
lang
uage
con
side
ratio
n,
SIPO
, EPO
, UK
PO, t
he U
SPTO
and
IP A
ustra
lia m
ay b
e co
nsid
ered
whe
n de
cidi
ng
to w
hich
pat
ent o
ffice
(s) s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
out
sour
ced.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
war
ns t
hat
whi
lst
havi
ng m
ore
reco
gnis
ed p
aten
t of
fices
may
m
inim
ise
the
cost
of
dupl
icat
ion
if th
e ap
plic
ant c
an c
hoos
e an
exa
min
atio
n of
fice
whe
re h
e ha
s al
read
y fil
ed a
n ea
rlier
app
licat
ion,
the
incr
ease
d lis
t of
exam
inat
ion
98
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
offic
es m
ay b
ring
in e
lem
ents
of
fore
ign
law
whi
ch is
not
con
sist
ent o
r co
mpa
tible
w
ith th
e H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
law
. A
lthou
gh to
som
e ex
tent
, thi
s ha
s be
en th
e ca
se
with
the
cur
rent
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em r
elyi
ng o
n gr
ants
fro
m t
he t
hree
ove
rsea
s de
sign
ated
pat
ent
offic
es,
the
expe
ctat
ion
for
cons
iste
ncy
of g
rant
will
be
muc
h gr
eate
r w
ith
an
orig
inal
gr
ant
from
H
ong
Kon
g de
spite
ou
tsou
rcin
g of
th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n.
3.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
DA
B
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty (#?E
)
�
DA
B o
pine
s th
at t
here
may
not
be
suffi
cien
t ex
amin
ers
with
nec
essa
ry t
echn
ical
ex
perti
se a
nd a
tech
nica
l dat
abas
e w
hich
is c
ompr
ehen
sive
eno
ugh
for
the
purp
ose
of s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n at
the
prel
imin
ary
stag
e of
the
esta
blis
hmen
t of t
he O
GP
syst
em in
Hon
g K
ong.
H
ence
at t
he in
itial
sta
ge, D
AB
con
side
rs th
at s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
pat
ents
app
lied
in H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
be
outs
ourc
ed to
SIP
O b
y an
ou
tsou
rcin
g ag
reem
ent
betw
een
SIPO
and
Hon
g K
ong.
A
t th
e sa
me
time,
a
tech
nica
l da
taba
se s
houl
d be
set
up
and
tale
nts
poss
essi
ng n
eces
sary
tec
hnol
ogy
expe
rtise
sho
uld
be i
mpo
rted.
H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
als
o st
rive
for
the
mut
ual
reco
gniti
on f
or p
aten
ts r
egis
tere
d in
Hon
g K
ong
and
Mai
nlan
d so
as
to a
ttrac
t ov
erse
as o
rgan
isat
ions
and
par
ties
enga
ging
in in
vent
ions
or p
aten
t-rel
ated
indu
stry
to
de
velo
p th
eir
busi
ness
es
in
Hon
g K
ong.
Whe
n th
e co
nditi
ons
beco
me
appr
opria
te fo
r in-
hous
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n, H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
then
con
side
r ar
rang
ing
the
cond
uct o
f sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
for s
uita
ble
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns in
H
ong
Kon
g.
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld th
en c
reat
e ni
ches
in p
aten
t exa
min
atio
n an
d bu
ild
up i
ts i
nter
natio
nal
repu
tatio
n in
tha
t as
pect
so
as t
o at
tract
oth
er r
egio
ns t
o ou
tsou
rce
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
of th
eir p
aten
t app
licat
ions
to H
ong
Kon
g.
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Pa
rty b
elie
ves
that
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld c
onsi
der
in-h
ouse
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
as t
he t
rain
ing
of p
aten
t ex
perti
se w
ill m
ean
mor
e IP
bus
ines
s an
d gr
eate
r ec
onom
ic b
enef
its.
In
addi
tion,
if th
e se
arch
and
exa
min
atio
n ca
pabi
litie
s
99
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
of H
ong
Kon
g re
ach
natio
nal o
r int
erna
tiona
l sta
ndar
ds, t
hat w
ill a
ttrac
t mor
e pa
tent
fil
ings
an
d H
ong
Kon
g m
ay
even
ha
ndle
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n fo
r ot
her
juris
dict
ions
that
do
not h
ave
such
cap
acity
, the
reby
incr
easi
ng in
com
e.
3.4
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu c
ites
the
exam
ples
of S
inga
pore
and
Mac
ao a
s re
fere
nces
and
opi
nes
that
an
OG
P sy
stem
with
out
sour
cing
arr
ange
men
t is
pre
ferr
ed a
t th
e be
ginn
ing
stag
e of
the
im
plem
enta
tion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em a
s it
is m
ore
cost
-effe
ctiv
e.
The
issu
e of
whe
ther
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld h
ave
an O
GP
syst
em w
ithou
t ou
tsou
rcin
g ar
rang
emen
t sho
uld
be e
valu
ated
from
tim
e to
tim
e in
ligh
t of i
ncom
ing
info
rmat
ion
and
evid
ence
.
�
Dr C
W T
so c
onsi
ders
it p
rude
nt a
nd e
xped
ient
to o
utso
urce
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
to o
ther
pat
ent o
ffice
s lik
e EP
O, S
IPO
and
USP
TO.
Non
ethe
less
, he
reco
mm
ends
th
at f
urth
er s
tudy
be
cond
ucte
d on
the
rea
son
why
the
pat
ent
offic
es o
f A
ustri
a,
Den
mar
k an
d H
unga
ry (w
hich
are
not
Eng
lish
spea
king
cou
ntrie
s an
d ar
e no
t maj
or
tradi
ng p
artn
ers
of S
inga
pore
) w
ere
chos
en b
y Si
ngap
ore
to b
ecom
e ou
tsou
rced
ex
amin
atio
n pa
tent
offi
ces.
�
In th
e vi
ew o
f B
ioch
emis
try A
lum
ni A
ssoc
iatio
n, H
KU
ST, H
ong
Kon
g ca
n fo
llow
th
e pr
actic
e of
Sin
gapo
re i
n of
ferin
g fle
xibi
lity
to t
he p
aten
t ap
plic
ants
so
that
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ca
n be
out
sour
ced
to o
ther
pat
ent o
ffice
s or
be
done
by
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt o
ffice
. I
n ad
ditio
n to
the
thre
e cu
rren
t des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s, H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
offi
ces
may
out
sour
ce t
o th
e U
S, J
apan
, K
orea
and
Ger
man
y w
here
ther
e ca
n be
eas
ier l
ocal
isat
ion
for m
arke
ting
the
prod
ucts
whe
re th
e pa
tent
s ar
e w
ritte
n in
thei
r loc
al la
ngua
ges a
nd re
cogn
ised
by
the
loca
l pat
ent o
ffice
s.
10
0
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
3.5
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Ken
neth
Yip
�
Sam
Yip
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
t
�
QPA
Gro
up r
ecom
men
ds i
ntro
duci
ng a
“m
odifi
ed e
xam
inat
ion”
pat
ent
syst
em
inst
ead
of a
n O
GP
syst
em w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to o
ther
pat
ent
offic
e(s)
.
�
QPA
Gro
up c
onsi
ders
tha
t if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g,
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
will
nee
d to
be
outs
ourc
ed t
o ot
her
pate
nt o
ffice
s fr
om a
pr
actic
al p
oint
of
view
. I
n ad
ditio
n, i
f th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em i
s m
aint
aine
d,
ther
e w
ill n
ot b
e su
ffici
ent d
eman
d to
supp
ort i
n-ho
use
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion.
�
QPA
Gro
up s
ugge
sts
that
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
can
be o
utso
urce
d to
USP
TO,
EPO
, SIP
O, U
KPO
, IP
Aus
tralia
and
JPO
.
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d is
of t
he v
iew
that
alth
ough
it is
not
real
istic
to e
xpec
t a p
aten
t offi
ce
to h
ave
a so
phis
ticat
ed s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ca
pabi
lity
over
nigh
t, it
belie
ves
that
th
ere
is n
o re
ason
why
Hon
g K
ong
cann
ot h
ave
its o
wn
loca
lly tr
aine
d ex
amin
ers
whi
le o
ther
terr
itorie
s with
sim
ilar b
ackg
roun
d (e
.g. S
inga
pore
) can
.
�
Song
& C
han
com
men
t tha
t if a
n O
GP
syst
em is
ado
pted
in H
ong
Kon
g, su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n w
ill m
ost l
ikel
y be
out
sour
ced,
in w
hich
cas
e th
e O
GP
syst
em is
not
ve
ry d
iffer
ent f
rom
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
.
�
Dan
ny C
han
opin
es th
at it
is n
ot e
cono
mic
al to
set
up
a pa
tent
exa
min
atio
n se
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
Fu
rther
he
is o
f the
opi
nion
that
at t
his
stag
e, H
ong
Kon
g do
es n
ot
have
man
y qu
alifi
ed p
aten
t ex
amin
ers
in d
iffer
ent
field
s of
tec
hnol
ogie
s an
d su
gges
ts o
utso
urci
ng su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
USP
TO, E
PO o
r SIP
O.
�
Nig
el L
ee i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
outs
ourc
ing
shou
ld b
e in
trodu
ced
as a
tra
nsiti
onal
ar
rang
emen
t an
d in
-hou
se s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
the
aim
in
the
long
10
1
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
term
. S
IPO
is th
e pr
efer
red
pate
nt o
ffice
for o
utso
urci
ng b
ecau
se o
f the
ir la
ngua
ge
capa
bilit
y to
con
duct
sea
rch
in E
nglis
h an
d C
hine
se.
Alte
rnat
ivel
y, P
PH c
an b
e ad
opte
d as
is b
eing
don
e am
ong
maj
or p
aten
t offi
ces.
�
In th
e op
inio
n of
Kam
Wah
Law
, out
sour
cing
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
will
mea
n th
e lo
ss o
f th
e m
eans
to
supp
ort
a la
rge
num
ber
of h
ighl
y pa
id p
aten
t ex
amin
ers
and
pate
nt a
gent
s and
pat
ent a
ttorn
eys.
Thi
s, he
says
, will
hur
t Hon
g K
ong’
s rep
utat
ion
as a
“ca
n-do
city
” an
d w
ill b
e a
grea
t ins
ult t
o lo
cal t
alen
ts a
nd H
ong
Kon
g so
ciet
y as
a w
hole
.
�
Ken
neth
Y
ip
thin
ks
that
pr
oces
ses
like
exam
inat
ion,
in
valid
atio
n an
d ot
her
proc
edur
al m
atte
rs c
an b
e ou
tsou
rced
to lo
cal p
rivat
e en
titie
s, pu
blic
org
anis
atio
ns,
SIPO
or f
orei
gn p
aten
t offi
ces i
f the
Gov
ernm
ent i
s con
cern
ed w
ith c
ost a
nd sp
eed.
�
Sam
Yip
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at th
ere
is n
o co
mpe
lling
rea
son
for
esta
blis
hing
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
sugg
ests
out
sour
cing
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
to S
IPO
.
�
A re
spon
dent
poi
nts
out t
hat s
ome
degr
ee o
f loc
al re
sear
ch/s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
impl
emen
ted
and
obje
cts
to th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of a
pse
udo-
OG
P sy
stem
in
whi
ch H
ong
Kon
g m
erel
y ac
ts a
s a
post
box
and
the
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
is
com
plet
ely
outs
ourc
ed
to
fore
ign
pate
nt
offic
es.
O
ne
optio
n w
hich
th
e G
over
nmen
t cou
ld c
onsi
der
is to
impl
emen
t a s
yste
m li
ke th
at in
Sin
gapo
re, u
nder
w
hich
the
app
lican
t co
uld
choo
se w
heth
er t
here
is
loca
l se
arch
/exa
min
atio
n or
ch
oose
whe
ther
to re
ly o
n gr
ante
d cl
aim
s fro
m a
fore
ign
pate
nt.
Ano
ther
opt
ion
for
the
Gov
ernm
ent
to c
onsi
der
is t
o m
odify
the
OG
P sy
stem
in
Sing
apor
e to
som
e de
gree
. H
e is
of t
he v
iew
that
the
pate
nt o
ffice
s to
whi
ch s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n
10
2
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
is o
utso
urce
d sh
ould
be
thos
e in
juris
dict
ions
ado
ptin
g th
e co
mm
on la
w s
yste
m, f
or
exam
ple,
the
UK
. O
ne f
urth
er o
pini
on s
ugge
sted
is
to o
utso
urce
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
to lo
cal i
ndep
ende
nt p
aten
t atto
rney
s.
3.6
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC
�
HK
PC c
onsi
ders
that
the
best
opt
ion
is to
out
sour
ce su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
oth
er
pate
nt o
ffice
s if a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
ey su
gges
t th
at s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
outs
ourc
ed t
o pa
tent
offi
ces
whi
ch h
ave
expe
rienc
e in
suc
h se
rvic
e an
d us
e C
hine
se o
r Eng
lish
as it
s of
ficia
l lan
guag
e, s
uch
as S
IPO
.
3.7
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Ms.
Lee
�
Eric
Yun
g
� VW#
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai
� XYZ
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Stan
ley
thin
ks
that
th
e tim
e an
d co
sts
requ
ired
for
outs
ourc
ing
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
will
be
mor
e or
less
the
sam
e as
thos
e fo
r ap
plyi
ng d
irect
ly to
pat
ent
offic
es in
oth
er c
ount
ries;
and
so
it is
not
nec
essa
ry to
intro
duce
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Ms.
Lee
oppo
ses
outs
ourc
ing
of s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n an
d sh
e is
of
the
opin
ion
that
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
of p
aten
ts s
houl
d be
fas
ter
and
chea
per
if it
is
cond
ucte
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
O
utso
urci
ng o
f sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
will
be
indi
rect
, un
fair
and
expe
nsiv
e.
She
furth
er o
pine
s th
at th
ere
are
num
erou
s ex
perts
to c
arry
ou
t sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Eric
Yun
g su
gges
ts o
utso
urci
ng su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
SIP
O a
nd U
SPTO
.
� VW#
bel
ieve
s tha
t sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
can
be te
mpo
raril
y ou
tsou
rced
.
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai s
uppo
rts o
utso
urci
ng s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
ano
ther
exa
min
ing
auth
ority
at
the
begi
nnin
g st
age
of t
he i
ntro
duct
ion
of t
he O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
10
3
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
Kon
g.
� XYZ
thi
nks t
hat s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
outs
ourc
ed to
SIP
O.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in c
omm
ents
that
out
sour
cing
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
to o
ther
pat
ent
offic
es w
ill d
efea
t the
pur
pose
of g
aini
ng lo
cal e
xper
tise,
and
is c
once
rned
that
suc
h an
arr
ange
men
t will
incr
ease
the
cost
s and
tim
e re
quire
d to
obt
ain
a gr
ant o
f a p
aten
t in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
A re
spon
dent
sug
gest
s th
at e
ven
if su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
pat
ents
is o
utso
urce
d to
oth
er p
aten
t offi
ces,
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld a
lso
deve
lop
its o
wn
expe
rienc
e in
that
as
pect
and
sta
rt to
mai
ntai
n a
tech
nica
l dat
abas
e fr
om th
e be
ginn
ing.
Pa
rt of
the
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
shou
ld b
e co
nduc
ted
in H
ong
Kon
g so
tha
t H
ong
Kon
g ex
perts
can
gai
n m
ore
expe
rienc
e.
At t
he in
itial
sta
ge o
f out
sour
cing
arr
ange
men
t, on
ly fi
ve p
aten
t offi
ces
shou
ld b
e de
sign
ated
as
outs
ourc
ed e
xam
inat
ion
auth
oriti
es,
nam
ely
SIPO
, U
KPO
(fo
r co
ntin
uity
), EP
O (
for
cont
inui
ty)
and
two
othe
r pa
tent
of
fices
to b
e se
lect
ed o
n th
e ba
sis o
f the
ir tra
de v
olum
es w
ith H
ong
Kon
g.
�
A re
spon
dent
sug
gest
s th
e re
plac
emen
t of t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent s
yste
m w
ith a
n O
GP
syst
em to
app
ease
thos
e pu
shin
g fo
r an
OG
P sy
stem
and
to a
lso
allo
w IP
D to
ass
ess
dem
and
for O
GP.
If
the
OG
P sy
stem
repl
aces
the
stan
dard
pat
ent s
yste
m, t
hen
the
resp
onde
nt s
ugge
sts
follo
win
g th
e Si
ngap
orea
n m
odel
to a
llow
app
lican
ts to
cho
ose
betw
een
self-
exam
inat
ion
and
re-r
egis
tratio
n an
d w
ith a
cho
ice
of o
utso
urci
ng t
o U
K, S
IPO
or I
P A
ustra
lia.
�
A re
spon
dent
sup
ports
the
outs
ourc
ing
of s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n so
as
to s
ave
the
cost
s of
em
ploy
ing
expe
rts o
f diff
eren
t fie
lds
for t
he lo
ng te
rm.
For
app
licat
ions
in
Chi
nese
, he
sug
gest
s ou
tsou
rcin
g su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
the
pat
ent
offic
e of
10
4
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
3.
Shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
an O
GP
syst
em i
n H
ong
Kon
g w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to
othe
r pa
tent
off
ice(
s), a
nd, i
f so
, w
hich
off
ice(
s) a
nd w
hy?
Taiw
an a
nd f
or a
pplic
atio
ns in
Eng
lish,
he
sugg
ests
the
pate
nt o
ffice
s of
Aus
tria
or
Hun
gary
.
10
5
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
4.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
CM
A
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
HK
MM
A
�
FITM
I
�
FHK
I
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
GC
C
�
HK
API
All
resp
onde
nts
in th
is g
roup
agr
ee th
at th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
and
som
e co
nsid
er th
at th
e sy
stem
sho
uld
be e
xpan
ded
to re
cogn
ise
pate
nts
gran
ted
by
othe
r jur
isdi
ctio
ns.
Spec
ific
view
s
�
CM
A o
pine
s tha
t the
exi
stin
g re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em is
con
veni
ent a
nd c
ost-e
ffect
ive.
Th
e sy
stem
sho
uld
be e
xpan
ded
to r
ecog
nise
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
othe
r ju
risdi
ctio
ns
in w
hich
Hon
g K
ong
ente
rpris
es u
sual
ly i
nves
t, su
ch a
s th
e U
S, C
anad
a an
d A
ustra
lia.
�
HK
API
A, T
MH
K, H
KEI
A, H
KM
FS, P
VC
HK
and
HK
MM
A a
ll sh
are
the
view
that
th
e sy
stem
sho
uld
be e
xpan
ded
to r
ecog
nise
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
othe
r H
ong
Kon
g’s
prin
cipa
l tra
ding
pa
rtner
s su
ch
as
the
US,
C
anad
a an
d A
ustra
lia,
and
EPO
(d
esig
natin
g ot
her E
urop
ean
Uni
on c
ount
ries)
.
�
FITM
I op
ines
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be r
etai
ned
so th
at a
n al
tern
ativ
e to
the
OG
P sy
stem
is a
vaila
ble
to in
vent
ors.
�
FHK
I con
side
rs th
at th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em h
as it
s be
nefit
s an
d sh
ould
be
reta
ined
in p
aral
lel w
ith a
n O
GP
syst
em.
It a
lso
sugg
ests
exp
ansi
on o
f des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s to
incl
ude
the
US,
Aus
tralia
, Can
ada
and
Japa
n.
�
Am
Cha
m is
of
the
view
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be im
prov
ed
10
6
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
�
LESC
-HK
an
d su
gges
ts a
ddin
g to
the
list o
f cur
rent
des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s th
ose
of th
e U
S,
Japa
n, C
anad
a an
d/or
Aus
tralia
.
�
HK
GC
C b
elie
ves
that
the
exi
stin
g re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
to
cate
r fo
r in
vent
ors
who
hav
e go
ne t
hrou
gh s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n el
sew
here
.
App
ropr
iate
exp
ansi
on to
rec
ogni
se th
e pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
oth
er ju
risdi
ctio
ns, s
uch
as th
e U
S is
sugg
este
d.
�
HK
API
is o
f the
opi
nion
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
offe
rs a
n in
expe
nsiv
e an
d qu
ick
way
of
obta
inin
g pa
tent
pro
tect
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d is
con
veni
ent f
or
user
s. I
t rec
omm
ends
that
the
pres
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned
with
out
any
chan
ge a
s it
has,
over
the
year
s, pr
oved
to b
e ca
pabl
e of
sat
isfa
ctor
ily m
eetin
g th
e ne
eds a
nd d
eman
ds o
f the
mem
bers
of H
KA
PI in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
LESC
-HK
stro
ngly
rec
omm
ends
the
con
tinua
tion
of t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n
syst
em b
ut th
e fo
llow
ing
chan
ges s
houl
d be
mad
e:
(a)
allo
w m
ore
flexi
bilit
y in
the
time
to fi
le a
requ
est t
o re
cord
a d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
n an
d to
file
a re
ques
t for
regi
stra
tion
and
gran
t of a
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
.
It is
rec
omm
ende
d th
at p
rovi
sion
s sh
ould
be
mad
e fo
r ex
tens
ion
of t
ime
in
carr
ying
out
the
two
step
s in
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n pr
oces
s; a
nd
(b)
expa
nd t
o re
cogn
ise
pate
nts
gran
ted
by m
ajor
eco
nom
ies
like
the
US,
Jap
an
and
Kor
ea (
LESC
-HK
agr
ees
with
the
crite
ria f
or th
e se
lect
ion
of a
dditi
onal
de
sign
ated
pat
ent o
ffice
s as s
tate
d in
the
Con
sulta
tion
Pape
r).
4.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
Mos
t re
spon
dent
s in
thi
s gr
oup
cons
ider
tha
t th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
m
aint
aine
d.
How
ever
, the
re a
re d
iver
se v
iew
s re
gard
ing
whe
ther
to e
xpan
d th
e lis
t of
10
7
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
�
HK
IPA
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ces.
�
HK
IPA
con
side
rs th
at th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
at th
is s
tage
an
d su
gges
ts th
at th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
exp
ande
d to
reco
gnis
e pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
oth
er H
ong
Kon
g’s
prin
cipa
l tra
ding
par
tner
s, su
ch a
s th
e U
S, C
anad
a an
d A
ustra
lia, a
nd E
PO (d
esig
natin
g ot
her E
urop
ean
Uni
on c
ount
ries)
.
�
HIP
P pr
opos
es th
at th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
reta
ined
for f
ive
year
s af
ter
the
com
men
cem
ent o
f the
full
OG
P sy
stem
. T
his
will
pro
vide
app
lican
ts w
ith th
e op
tion
of re
-reg
istra
tion
as a
n al
tern
ativ
e so
as
to re
duce
the
wor
kloa
d un
der t
he fu
ll O
GP
syst
em.
Eva
luat
ion
of th
e tw
o sy
stem
s sho
uld
be c
arrie
d ou
t afte
r fiv
e ye
ars.
�
HIP
P co
nsid
ers
that
the
cur
rent
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em r
elin
quis
hes
the
gran
ting
auth
ority
of
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nts
to th
e de
sign
ated
juris
dict
ions
, and
that
this
is a
n un
fair
situ
atio
n th
at n
eeds
to b
e re
cons
ider
ed.
HIP
P pr
opos
es th
at n
egot
iatio
ns b
e en
tere
d in
to w
ith S
IPO
, EPO
and
UK
IPO
for r
ecip
roci
ty o
f re-
regi
stra
tion.
�
HK
ITM
P co
nsid
ers
that
the
cur
rent
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
with
out
any
chan
ge a
s it
is a
cos
t-effe
ctiv
e an
d re
lativ
ely
sim
ple
syst
em t
hat
prov
ides
cer
tain
ty o
f gra
nted
pat
ents
.
�
HK
ITM
P is
con
cern
ed th
at if
the
list o
f de
sign
ated
pat
ent o
ffice
s is
exp
ande
d, th
e di
scre
panc
ies
betw
een
diffe
rent
pat
ent
syst
ems
e.g.
diff
eren
t ap
proa
ches
in
the
inte
rpre
tatio
n of
pat
ent c
laim
s, m
ay le
ad to
inco
nsis
tenc
ies i
n th
e sc
ope
of p
rote
ctio
n at
tach
ed t
o pa
tent
s ba
sed
on d
iffer
ent
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t of
fice.
H
KIT
MP
also
op
ines
that
the
inte
rnat
iona
l rep
utat
ion
of H
ong
Kon
g as
wel
l as
cred
ibili
ty s
houl
d be
bor
ne in
min
d if
reco
gniti
on is
to b
e ex
tend
ed to
oth
er fo
reig
n ju
risdi
ctio
ns.
10
8
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
�
APA
A su
gges
ts th
e fo
llow
ing
mod
ifica
tions
:
(a)
an i
ntro
duct
ion
of a
“m
odifi
ed e
xam
inat
ion”
pat
ent
syst
em,
utili
sing
the
ex
istin
g de
sign
ated
pat
ent
juris
dict
ions
of
Chi
na,
the
UK
and
Eur
ope
and
incl
ude
furth
er ju
risdi
ctio
ns w
hich
are
con
side
red
cred
ible
fro
m a
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
pers
pect
ive;
and
(b)
an in
trodu
ctio
n of
a f
ull 2
0-ye
ar H
ong
Kon
g st
anda
rd p
aten
t, w
hich
may
be
filed
as a
“fir
st fi
ling”
, Par
is C
onve
ntio
n fil
ing,
or P
CT
natio
nal p
hase
filin
g.
�
APA
A r
ecom
men
ds i
nclu
sion
of
addi
tiona
l de
sign
ated
pat
ent
offic
es w
hich
are
co
nsid
ered
cre
dibl
e fr
om a
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
pers
pect
ive.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
con
side
rs th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em h
as b
een
serv
ing
Hon
g K
ong
very
wel
l an
d re
com
men
ds t
hat
even
if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced,
the
cu
rren
t re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d re
mai
n to
allo
w a
pplic
ants
an
inex
pens
ive
optio
n.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
sugg
ests
the
follo
win
g m
odifi
catio
ns:
(a)
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld k
eep
an e
ye o
n th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
the
PPH
initi
ativ
e to
ex
pand
rec
ogni
tion
to P
PH m
embe
r co
untri
es w
hich
hav
e ar
rang
emen
t w
ith
the
curr
ent
thre
e de
sign
ated
pa
tent
of
fices
(e
.g.
EPO
fo
r pa
tent
s no
t de
sign
atin
g th
e U
K);
(b)
intro
duce
ext
ensi
on o
f tim
e fo
r pat
ent a
pplic
atio
ns; a
nd
(c)
sim
plify
the
proc
edur
e fo
r am
endi
ng p
aten
ts.
10
9
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
4.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
DA
B
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
DA
B s
uppo
rts t
he e
xpan
sion
of
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
to
reco
gnis
e pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
Hon
g K
ong’
s ot
her
prin
cipa
l tra
ding
par
tner
s, su
ch a
s th
e U
S, C
anad
a an
d A
ustra
lia,
and
EPO
(de
sign
atin
g ot
her
Euro
pean
Uni
on c
ount
ries)
. T
he
rete
ntio
n of
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
will
pro
vide
a b
uffe
r to
the
new
OG
P sy
stem
an
d of
fer
mor
e av
aila
ble
optio
ns t
o ap
plic
ants
. T
he e
xpan
sion
of
the
syst
em t
o re
cogn
ise
pate
nts
gran
ted
by H
ong
Kon
g’s
othe
r pr
inci
pal
tradi
ng p
artn
ers
can
attra
ct b
usin
esse
s to
deve
lop
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
sug
gest
s re
tain
ing
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
in o
rder
to m
aint
ain
a de
man
d fo
r th
e se
rvic
es o
f pa
tent
atto
rney
s w
ho a
re n
ow a
ssis
ting
SMEs
or
inve
ntor
s to
obta
in p
aten
t gra
nts i
n th
e th
ree
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ces.
4.4
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu o
pine
s th
at th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
as
it w
ould
fac
ilita
te H
ong
Kon
g’s
linka
ge w
ith t
he t
echn
olog
ical
and
inn
ovat
ion
deve
lopm
ent
in M
ainl
and
Chi
na a
nd E
urop
e.
He
supp
orts
the
exp
ansi
on o
f th
e sy
stem
to re
cogn
ise
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y th
e U
SPTO
.
�
Dr
C W
Tso
agr
ees
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be r
etai
ned
as a
n in
terim
mea
sure
. H
e ad
vise
s th
at th
e lis
t of d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces
be e
xpan
ded,
ta
king
int
o ac
coun
t th
ose
acce
pted
by
Sing
apor
e as
pre
scrib
ed p
aten
t of
fices
, and
su
gges
ts a
num
ber o
f fac
tors
to b
e co
nsid
ered
whe
n se
lect
ing
addi
tiona
l des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s:
(a)
juris
dict
ion
that
has
stro
ng tr
ade
tie w
ith H
ong
Kon
g;
(b)
the
syst
em u
ses t
he o
ffici
al la
ngua
ges i
n H
ong
Kon
g;
11
0
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
(c)
stan
dard
s and
qua
lity
of p
aten
ts is
sued
are
wel
l res
pect
ed in
tern
atio
nally
; and
(d)
com
mon
law
juris
dict
ion.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
is
of t
he v
iew
tha
t th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned,
with
rec
ogni
tion
of p
aten
ts g
rant
ed b
y th
e pa
tent
s of
fices
in
the
US,
Jap
an, K
orea
and
Ger
man
y, a
s an
alte
rnat
ive
in t
he t
rans
ition
al
stag
e fo
r eas
ier i
mpl
emen
tatio
n of
the
new
pat
ent s
yste
m.
4.5
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Sam
Yip
�
Chi
na In
telle
ctua
l Pro
perty
(H.K
.) Li
mite
d
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
A m
ajor
ity o
f th
e re
spon
dent
s in
thi
s gr
oup
supp
ort
the
rete
ntio
n of
the
cur
rent
re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em.
Spec
ific
Vie
ws
�
A r
espo
nden
t pro
pose
s th
at th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
for
a w
hile
and
dur
ing
the
trans
ition
per
iod,
a p
aten
t app
lican
t can
cho
ose
to m
ake
eith
er a
n O
GP
appl
icat
ion
or a
re-
regi
stra
tion
appl
icat
ion.
H
e ob
ject
s to
the
ex
pans
ion
of th
e sy
stem
to r
ecog
nise
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
othe
r ju
risdi
ctio
ns f
or th
e fo
llow
ing
reas
ons:
(a)
the
re a
re h
isto
rical
rea
sons
for
the
cho
ice
of t
he c
urre
nt
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t of
fices
and
exp
ansi
on o
f th
e sy
stem
to
othe
r pa
tent
offi
ces
is
inco
nsis
tent
with
the
his
toric
al r
easo
ns;
and
(b)
com
plic
atio
ns w
ill a
rise
from
the
di
ffere
nt st
anda
rds o
n pa
tent
abili
ty u
nder
the
law
s of o
ther
juris
dict
ions
.
�
QPA
Gro
up re
com
men
ds th
e fo
llow
ing
mod
ifica
tions
:
(a)
intro
duct
ion
of a
“m
odifi
ed e
xam
inat
ion”
pat
ent s
yste
m; a
nd
(b)
expa
nsio
n of
the
pat
ent
syst
em t
o in
clud
e a
20-y
ear
Hon
g K
ong
stan
dard
pa
tent
, w
hich
may
be
filed
as
a “f
irst
filin
g”,
“con
vent
ion
filin
g”,
or “
PCT
11
1
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
natio
nal p
hase
filin
g”.
�
QPA
Gro
up w
arns
that
the
wel
l-est
ablis
hed
inte
rnat
iona
l res
pect
of
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt s
yste
m w
ill b
e lo
st if
ther
e ar
e an
y ch
ange
s to
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt s
yste
m
whi
ch r
educ
e th
e pr
esum
ptio
n of
val
idity
(w
hich
they
con
side
r lik
ely
to h
appe
n if
reco
gniti
on i
s ex
tend
ed t
o pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
les
s re
puta
ble
pate
nt o
ffice
s) a
nd
incr
ease
pol
lutio
n of
the
pate
nts r
egis
ter w
ith in
valid
pat
ents
.
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d su
ppor
ts re
tain
ing
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
for t
he fo
llow
ing
reas
ons:
(a)
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
app
eals
to in
tern
atio
nal b
usin
esse
s whi
ch v
iew
Hon
g K
ong
as a
rela
tivel
y sm
all m
arke
t, an
d m
ay n
ot o
ther
wis
e ch
oose
to in
cur t
he
time
and
cost
s to
app
ly fo
r and
regi
ster
an
orig
inal
gra
nt p
aten
t in
Hon
g K
ong;
an
d
(b)
a lo
t of
R&
D f
acili
ties
of H
ong
Kon
g en
terp
rises
hav
e m
oved
to C
hina
, and
si
nce
Chi
na re
quire
s in
vent
ions
cre
ated
in C
hina
to b
e fir
st fi
led
ther
e, a
lot o
f in
vent
ions
cre
ated
by
Hon
g K
ong-
base
d or
Hon
g K
ong-
fund
ed c
ompa
nies
ha
ve to
be
first
file
d in
Chi
na.
The
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
is s
uita
ble
for s
uch
com
pani
es.
�
Dan
ny C
han
reje
cts
the
mec
hani
sm o
f re-
regi
stra
tion
as h
e is
of t
he v
iew
that
und
er
such
sys
tem
, it
take
s a
long
er t
ime
to o
btai
n gr
ant
of a
pat
ent,
whi
ch i
n tu
rn
disc
oura
ges p
aten
t app
lican
ts w
ho w
ant t
o ob
tain
stat
utor
y pr
otec
tion.
�
Nig
el L
ee t
hink
s th
at t
he r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be r
etai
ned
as t
he c
ost
for
mai
ntai
ning
it
is l
ow a
nd i
t is
con
veni
ent
to p
artie
s w
ho h
ave
alre
ady
filed
an
appl
icat
ion
in a
des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
. A
s fo
r m
odifi
catio
n of
the
sys
tem
, he
11
2
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
thin
ks th
at a
gra
ce p
erio
d fo
r lat
e fil
ing
of th
e re
ques
t to
reco
rd a
nd th
e re
ques
t for
re
gist
ratio
n an
d gr
ant s
houl
d be
allo
wed
, lik
e th
e tw
o-m
onth
as
of r
ight
ext
ensi
on
for f
iling
PC
T na
tiona
l pha
se e
ntry
in C
hina
.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
hol
ds st
rong
vie
ws a
gain
st th
e re
tent
ion
of th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em.
In
his
vie
w,
the
syst
em i
s eq
uiva
lent
to
allo
win
g ot
her
coun
tries
to
enfo
rce
thei
r ju
dgm
ents
in
Hon
g K
ong
but
ther
e is
no
reci
proc
al a
rran
gem
ent
for
Hon
g K
ong
judg
men
ts a
nd n
o co
untry
in th
is w
orld
allo
ws
such
a s
yste
m b
ecau
se it
mea
ns th
e su
rren
der o
f the
cou
ntry
’s ju
risdi
ctio
n or
sov
erei
gnty
to o
ther
cou
ntrie
s. H
e is
als
o co
ncer
ned
that
und
er t
he r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
, H
ong
Kon
g ju
st
rece
ives
a
seco
ndar
y di
sclo
sure
of
the
inve
ntio
n, t
hat
is a
fter
the
prim
ary
disc
losu
re i
n th
e ju
risdi
ctio
n of
the
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ce a
nd a
s a
resu
lt, H
ong
Kon
g ci
tizen
s an
d en
terp
rises
will
not
lear
n of
the
inve
ntio
n ea
rlier
than
thei
r com
petit
ors
in E
urop
e or
C
hina
. A
s suc
h, th
e sy
stem
is n
ot in
line
with
a ri
ght p
aten
t pol
icy.
�
Sam
Yip
sug
gest
s in
clud
ing
the
pate
nt o
ffice
s of
the
US,
Jap
an a
nd o
ther
Eur
opea
n U
nion
mem
bers
as
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t of
fices
on
grou
nd o
f th
e vo
lum
e of
tra
de
betw
een
Hon
g K
ong
and
thes
e pl
aces
and
the
num
ber
of a
pplic
atio
ns th
ese
offic
es
rece
ive.
Li
ke N
igel
Lee
, he
supp
orts
allo
win
g a
grac
e pe
riod
for f
iling
the
requ
est
to re
cord
and
the
requ
est f
or re
gist
ratio
n an
d gr
ant o
n pa
ymen
t of a
surc
harg
e.
�
Chi
na I
ntel
lect
ual
Prop
erty
(H
.K.)
Lim
ited
supp
orts
the
inc
lusi
on o
f U
SPTO
and
EP
O a
s des
igna
ted
pate
nt o
ffice
s.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
sugg
ests
that
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
the
US
shou
ld a
lso
be re
cogn
ised
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t op
ines
tha
t th
e cu
rren
t re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
subj
ect t
o th
e m
odifi
catio
n th
at a
sec
urity
cle
aran
ce p
roce
dure
sho
uld
be in
trodu
ced.
11
3
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
He
does
not
sup
port
the
reco
gniti
on o
f pat
ents
by
othe
r jur
isdi
ctio
ns in
vie
w o
f the
di
ffere
nces
in
pa
tent
la
w
in
diffe
rent
ju
risdi
ctio
ns.
H
e fe
els
that
a
broa
d re
cogn
ition
of
fore
ign
pate
nts
wou
ld c
ause
con
fusi
on t
o th
e us
ers
and
ofte
n gi
ve
them
a f
alse
sen
se o
f se
curit
y of
hav
ing
a pa
tent
that
may
not
be
pate
ntab
le in
the
first
pla
ce.
Hon
g K
ong
ough
t to
only
reco
gnis
e pa
tent
s of o
ther
juris
dict
ions
whi
ch
have
sim
ilar p
aten
tabi
lity
law
s to
avoi
d th
e gr
ant o
f unn
eces
sary
pat
ent r
ight
s.
4.6
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC
�
API
CC
�
Uni
vers
al D
ispl
ay C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n
�
Ble
ssed
Inc
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC s
uppo
rts t
he r
eten
tion
of r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
and
the
ope
ratio
n of
the
sy
stem
in
para
llel
with
the
OG
P sy
stem
. H
KPC
als
o re
com
men
ds t
hat
pate
nts
gran
ted
by o
ther
juris
dict
ions
whi
ch u
nder
take
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
usin
g ei
ther
En
glis
h or
Chi
nese
, inc
ludi
ng C
hina
, the
US,
the
UK
, Can
ada,
Aus
tralia
and
EPO
de
sign
ated
con
tract
ing
stat
es t
hat
use
Engl
ish
as t
he o
ffici
al l
angu
age,
sho
uld
be
reco
gnis
ed.
�
API
CC
supp
orts
exp
andi
ng re
cogn
ition
of p
aten
ts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her j
uris
dict
ions
.
�
Uni
vers
al
Dis
play
C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
co
nsid
ers
that
th
e cu
rren
t re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
and
be e
xpan
ded
to r
ecog
nise
pat
ents
gr
ante
d by
mor
e in
tern
atio
nal p
aten
t offi
ces,
in p
artic
ular
thos
e of
the
US
and
Japa
n,
beca
use
they
are
evo
lvin
g in
to a
ver
y si
mila
r sys
tem
and
diff
eren
ces
alre
ady
exis
t in
the
law
s of t
he th
ree
curr
ent o
ffice
s any
way
.
�
Scho
lar
Cor
pora
tion,
Ble
ssed
Inc
and
Bac
h Li
mite
d co
nsid
er t
hat
the
curr
ent
re-r
egis
tratio
n is
wor
king
wel
l an
d ef
ficie
ntly
and
sho
uld
be m
aint
aine
d.
They
ha
ve n
o ob
ject
ion
to e
xten
ding
the
num
ber
of d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces
unde
r th
e re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em, a
nd re
com
men
d th
e G
over
nmen
t to
cons
ider
Jap
an, G
erm
any
and
the
US
as th
ese
coun
tries
are
maj
or e
cono
mie
s al
ong
with
Chi
na.
The
y al
so
11
4
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
sugg
est i
nclu
ding
juris
dict
ions
whi
ch h
ave
low
er e
xam
inat
ion
and
regi
stra
tion
cost
s in
ord
er to
redu
ce th
e to
tal c
osts
of o
btai
ning
a st
anda
rd p
aten
t in
Hon
g K
ong.
4.7
Indi
vidu
als
�
Ala
n K
now
les
�
Stan
ley
�
Tom
Lam
�
Ms.
Lee
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai
� XYZ
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
� [\]
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Ala
n K
now
les
is o
f the
vie
w th
at a
dan
gero
us s
ituat
ion
will
aris
e if
ther
e is
any
kin
d of
aut
omat
ic re
gist
ratio
n of
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
anot
her j
uris
dict
ion
beca
use
subj
ects
w
hich
are
not
pat
enta
ble
in H
ong
Kon
g, in
par
ticul
ar s
oftw
are,
may
be
pate
ntab
le in
an
othe
r ju
risdi
ctio
n.
H
e al
so
sugg
ests
th
at
anyo
ne
seek
ing
pate
nt
for
non-
pate
ntab
le su
bjec
t sho
uld
face
serio
us p
enal
ties.
�
Stan
ley
cons
ider
s tha
t the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
shou
ld b
e re
tain
ed fo
r pat
ents
whi
ch
wer
e al
read
y gr
ante
d by
for
eign
org
anis
atio
ns.
In
deci
ding
whe
ther
the
sys
tem
sh
ould
be
expa
nded
to re
cogn
ise
pate
nts
gran
ted
by o
ther
juris
dict
ion(
s), t
he p
aten
t la
ws o
f tho
se ju
risdi
ctio
ns sh
ould
be
cons
ider
ed.
�
Two
resp
onde
nts
shar
e th
e vi
ew t
hat
it is
not
nec
essa
ry t
o ch
ange
the
cur
rent
re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em.
�
Tom
Lam
opi
nes
that
the
curr
ent r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be m
aint
aine
d an
d be
ex
pand
ed to
reco
gnis
e pa
tent
s gr
ante
d by
oth
er ju
risdi
ctio
ns, f
or e
xam
ple,
the
US
or
Aus
tralia
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t sup
ports
the
rete
ntio
n of
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
but
sug
gest
s th
at
pate
nts
gran
ted
by th
e ex
istin
g th
ree
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ces
and
two
othe
r pa
tent
of
fices
(to
be s
elec
ted
on th
e ba
sis
of th
eir t
rade
vol
umes
with
Hon
g K
ong)
sho
uld
be re
cogn
ised
.
�
Ms.
Lee
sugg
ests
th
at
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
sh
ould
be
us
ed
until
th
e es
tabl
ishm
ent
of t
he O
GP
syst
em i
s co
mpl
eted
. A
fterw
ards
, an
OG
P sy
stem
11
5
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
shou
ld b
e us
ed b
ut s
he a
lso
sugg
ests
that
bot
h th
e O
GP
and
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
s sh
ould
ope
rate
in p
aral
lel w
ith e
ach
othe
r.
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai o
pine
s th
at H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
con
side
r ex
pand
ing
the
list
of
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ces
to in
clud
e U
SPTO
, IP
Aus
tralia
and
the
Can
adia
n pa
tent
of
fice.
� XYZ
sug
gest
s m
aint
aini
ng th
e cu
rren
t re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em w
ithou
t exp
andi
ng
the
list
of d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces
sinc
e to
a c
erta
in e
xten
t a
pate
nt s
yste
m
man
ifest
s the
exe
rcis
e of
its s
over
eign
ty b
y a
coun
try.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in o
pine
s th
at H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
con
side
r ex
pand
ing
the
list
of
desi
gnat
ed p
aten
t offi
ces
to in
clud
e U
SPTO
, EPO
(ot
her
than
des
igna
ting
the
UK
), IP
Aus
tralia
, JP
O a
nd K
orea
Int
elle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty O
ffice
. H
e fu
rther
sug
gest
s re
cogn
isin
g pa
tent
s gra
nted
by
any
one
of th
e IS
As a
nd IP
EAs u
nder
the
PCT.
� [\]
supp
orts
the
rete
ntio
n of
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t sup
ports
kee
ping
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
but
doe
s no
t rec
omm
end
its e
xten
sion
to p
aten
ts o
f ot
her
juris
dict
ions
as
that
wou
ld c
ompl
icat
e th
e pr
oces
s w
ith I
PD h
avin
g to
und
erst
and
and
verif
y pu
blic
atio
n an
d gr
ant d
ates
fro
m v
ario
us
juris
dict
ions
whi
ch m
ay n
ot b
e as
cle
ar a
s th
e cu
rren
t de
sign
ated
pat
ent
offic
es.
Fu
rther
, in
his
view
, avo
idin
g th
is b
y ch
angi
ng fr
om a
“re
gist
ratio
n af
ter p
ublic
atio
n sy
stem
” to
a s
yste
m r
equi
ring
filin
g un
der
Paris
Con
vent
ion
or P
CT
wou
ld r
isk
man
y co
mpa
nies
re-
asse
ssin
g th
eir
polic
y an
d de
cidi
ng n
ot t
o fil
e in
Hon
g K
ong.
H
e al
so s
ugge
sts
thre
e ch
ange
s to
be
mad
e: (
a) to
req
uire
that
a r
eque
st to
rec
ord
unde
r se
ctio
n 15
of
the
Pate
nts
Ord
inan
ce f
or a
div
isio
nal a
pplic
atio
n ca
n on
ly b
e fil
ed if
a re
ques
t to
reco
rd th
e re
late
d pa
tent
app
licat
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g ha
s bee
n fil
ed
11
6
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
4.
Shou
ld t
he c
urre
nt r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned,
and
, if
so,
shou
ld t
he s
yste
m b
e m
odifi
ed a
s ap
prop
riat
e, i
nclu
ding
ex
pans
ion
to r
ecog
nise
the
pate
nts g
rant
ed b
y ot
her
juri
sdic
tion(
s), a
nd, i
f so,
whi
ch ju
risd
ictio
n(s)
?
and
is s
ubse
quen
tly p
ublis
hed;
(b)
to
allo
w l
ate
filin
g of
a r
eque
st t
o re
cord
or
a re
ques
t for
regi
stra
tion
and
gran
t upo
n pa
ymen
t of a
sur
char
ge w
hich
can
be
set a
t a
high
lev
el t
o de
ter
abus
e; a
nd (
c) t
o al
low
am
endm
ent
of a
pat
ent
post
gra
nt f
or
conf
orm
ing
with
an
amen
dmen
t to
the
desi
gnat
ed b
ase
pate
nt.
�
A r
espo
nden
t thi
nks
that
the
re-r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
sho
uld
be k
ept b
ut m
odifi
ed to
m
eet t
he st
anda
rds a
ppro
ved
by S
IPO
, EPO
and
USP
TO to
ens
ure
that
it is
upd
ated
.
11
7
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
5.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
5.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
CM
A
�
FHK
I
�
CM
A s
ugge
sts
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d ex
plor
e w
ith p
aten
t offi
ces
to w
hich
it
outs
ourc
es t
he s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n w
ork
abou
t th
e po
ssib
ility
of
mut
ual
reco
gniti
on o
f pat
ents
gra
nted
.
�
FHK
I su
gges
ts t
hat
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld c
onsi
der
nego
tiatin
g w
ith t
he P
RC
for
m
utua
l re
cogn
ition
of
pate
nts
as a
nd w
hen
the
OG
P sy
stem
bec
omes
mat
ure.
A
m
utua
l rec
ogni
tion
regi
me
will
attr
act w
orld
-wid
e ap
plic
atio
ns, a
nd h
ence
, bus
ines
s to
Hon
g K
ong.
5.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HIP
P su
gges
ts th
at IP
D sh
ould
neg
otia
te fo
r rec
ipro
city
of r
e-re
gist
ratio
n w
ith S
IPO
, EP
O a
nd U
KPO
so
that
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nts
gran
ted
unde
r the
full
OG
P sy
stem
can
be
regi
ster
ed in
thes
e ju
risdi
ctio
ns.
It f
urth
er s
ugge
sts
that
the
subs
tant
ive
aspe
cts
of
SIPO
Ex
amin
atio
n G
uide
lines
ca
n be
us
ed
as
guid
elin
es
for
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
and
for d
evel
opm
ent o
f the
bod
y of
law
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
HK
ITM
P re
fers
to A
rticl
e 10
7 of
the
Bas
ic L
aw u
nder
whi
ch H
ong
Kon
g is
requ
ired
to m
aint
ain
a ba
lanc
ed b
udge
t an
d op
ines
tha
t in
the
cur
rent
eco
nom
ic r
eces
sion
, in
stea
d of
allo
catin
g re
sour
ces
and
fund
s to
sub
sidi
se a
pat
ent s
yste
m a
nd a
lim
ited
num
ber
of i
nven
tors
and
com
mer
cial
ent
ities
who
may
wis
h to
file
pat
ents
, th
e G
over
nmen
t sho
uld
cons
ider
allo
catin
g fu
nds
to I
PD to
impr
ove
serv
ices
cur
rent
ly
offe
red.
�
APA
A n
otes
that
diff
eren
t jur
isdi
ctio
ns a
dopt
diff
eren
t app
roac
hes
in in
terp
reta
tion
of p
aten
t cla
ims.
Hon
g K
ong
adop
ts th
e pr
inci
ples
of p
urpo
sive
cla
im c
onst
ruct
ion
11
8
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
5.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
follo
wed
in th
e U
K, A
ustra
lia a
nd C
anad
a.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
poi
nts
to a
pap
er ti
tled
“A P
ropo
sal f
or th
e G
radu
al D
evel
opm
ent
of O
rigi
nal P
aten
t Gra
nt in
Hon
g K
ong”
join
tly p
repa
red
by th
e D
AB
and
HK
IPA
, an
d cl
aim
ed t
o be
bas
ed o
n a
surv
ey c
omm
issi
oned
by
HK
IPA
cov
erin
g 13
re
pres
enta
tive
Hon
g K
ong
orga
nisa
tions
(re
pres
entin
g ab
out
6,50
0 en
terp
rises
).
The
Law
Soc
iety
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at th
e pr
emis
e an
d re
sults
of
the
surv
ey d
o no
t ap
pear
con
vinc
ing
beca
use:
(a)
the
clai
m to
repr
esen
t abo
ut 6
,500
ent
erpr
ises
is b
ased
on
the
assu
mpt
ions
that
(i)
alth
ough
the
surv
ey w
as c
arrie
d ou
t on
the
resp
ectiv
e ex
ecut
ive
com
mitt
ee
mem
bers
of
the
busi
ness
ass
ocia
tions
onl
y, t
heir
view
s ca
n be
reg
arde
d as
re
pres
entin
g th
e vi
ews
of t
heir
mem
bers
; an
d (ii
) th
ere
are
500
mem
bers
in
each
of t
hese
bus
ines
s ass
ocia
tions
; and
(b)
the
surv
ey a
ppea
rs t
o be
cur
sory
and
it
is d
oubt
ful
whe
ther
the
res
pond
ents
un
ders
tood
the
impl
icat
ions
to th
eir a
nsw
ers.
In
parti
cula
r, th
e co
re q
uest
ions
sa
id to
supp
ort a
n or
igin
al p
aten
t gra
nt w
ere:
-
“Q5:
Do
you
cons
ider
a c
ompl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
trat
ion
syst
em (i
nclu
ding
sho
rt
term
pat
ents
and
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
s) w
ould
be
bene
ficia
l to
the
Hon
g K
ong
econ
omy?
Q6:
If
Hon
g K
ong
had
a co
mpl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
trat
ion
syst
em,
will
thi
s en
cour
age
you
to a
pply
for p
aten
ts?”
The
Law
Soc
iety
not
es th
at a
“co
mpl
ete
pate
nt re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
” is
nei
ther
ex
plai
ned
nor
defin
ed
in
the
ques
tionn
aire
, an
d qu
erie
s w
heth
er
the
resp
onde
nts
unde
rsta
nd w
hat
a co
mpl
ete
pate
nt r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
mea
ns
whe
n ac
cord
ing
to t
he s
urve
y, 7
4.6%
of
them
do
not
know
the
diff
eren
ce
11
9
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
5.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
betw
een
a sh
ort-t
erm
and
a st
anda
rd p
aten
t.
In li
ght o
f the
abo
ve, t
he L
aw S
ocie
ty c
onsi
ders
it p
resu
mpt
uous
to c
oncl
ude
that
the
rela
tivel
y lo
w v
olum
e of
app
licat
ions
of
pate
nts
in H
ong
Kon
g is
due
to
the
com
pani
es b
eing
dis
cour
aged
to a
pply
for
pat
ents
und
er th
e in
com
plet
e sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
refe
rs to
a le
tter f
rom
Leg
isla
tive
Cou
ncill
or M
s. R
egin
a Ip
to M
r.
Won
g Ti
ng-k
won
g, C
hairm
an o
f th
e Pa
nel
on C
omm
erce
and
Ind
ustry
exp
ress
ing
her v
iew
s abo
ut th
e H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
syst
em (“
Ms.
Ip’s
Let
ter”
). T
he le
tter s
tate
s th
at i
t is
diff
icul
t fo
r ow
ners
of
stan
dard
pat
ents
to
enfo
rce
thei
r rig
hts
beca
use
a ty
pica
l def
enda
nt w
ould
app
ly fo
r inv
alid
atio
n of
the
pate
nt in
the
coun
try o
f orig
in
then
app
ly f
or a
sta
y of
the
Hon
g K
ong
proc
eedi
ngs,
and
durin
g th
at t
ime,
the
de
fend
ant c
an c
ontin
ue to
sel
l its
infr
ingi
ng p
rodu
cts.
The
Law
Soc
iety
poi
nts
out
that
(a)
eve
n if
an O
GP
syst
em i
s in
trodu
ced
in H
ong
Kon
g, d
urin
g lit
igat
ion,
a
defe
ndan
t ca
n st
ill c
halle
nge
the
valid
ity o
f th
e st
anda
rd p
aten
t by
app
lyin
g fo
r re
voca
tion
and
appl
ying
for a
stay
of p
roce
edin
gs u
ntil
the
revo
catio
n pr
ocee
ding
s is
com
plet
ed; (
b) in
all
IP li
tigat
ion,
a d
efen
dant
can
con
tinue
the
acts
it is
com
plai
ned
of u
nles
s th
ere
is a
n in
terlo
cuto
ry i
njun
ctio
n; a
nd (
c) i
f su
ch a
cts
are
ultim
atel
y fo
und
by th
e co
urt t
o be
infr
ingi
ng a
cts,
the
defe
ndan
t will
be
liabl
e to
the
plai
ntiff
fo
r dam
ages
aris
ing
out o
f all
such
act
s. T
he L
aw S
ocie
ty th
eref
ore
cons
ider
s th
at
whe
ther
or
not H
ong
Kon
g ad
opts
an
OG
P sy
stem
has
not
hing
to d
o w
ith w
heth
er
ther
e m
ay b
e re
voca
tion
proc
eedi
ngs
and
appl
icat
ion
for s
tay
of th
e pa
tent
litig
atio
n pe
ndin
g th
e ou
tcom
e of
the
revo
catio
n pr
ocee
ding
s.
5.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
hop
es t
hat
thro
ugh
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
and
Hon
g K
ong
Clo
ser
Econ
omic
Par
tner
ship
Arr
ange
men
t (“C
EPA
”), p
aten
ts g
rant
ed in
Hon
g K
ong
and
Chi
na c
an b
e m
utua
lly re
cogn
ised
. I
f mut
ual r
ecog
nitio
n ca
nnot
be
achi
eved
in th
e
12
0
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
5.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
near
fut
ure,
Eco
nom
ic S
yner
gy s
ugge
sts
liais
ing
with
Chi
na s
o th
at a
fter
a lo
cal
appl
ican
t has
file
d a
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
n in
Hon
g K
ong,
a p
aten
t app
licat
ion
for
the
sam
e in
vent
ion
in C
hina
can
be
expe
dite
d un
der s
impl
ified
pro
cedu
res.
5.4
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
Chr
is M
urra
y
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Chr
is M
urra
y su
gges
ts re
form
in th
e fo
llow
ing
dire
ctio
n:
(a)
Inst
ead
of a
n O
GP
syst
em, C
hine
se p
aten
ts s
houl
d be
ext
ende
d au
tom
atic
ally
to
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
e cu
rren
t tw
o-st
ep re
gist
ratio
n is
bur
eauc
ratic
and
doe
s no
t pr
ovid
e us
ers
with
add
ition
al s
afeg
uard
s an
d as
sura
nce.
H
e no
tes
that
mos
t pe
ople
who
hav
e pa
tent
s in
Hon
g K
ong,
Eur
ope
and
the
UK
are
ver
y lik
ely
to
have
a C
hine
se p
aten
t any
way
; and
(b)
IPD
cou
ld b
ecom
e a
rece
ivin
g of
fice
for
SIPO
and
per
mitt
ing
filin
g in
a
fore
ign
lang
uage
. T
his
allo
ws
loca
l app
lican
ts to
rece
ive
a pa
tent
filin
g da
te
and
they
can
file
the
trans
latio
n in
one
to th
ree
mon
ths
ther
eafte
r. I
PD, a
s a
loca
l bra
nch
of S
IPO
, may
als
o pr
ovid
e do
cum
ents
req
uire
d by
the
cour
ts in
H
ong
Kon
g in
inf
ringe
men
t pr
ocee
ding
s or
med
iatio
n/ar
bitra
tion.
It
wou
ld
be a
bet
ter u
se o
f lim
ited
reso
urce
s.
�
Song
& C
han
are
conc
erne
d ab
out
the
hand
ling
of r
evie
w p
roce
edin
gs a
nd
inva
lidat
ion
proc
eedi
ngs
if an
OG
P sy
stem
is a
dopt
ed in
Hon
g K
ong,
in p
artic
ular
th
ey n
ote
that
the
leve
l of s
kills
requ
ired
for h
andl
ing
of s
uch
proc
eedi
ngs
is h
ighe
r an
d th
ey a
lso
requ
ire m
ore
man
pow
er a
nd o
ther
reso
urce
s.
�
Dan
ny C
han
sugg
ests
out
sour
cing
the
han
dlin
g of
offi
ce a
ctio
ns t
o lo
cal
pate
nt
firm
s.
5.5
Oth
ers
�
API
CC
exp
ress
es i
ts c
once
rn o
n th
e fa
ct t
hat
the
issu
e of
the
val
idity
of
a pa
tent
12
1
Cha
pter
1 :
Stan
dard
Pat
ent S
yste
m (6
4 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
5.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
�
API
CC
gr
ante
d in
Hon
g K
ong
unde
r an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
has
not
bee
n di
scus
sed
in t
he C
onsu
ltatio
n Pa
per.
It
sugg
ests
tha
t H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
mov
e to
war
ds t
he d
irect
ion
of m
utua
l re
cogn
ition
of
subs
tant
ially
exa
min
ed p
aten
ts b
y C
hina
and
Hon
g K
ong
thro
ugh
a m
utua
l agr
eem
ent b
etw
een
the
two
pate
nt re
gim
es
or th
roug
h C
EPA
.
5.6
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
� XYZ
�
Guy
Cha
n
�
Stan
ley
opin
es t
hat
IPD
sho
uld
be m
ore
invo
lved
in
actin
g as
the
int
erm
edia
ry
betw
een
the
inve
ntor
s an
d pa
tent
reg
istra
tion
orga
nisa
tions
in o
ther
cou
ntrie
s so
as
to a
ssis
t the
inve
ntor
s in
mak
ing
appl
icat
ions
to s
uch
orga
nisa
tions
and
to p
rovi
de
prel
imin
ary
advi
ce to
inve
ntor
s on
thei
r app
licat
ions
.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in n
otes
that
ther
e is
a g
loba
l tre
nd to
stre
amlin
e ex
amin
atio
n pr
oces
s.
Exam
ples
are
the
setti
ng u
p of
a si
ngle
pat
ent a
utho
rity,
EPO
, and
a si
ngle
trad
emar
k au
thor
ity, t
he O
ffice
of
Har
mon
izat
ion
of I
nter
nal
Mar
ket,
in E
urop
e.
He
opin
es
that
int
rodu
cing
an
OG
P sy
stem
in
Hon
g K
ong
will
cre
ate
segm
ente
d m
arke
ts
betw
een
Hon
g K
ong
and
Chi
na.
� XYZ
sug
gest
s si
gnin
g ag
reem
ent
for
mut
ual
reco
gniti
on o
f pa
tent
s w
ith o
ther
ju
risdi
ctio
ns o
r reg
ions
.
�
Guy
Cha
n co
nsid
ers t
he m
ost i
mpo
rtant
thin
g is
to e
nabl
e re
cogn
ition
of H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s by
mor
e co
untri
es (l
ike
Euro
pean
Uni
on, N
orth
Am
eric
a an
d PR
C) t
hrou
gh
mut
ual a
gree
men
ts o
r th
e lik
e so
that
re-
regi
stra
tion
is n
ot n
eces
sary
. I
n ad
ditio
n,
Hon
g K
ong
may
set
up
a sy
stem
to
gran
t pa
tent
s to
inv
ento
rs w
ith r
egio
nal
rest
rictio
ns if
ther
e ar
e di
ffere
nces
in p
aten
t law
s.
12
2
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
6.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
CM
A
�
FITM
I
�
HK
GC
C
�
Am
Cha
m
�
LESC
-HK
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong47
�
CM
A, F
ITM
I, an
d H
KG
CC
shar
e th
e vi
ew th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m o
ffers
a
fast
and
inex
pens
ive
mea
ns o
f pat
ent p
rote
ctio
n fo
r sim
ple
inve
ntio
ns w
ith a
sho
rter
com
mer
cial
life
span
.
�
Am
Cha
m o
pine
s th
at t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em p
rovi
des
a re
lativ
ely
fast
and
us
eful
met
hod
for p
rote
ctin
g in
vent
ions
with
a re
lativ
ely
shor
t com
mer
cial
life
.
�
LESC
-HK
agr
ees
that
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sy
stem
ser
ves
to i
ncre
ase
the
IP
awar
enes
s of
the
com
mun
ity a
nd th
at th
ere
will
be,
alb
eit l
imite
d, c
omm
erci
al n
eed
for
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
. H
owev
er,
LESC
-HK
is
not
conv
ince
d th
at t
he
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
can
pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n.
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m c
an p
rom
ote
loca
l in
nova
tion,
but
the
syst
em m
ust p
rovi
de to
ughe
r saf
egua
rds t
o pr
even
t abu
se.
6.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
ITM
P
All
resp
onde
nts
in th
is g
roup
agr
ee th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m p
rovi
des
vario
us
bene
fits t
o H
ong
Kon
g ap
plic
ants
.
�
HK
ITM
P ag
rees
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em p
rovi
des
sign
ifica
nt b
enef
its t
o
47
G
S1 H
ong
Kon
g in
trodu
ces
itsel
f as
a no
t-for
-pro
fit, i
ndus
try-le
d gl
obal
sup
ply
chai
n st
anda
rds
orga
nisa
tion.
It
stat
es th
at it
s su
bmis
sion
is s
uppo
rted
by (a
s at
the
date
of
its
subm
issi
on)
: (1)
Hon
. Sam
son
Tam
(Le
gisl
ativ
e C
ounc
illor
); (2
) H
on. S
in C
hung
Kai
(Fo
rmer
Leg
isla
tive
Cou
ncill
or);
(3)
Mr.
Cha
rles
Mok
(Fo
undi
ng C
hair,
In
tern
et S
ocie
ty H
ong
Kon
g); (
4) R
etai
l Tec
hnol
ogy
Indu
stry
Ass
ocia
tion;
(5) H
ong
Kon
g W
irele
ss T
echn
olog
y In
dust
ry A
ssoc
iatio
n; (6
) Com
mun
icat
ions
Ass
ocia
tion
of
Hon
g K
ong;
(7)
Mill
ion
Tech
Dev
elop
men
t Ltd
; (8)
Dat
a-Pr
o Te
chno
logy
Ltd
; (9)
Meg
asof
t Ltd
; (10
) Ep
code
Sys
tem
s Lt
d; (
11)
ID-T
ech
(Hon
g K
ong)
Ltd
; and
(12
) H
ong
Kon
g C
omm
unic
atio
ns C
o Lt
d.
12
3
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
Hon
g K
ong
appl
ican
ts, a
nd to
a le
sser
ext
ent,
inte
rnat
iona
l app
lican
ts, a
nd n
otes
that
su
ch tr
end
is c
onsi
sten
t with
sim
ilar l
esse
r pat
ent s
yste
ms i
n ot
her j
uris
dict
ions
.
�
HK
ITM
P is
of
the
opin
ion
that
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sy
stem
has
the
fol
low
ing
bene
fits:
(a)
allo
ws f
or e
arly
enf
orce
men
t of p
aten
t rig
hts;
(b)
may
be
utili
sed
to e
stab
lish
prio
rity
for
subs
eque
nt p
aten
t fil
ings
in
fore
ign
juris
dict
ions
in a
man
ner s
imila
r to
prov
isio
nal p
aten
t app
licat
ions
; and
(c)
the
requ
irem
ent
of a
sea
rch
repo
rt be
fore
gra
nt a
llow
s ap
plic
ants
to
gain
an
early
indi
catio
n of
pot
entia
l pat
enta
bilit
y of
thei
r inv
entio
n w
ithou
t the
nee
d to
un
derg
o su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n.
�
Apa
rt fr
om t
he b
enef
its i
dent
ified
by
HK
ITM
P, A
PAA
add
s th
at t
he s
hort-
term
pa
tent
syst
em h
as th
e fo
llow
ing
bene
fits:
(a)
the
ease
of
esta
blis
hing
fur
ther
prio
rity
date
s fo
r su
bseq
uent
impr
ovem
ents
to
an in
vent
ion
thro
ugho
ut th
e Pa
ris C
onve
ntio
n pe
riod
(i.e.
12
mon
ths
from
the
earli
est
filin
g da
te)
for
tech
nolo
gy
that
in
volv
es
furth
er
impr
ovem
ents
, ad
vanc
emen
ts a
nd e
xper
imen
tal d
ata
deve
lope
d af
ter f
iling
;
(b)
allo
ws
Hon
g K
ong
appl
ican
ts to
file
pat
ent a
pplic
atio
ns d
irect
ed to
war
ds th
eir
tech
nolo
gies
w
hich
m
ay
be
used
de
fens
ivel
y to
co
unte
ract
un
foun
ded
infr
inge
men
t alle
gatio
ns b
y th
ird p
artie
s; a
nd
(c)
the
adva
ntag
es o
ffere
d by
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
will
ass
ist p
rom
otio
n of
lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n an
d he
lp p
reve
nt a
fina
ncia
l dis
ince
ntiv
e to
the
esta
blis
hmen
t
12
4
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
of p
aten
t rig
hts
in H
ong
Kon
g be
fore
sub
sequ
ent
purs
uit
of p
aten
t rig
hts
in
fore
ign
juris
dict
ions
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m h
as th
e fo
llow
ing
bene
fits:
(a)
offe
rs a
qui
ck r
egis
tratio
n pr
oced
ure
for
thos
e (u
sual
ly s
impl
er)
inve
ntio
ns
with
no
rest
rictio
n on
the
sub
ject
mat
ter
(pro
vide
d it
is p
aten
tabl
e) a
nd t
he
com
mer
cial
life
of
whi
ch m
ay n
ot j
ustif
y th
e tim
e an
d co
st t
o ap
ply
for
a st
anda
rd p
aten
t pro
tect
ion
for 2
0 ye
ars;
and
(b)
alth
ough
the
num
ber
of a
pplic
atio
ns s
eem
s to
hav
e re
mai
ned
rath
er s
tatic
, its
re
lativ
e po
pula
rity
amon
gst H
ong
Kon
g bu
sine
ssm
en (a
s com
pare
d to
stan
dard
pa
tent
s) su
gges
ts so
me
ince
ntiv
e fo
r loc
al in
nova
tions
.
6.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
is o
f the
opi
nion
that
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
can
let S
MEs
ob
tain
pat
ent p
rote
ctio
n fo
r si
mpl
e in
vent
ions
with
sho
rter
com
mer
cial
life
at l
ow
cost
s.
6.4
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu n
otes
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em i
s pi
vota
l fo
r pr
omot
ing
incr
emen
tal
inno
vatio
n ac
cord
ing
to i
nter
natio
nal
expe
rienc
e an
d w
ould
cre
ate
a fa
vour
able
env
ironm
ent f
or lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n to
pro
sper
.
�
Dr C
W T
so c
onsi
ders
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
use
r-frie
ndly
, and
it o
ffers
a fa
st
and
inex
pens
ive
mea
ns o
f pro
tect
ing
sim
ple
inve
ntio
ns w
ith a
lim
ited
life
span
in th
e m
arke
t and
enc
oura
ges i
nnov
atio
n.
12
5
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
is
of t
he v
iew
tha
t m
aint
aini
ng t
he
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
can
pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns s
ince
it a
llow
s sm
all f
irms
to f
ocus
on
thei
r in
nova
tion
proj
ects
with
a “
prot
ectio
n tim
e” a
s th
ey m
ay h
ave
limite
d re
sour
ces a
t the
ear
ly st
age
of d
evel
opm
ent.
6.5
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Sam
Yip
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
t
�
QPA
Gro
up i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
offe
rs s
ever
al
adva
ntag
es in
clud
ing:
(a)
early
enf
orce
men
t;
(b)
ease
and
cos
t-effe
ctiv
enes
s of e
stab
lishi
ng p
riorit
y;
(c)
defe
nsiv
e pu
rpos
es;
(d)
cust
omer
con
fiden
ce; a
nd
(e)
can
be u
sed
effe
ctiv
ely
as a
“pr
ovis
iona
l pat
ent a
pplic
atio
n”.
�
QPA
Gro
up n
otes
that
they
hav
e no
t see
n an
y ev
iden
ce o
f w
ides
prea
d ab
use
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
QPA
Gro
up b
elie
ves t
hat t
he re
ason
why
som
e H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
ees a
re su
rpris
ed to
di
scov
er th
at th
eir H
ong
Kon
g sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
are
inva
lid o
r une
nfor
ceab
le is
due
to
suc
h pa
tent
ees
not b
eing
cor
rect
ly a
dvis
ed b
y qu
alifi
ed p
aten
t atto
rney
s as
to h
ow
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
wor
ks.
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d be
lieve
s th
at t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em i
s us
eful
for
pet
ty
inve
ntio
ns w
hich
are
pro
tect
ed b
y si
mila
r sy
stem
s (g
rant
with
out
subs
tant
ive
12
6
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
exam
inat
ion)
such
as u
tility
mod
els o
r pet
ty p
aten
t sys
tem
s in
othe
r cou
ntrie
s.
�
Nig
el L
ee th
inks
that
the
syst
em is
impo
rtant
to S
MEs
and
indi
vidu
al in
vent
ors f
or a
qu
ick
and
non-
expe
nsiv
e ro
ute
to o
btai
n a
pate
nt a
s w
ell a
s pr
iorit
y rig
ht a
nd w
ould
he
lp n
urtu
re lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n at
thei
r inf
ant s
tage
.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
bel
ieve
s th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m c
an p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion,
ju
st a
s ot
her
coun
tries
with
a u
tility
mod
el p
aten
t sys
tem
bel
ieve
that
thei
r sy
stem
s pr
omot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n.
�
Sam
Yip
is
of t
he v
iew
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em p
rovi
des
a fa
st a
nd
affo
rdab
le s
yste
m fo
r pro
tect
ing
sim
ple
inve
ntio
ns o
r inn
ovat
ive
prod
ucts
that
hav
e a
shor
t mar
ket l
ifesp
an.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
thin
ks th
e sy
stem
fits
the
need
s of m
ost,
if no
t all,
SM
Es.
�
A re
spon
dent
not
es th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m is
use
ful f
or S
MEs
to o
btai
n a
quic
k fil
ing
date
cos
t-effe
ctiv
ely
and
is w
idel
y us
ed b
y SM
Es.
It
ther
efor
e do
es
prom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ions
.
6.6
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC
�
HK
PC n
otes
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em p
rovi
des
a fa
st a
nd r
elat
ivel
y in
expe
nsiv
e w
ay o
f re
gist
erin
g a
pate
nt a
nd i
s be
nefic
ial
to p
rote
ctin
g in
vent
ions
w
ith a
sho
rt lif
e cy
cle
in th
e m
arke
t. A
lso,
Hon
g K
ong
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts p
rovi
de
the
priv
ilege
of
clai
min
g pr
iorit
y un
der
the
Paris
Con
vent
ion.
Th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pa
tent
sys
tem
fits
wel
l to
the
fast
bus
ines
s en
viro
nmen
t of H
ong
Kon
g an
d pl
ays
an
impo
rtant
role
in c
reat
ion,
com
mer
cial
isat
ion
and
enfo
rcem
ent o
f pat
ent r
ight
s.
12
7
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
6.
Wha
t ben
efits
doe
s the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
bri
ng to
Hon
g K
ong?
D
oes i
t pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
ns?
6.7
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
� VW#
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Stan
ley
opin
es th
at s
hort-
term
pat
ent s
yste
m h
elps
pro
mot
e lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n an
d is
su
itabl
e fo
r si
mpl
e in
vent
ions
by
indi
vidu
als
and
smal
l en
terp
rises
whi
ch a
re
suita
ble
for l
ocal
use
.
� VW#
bel
ieve
s tha
t the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
can
enc
oura
ge lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in s
ugge
sts
abol
ishi
ng th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m b
ecau
se o
f th
e lo
w
num
ber
of a
pplic
atio
ns.
Als
o, s
ince
the
sys
tem
pro
vide
s an
alte
rnat
ive
rout
e fo
r in
vent
ors
with
few
er r
esou
rces
to
obta
in s
ome
form
of
pate
nt p
rote
ctio
n, t
he
appl
icat
ions
are
not
pre
pare
d as
pro
fess
iona
lly a
nd i
t m
ay n
ot c
reat
e th
e be
st
prot
ectio
n fo
r the
inve
ntiv
e id
ea.
�
A re
spon
dent
find
s th
e po
ssib
ility
of m
akin
g a
loca
l “fir
st fi
ling”
che
aply
bef
ore
the
appl
ican
t de
cide
s w
heth
er o
r no
t to
file
for
eign
pat
ent
appl
icat
ions
to
be a
sur
e ad
vant
age
and
so t
he s
yste
m p
roba
bly
has
a m
odes
tly p
ositi
ve e
ffect
on
loca
l in
nova
tion.
�
A r
espo
nden
t is
of th
e vi
ew th
at th
e lo
w c
osts
in g
ettin
g a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t bet
ter
suit
parti
es w
ith sm
all i
nven
tions
and
so c
an p
rom
ote
loca
l inn
ovat
ion.
12
8
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
7.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
CM
A
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
FITM
I
�
FHK
I
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
GC
C
�
LESC
-HK
�
CM
A s
uppo
rts th
e ex
tens
ion
of th
e te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
for
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts f
rom
ei
ght
to 1
0 ye
ars
so a
s to
offe
r be
tter
prot
ectio
n to
pat
ent
owne
rs.
Thi
s w
ill
mot
ivat
e SM
Es in
Hon
g K
ong
to in
vest
mor
e in
R&
D.
Thi
s w
ill a
lso
be in
line
w
ith t
he p
ract
ices
of
coun
tries
hav
ing
a le
sser
pat
ent
syst
em,
such
as
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
, Ger
man
y, Ja
pan
and
Den
mar
k.
�
HK
API
A, T
MH
K, H
KEI
A, H
KM
FS a
nd P
VC
HK
all
cons
ider
the
curr
ent s
hort-
term
pa
tent
sys
tem
cou
ld b
e re
tain
ed a
t thi
s st
age
with
a p
ossi
ble
exte
nsio
n of
the
term
of
prot
ectio
n fr
om e
ight
to 1
0 ye
ars.
But
all
obje
ct to
the
intro
duct
ion
of s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts.
�
FITM
I opi
nes
that
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
sho
uld
be re
tain
ed in
depe
nden
tly o
f th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
.
�
FHK
I co
nsid
ers
that
ther
e ha
ve n
ot b
een
man
y ap
plic
atio
ns f
or s
hort-
term
pat
ents
an
d no
cha
nges
are
nec
essa
ry.
The
Gov
ernm
ent
may
con
side
r ex
pand
ing
the
perio
d of
val
idity
of a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t fro
m e
ight
yea
rs to
10
year
s.
�
Am
Cha
m s
ugge
sts
intro
duci
ng s
impl
ified
cou
rt pr
oced
ures
to c
halle
nge
the
valid
ity
of sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
. O
ther
cha
nges
pro
pose
d ar
e:
12
9
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong
(a)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
and
(b)
impo
se n
o re
stric
tion
on th
e nu
mbe
r of c
laim
s.
On
the
othe
r han
d, A
mC
ham
als
o ur
ges
caut
ion
in m
akin
g ch
ange
s to
the
thre
shol
d of
pat
enta
bilit
y fo
r sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts.
�
HK
GC
C i
n pr
inci
ple
supp
orts
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
befo
re c
omm
ence
men
t of
in
frin
gem
ent
proc
eedi
ngs
if th
e pa
tent
was
gra
nted
on
the
basi
s of
an
“unc
lean
” re
port.
Ei
ther
the
pat
ent
owne
r or
a t
hird
par
ty s
houl
d be
abl
e to
req
uest
ex
amin
atio
n w
ith t
he c
osts
bei
ng b
orne
by
the
requ
estin
g pa
rty.
As
rega
rds
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n, th
e nu
mbe
r of c
laim
s an
d th
e th
resh
old
of p
aten
tabi
lity,
HK
GC
C
sugg
ests
that
the
exis
ting
posi
tion
of th
e sy
stem
be
mai
ntai
ned.
�
LESC
-HK
is n
ot c
onvi
nced
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
pro
mot
es lo
cal i
nnov
atio
n bu
t agr
ees t
hat t
he sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m c
ould
be
reta
ined
unt
il th
e co
mm
unity
is
mor
e so
phis
ticat
ed in
IP p
rote
ctio
n.
It su
gges
ts e
xten
ding
the
valid
ity o
f sho
rt-te
rm
pate
nts
from
eig
ht t
o 10
yea
rs.
It
also
rec
omm
ends
tha
t m
ore
educ
atio
n to
be
prov
ided
to th
e co
mm
unity
on
the
enfo
rcea
bilit
y of
a s
hort-
term
pat
ent i
f sho
rt-te
rm
pate
nt sy
stem
is to
be
mai
ntai
ned.
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong
sugg
ests
intro
duci
ng th
e fo
llow
ing
chan
ges t
o th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em:
(a)
if th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent i
s gr
ante
d on
the
basi
s of
an
“unc
lean
” se
arch
rep
ort,
the
pate
ntee
sho
uld
not b
e pe
rmitt
ed to
enf
orce
the
pate
nt b
y an
y le
gal a
ctio
n un
less
and
unt
il (i)
the
pate
ntee
is a
ble
to a
men
d th
e pa
tent
with
the
supp
ort o
f
13
0
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
a cl
ean
sear
ch re
port,
or (
ii) th
e pa
tent
ee in
itiat
es th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n an
d sa
tisfie
s the
exa
min
er;
(b)
stre
ngth
en th
e “g
roun
dles
s th
reat
” pr
ovis
ion
so th
at if
a p
aten
t ow
ner t
hrea
tens
so
meo
ne o
n th
e st
reng
th o
f a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t gr
ante
d on
the
bas
is o
f an
“u
ncle
an”
sear
ch re
port
with
out f
irst a
men
ding
the
pate
nt c
laim
s and
pro
vidi
ng
a cl
ean
sear
ch re
port,
it w
ill b
e co
nsid
ered
as a
n un
just
ified
thre
at; a
nd
(c)
requ
ire t
he s
earc
h re
port
in s
uppo
rt of
a s
hort-
term
pat
ent
appl
icat
ion
be
com
pile
d w
ithin
one
yea
r bef
ore
or a
fter t
he a
pplic
atio
n is
file
d.
7.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
IPA
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
IPA
con
side
rs th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m c
ould
be
reta
ined
at t
he c
urre
nt s
tage
bu
t the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n m
ay b
e ex
tend
ed fr
om e
ight
to 1
0 ye
ars.
HK
IPA
obj
ects
to
the
intro
duct
ion
of su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts.
�
HIP
P su
ppor
ts t
he r
eten
tion
of t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em b
ut p
ropo
ses
the
follo
win
g ch
ange
s:
(a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
of a
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t nee
ds to
be
carr
ied
out b
efor
e co
mm
ence
men
t of
the
infr
inge
men
t pro
ceed
ings
at t
he c
osts
of
the
pate
ntee
.
Cla
ims
reje
cted
in th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n co
uld
not f
orm
the
basi
s of
the
infr
inge
men
t pro
ceed
ings
;
(b)
a to
tal
of 1
0 cl
aim
s (w
heth
er i
ndep
ende
nt o
r de
pend
ent
clai
ms)
sho
uld
be
allo
wed
in
each
app
licat
ion
and
addi
tiona
l cl
aim
s sh
ould
be
allo
wed
upo
n pa
ymen
t of e
xces
s cla
im fe
es; a
nd
13
1
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
(c)
the
pate
ntab
ility
sta
ndar
d of
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts s
houl
d be
cla
rifie
d by
issu
e of
ex
amin
atio
n gu
idel
ines
.
�
HK
ITM
P pr
opos
es th
e fo
llow
ing
chan
ges:
(a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
befo
re e
nfor
cem
ent a
nd n
ot b
efor
e gr
ant;
(b)
clar
ifica
tion
of l
iabi
lity
for
the
issu
ance
of
grou
ndle
ss t
hrea
ts i
n re
latio
n to
sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
;
(c)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
and
(d)
incr
ease
the
max
imum
num
ber
of in
depe
nden
t cla
ims
to th
ree
and
rest
rict t
he
max
imum
num
ber
of c
laim
s to
20
to a
ccom
mod
ate
appa
ratu
s, sy
stem
and
m
etho
d cl
aim
s.
Add
ition
ally
, H
KIT
MP
does
not
con
side
r it
nece
ssar
y to
mod
ify t
he t
hres
hold
of
pate
ntab
ility
of s
hort-
term
pat
ents
.
�
APA
A i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
refin
emen
t of
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sy
stem
as
wel
l as
fu
rther
pro
mot
ion
and
publ
ic a
war
enes
s of t
he b
enef
its o
f the
syst
em a
re a
ppro
pria
te
in o
rder
to
stim
ulat
e fu
rther
use
of
the
syst
em a
nd t
o m
itiga
te t
he l
ikel
ihoo
d fo
r ab
use.
�
APA
A d
oes
not
supp
ort
the
intro
duct
ion
of s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n fo
r gr
ant
of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts o
r lo
wer
ing
the
thre
shol
d of
pat
enta
bilit
y.
APA
A p
ropo
ses
the
follo
win
g ch
ange
s:
(a)
requ
iring
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n pr
ior
to
com
men
cem
ent
of
lega
l
13
2
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
proc
eedi
ngs
whi
le m
aint
aini
ng t
he r
equi
rem
ent
of o
btai
ning
a s
earc
h re
port
from
one
of t
he d
esig
nate
d pa
tent
offi
ces o
r ISA
s;
(b)
tight
enin
g up
of t
he “
grou
ndle
ss th
reat
s” p
rovi
sion
s, pa
rticu
larly
in re
latio
n to
pa
tent
s whi
ch h
ave
not b
een
exam
ined
;
(c)
exte
ndin
g th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
and
(d)
exte
ndin
g th
e m
axim
um n
umbe
r of i
ndep
ende
nt c
laim
s to
thre
e an
d de
pend
ent
clai
ms t
o 22
.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
rec
omm
ends
ret
aini
ng t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em w
ith t
he
follo
win
g pr
opos
ed c
hang
es:
(a)
disc
losu
re o
f the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sea
rch
repo
rt ca
n be
mad
e co
mpu
lsor
y an
d
be s
erve
d up
on th
e de
fend
ant a
t the
tim
e of
com
men
cem
ent o
f in
frin
gem
ent
proc
eedi
ngs;
(b)
the
defe
ndan
t may
req
uest
for
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
of a
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t or
the
pate
nt o
wne
r may
on
his
own
volit
ion
elec
t to
do s
o if
the
valid
ity o
f a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t is
in is
sue,
with
cos
ts o
f sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
to b
e bo
rne
by th
e de
fend
ant i
f it i
s fo
und
to b
e va
lid ir
resp
ectiv
e of
whe
ther
the
defe
ndan
t is
fou
nd to
hav
e in
frin
ged
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t as
alle
ged,
so
that
val
idity
of
the
pate
nt w
ill n
ot b
e ch
alle
nged
as a
mat
ter o
f cou
rse;
(c)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
and
(d)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um n
umbe
r of i
ndep
ende
nt c
laim
s (r
ecom
men
ds c
ondu
ctin
g
13
3
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
a su
rvey
to a
scer
tain
the
aver
age
num
ber
of in
depe
nden
t cla
ims
in a
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d co
nsid
er th
e fe
asib
ility
of u
sing
the
aver
age
num
ber
or a
less
er n
umbe
r as t
he li
mit
for a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t).
7.3
Polit
ical
Par
ties /
Gro
ups
�
DA
B
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
DA
B c
onsi
ders
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
cou
ld b
e re
tain
ed a
t the
cur
rent
sta
ge
but t
he te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
may
be
exte
nded
from
eig
ht to
10
year
s. D
AB
obj
ects
to
the
intro
duct
ion
of su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
con
side
rs th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m c
ould
be
reta
ined
at t
he
curr
ent s
tage
and
sug
gest
s ex
tend
ing
the
max
imum
term
of
prot
ectio
n to
10
year
s w
ithou
t int
rodu
cing
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion.
7.4
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ray
mon
d Y
iu su
ppor
ts th
e re
tent
ion
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m b
ut su
gges
ts th
e te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
unde
r the
said
syst
em b
e ex
tend
ed to
10
year
s.
�
Dr C
W T
so su
ppor
ts re
tain
ing
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
but
with
refin
emen
ts:
(a)
the
Hon
g K
ong
Pate
nts
Reg
istry
be
empo
wer
ed t
o co
nduc
t, if
deem
ed
nece
ssar
y, s
earc
h or
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion,
eith
er b
efor
e or
afte
r gr
ant o
f a
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t, up
on r
eque
st b
y an
app
lican
t fo
r th
e gr
ant
of a
pat
ent,
a pa
tent
ow
ner o
r a th
ird p
arty
(with
the
party
requ
estin
g ex
amin
atio
n to
bea
r the
co
sts
but
the
third
par
ty s
o re
ques
ting
shou
ld b
e re
imbu
rsed
by
the
pate
nt
owne
r if t
he p
aten
t is
foun
d to
be
non-
pate
ntab
le) b
ut s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
not
be
a m
anda
tory
req
uire
men
t fo
r co
mm
ence
men
t of
inf
ringe
men
t pr
ocee
ding
s;
13
4
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
(b)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
to 1
0 ye
ars
to g
ive
the
pate
nt o
wne
r ex
tra ti
me
to m
arke
t and
real
ise
com
mer
cial
gai
n fr
om th
e in
vent
ion;
and
(c)
the
num
ber o
f ind
epen
dent
cla
ims b
e ca
pped
at f
ive.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
con
side
rs th
e fo
llow
ing
chan
ges
to th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m sh
ould
be
mad
e:
(a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
can
be d
one
in th
e se
cond
yea
r of t
he p
aten
t effe
ctiv
e pe
riod;
it
wou
ld s
erve
as
a co
nditi
on f
or c
omm
ence
men
t of
inf
ringe
men
t pr
ocee
ding
s an
d th
e pa
tent
ow
ners
ar
e re
com
men
ded
to
appl
y fo
r th
e ex
amin
atio
n;
(b)
allo
w u
nlim
ited
clai
ms
but c
harg
e m
ore
for
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns e
xcee
ding
10
clai
ms;
(c)
the
pate
ntab
ility
thre
shol
d sh
ould
be
low
ered
to e
ncou
rage
co-
oper
atio
n of
the
acad
emia
with
the
indu
strie
s; a
nd
(d)
mor
e in
tang
ible
inno
vatio
n, in
clud
ing
arts
and
mus
ic, m
ay b
e in
clud
ed in
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
.
7.5
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
�
QPA
Gro
up
All
resp
onde
nts
in t
his
grou
p su
ppor
t re
tain
ing
the
curr
ent
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
.
Som
e su
gges
t m
aint
aini
ng t
he c
urre
nt s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em i
n its
exi
stin
g fo
rm.
O
ther
s sug
gest
cha
nges
.
Spec
ific
view
s
13
5
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Ken
neth
Yip
�
Sam
Yip
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
t
�
Ric
hard
R.
Hal
stea
d be
lieve
s th
at t
here
is
conf
usio
n as
to
the
use
of s
hort-
term
pa
tent
s. H
e co
nsid
ers
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts s
houl
d on
ly b
e so
nam
ed i
f “s
impl
e in
vent
ions
” w
ith a
low
er th
resh
old
of p
aten
tabi
lity
are
prot
ecte
d; if
, on
the
cont
rary
, sh
ort-t
erm
pa
tent
s ar
e in
tend
ed
to
cove
r al
l in
vent
ions
w
ithou
t su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n, g
reat
car
e sh
ould
be
take
n to
pre
vent
any
abu
se o
f the
syst
em.
�
QPA
Gro
up p
ropo
ses t
he fo
llow
ing
chan
ges:
(a)
intro
duce
the
requ
irem
ents
to o
btai
n a
“tec
hnic
al o
pini
on”
prio
r to
enfo
rcem
ent
of a
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t and
the
optio
n to
invo
ke “
grou
ndle
ss th
reat
” pr
ovis
ion
if th
e pa
tent
is a
sser
ted
with
out s
uch
an o
pini
on;
(b)
exte
nd th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
and
(c)
rela
x th
e re
stric
tion
on th
e m
axim
um n
umbe
r of i
ndep
ende
nt c
laim
s to
thre
e or
fiv
e an
d im
pose
a re
stric
tion
on th
e to
tal n
umbe
r of c
laim
s to
no
mor
e th
an 2
5 or
30.
�
Kin
g &
Woo
d an
d K
enne
th Y
ip th
ink
that
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
sho
uld
be
mai
ntai
ned.
�
Song
& C
han
sugg
est t
he fo
llow
ing
mod
ifica
tions
to th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m:
(a)
requ
ire a
sear
ch o
n no
velty
to b
e co
nduc
ted;
(b)
rela
x th
e re
stric
tion
on th
e nu
mbe
r of i
ndep
ende
nt c
laim
s; a
nd
(c)
incr
ease
the
max
imum
term
of p
rote
ctio
n to
10
year
s.
13
6
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
�
Song
& C
han
also
opi
ne th
at (a
) the
thre
shol
d of
pat
enta
bilit
y fo
r sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts
shou
ld n
ot b
e lo
wer
ed; a
nd (b
) int
rodu
cing
sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
mec
hani
sm in
to
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
will
rend
er it
sim
ilar t
o a
stan
dard
pat
ent s
yste
m.
�
Dan
ny C
han
sugg
ests
sim
plify
ing
the
proc
edur
e fo
r rev
ocat
ion
of s
hort-
term
pat
ent
regi
stra
tions
to
avoi
d ab
use
of t
he s
yste
m t
hrou
gh r
egis
tratio
n of
non
-pat
enta
ble
inve
ntio
ns.
�
Nig
el L
ee su
ppor
ts th
e ex
tens
ion
of th
e te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars o
n gr
ound
that
th
e sy
stem
can
the
n al
ign
with
the
PR
C u
tility
mod
el,
whi
ch i
n hi
s vi
ew h
as a
si
mila
r na
ture
as
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t. H
e al
so o
bjec
ts to
the
intro
duct
ion
of (
a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion;
and
(b) a
diff
eren
t thr
esho
ld o
f pat
enta
bilit
y fo
r sho
rt-te
rm
pate
nts.
In
addi
tion,
he
sugg
ests
that
if a
n O
GP
syst
em is
set
up,
ther
e sh
ould
be
a m
echa
nism
to
allo
w a
pat
ent
appl
ican
t to
con
vert
a sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
to a
n O
GP
pate
nt to
pur
sue
a lo
nger
term
of 2
0 ye
ars.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
has
no
view
s on
whe
ther
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n sh
ould
be
exte
nded
an
d w
heth
er th
e re
stric
tion
on th
e nu
mbe
r of
cla
ims
shou
ld b
e re
laxe
d.
He
does
no
t thi
nk th
at s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
impo
sed.
R
athe
r, he
exp
ects
IPD
to
hav
e ex
amin
ers
afte
r the
intro
duct
ion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em a
nd h
e su
gges
ts th
at th
e re
voca
tion
or in
valid
atio
n pr
ocee
ding
s rel
atin
g to
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts b
e de
alt w
ith b
y IP
D w
hich
wou
ld b
e m
uch
chea
per
and
easi
er.
He
cons
ider
s th
e qu
estio
n ab
out
low
erin
g th
e th
resh
old
of p
aten
tabi
lity
to h
ave
been
mis
-phr
ased
sin
ce th
ere
is n
o su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
pat
enta
bilit
y, t
he q
uest
ion
to b
e as
ked
shou
ld,
in h
is
view
, be
whe
ther
the
thre
shol
d sh
ould
be
rais
ed.
�
Sam
Yip
rec
kons
tha
t th
e lim
itatio
n of
onl
y on
e in
depe
nden
t cl
aim
sho
uld
be
13
7
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
mai
ntai
ned
sinc
e th
e cl
aim
ed s
cope
of t
he in
vent
ion
in a
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sho
uld
be
clea
r and
eas
ily a
scer
tain
ed.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
does
not
reco
mm
end
any
chan
ge a
s an
y ch
ange
will
just
rend
er it
mor
e ak
in to
the
OG
P sy
stem
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t su
ppor
ts t
he r
eten
tion
of t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em b
ut p
ropo
ses
that
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n sh
ould
be
exte
nded
to 1
0 ye
ars
and
that
the
tota
l num
ber
of c
laim
s al
low
ed i
n ea
ch a
pplic
atio
n sh
ould
be
incr
ease
d to
bet
wee
n 15
and
20.
H
e fu
rther
pro
pose
s th
at t
he s
ame
pate
ntab
ility
sta
ndar
d sh
ould
be
used
for
bot
h st
anda
rd
and
shor
t-ter
m
pate
nts
and
that
th
e G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
co
nsid
er
exam
inat
ion
or c
ompu
lsor
y re
spon
se/a
men
dmen
t to
sear
ch re
ports
with
“X
” or
“Y
” ca
tego
ry d
ocum
ents
indi
cate
d in
the
sear
ch re
port.
7.6
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC
�
API
CC
�
HK
PC s
uppo
rts t
he r
eten
tion
of t
he c
urre
nt s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em.
Whi
lst
HK
PC p
ropo
ses
not t
o lo
wer
the
thre
shol
d of
pat
enta
bilit
y of
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts, t
he
follo
win
g ch
ange
s to
the
syst
em a
re re
com
men
ded:
(a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
shou
ld o
nly
be c
arrie
d ou
t if
it is
req
uest
ed b
y th
e pa
tent
ow
ner o
r the
third
par
ty d
irect
ly a
ffect
ed b
y th
e ab
uses
of t
he sh
ort-t
erm
pa
tent
. S
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
a co
nditi
on fo
r com
men
cem
ent o
f in
frin
gem
ent p
roce
edin
gs.
The
prin
cipl
e of
“us
er p
ays”
or “
bene
ficia
ry p
ays”
sh
ould
be
stric
tly f
ollo
wed
in
cons
ider
ing
who
sho
uld
bear
the
cos
ts o
f su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n;
(b)
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n sh
ould
be
exte
nded
to 1
0 ye
ars
for i
t to
be in
line
with
13
8
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
the
utili
ty m
odel
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
Chi
na, J
apan
, Rep
ublic
of K
orea
and
oth
er
juris
dict
ions
; and
(c)
rest
rictio
n on
the
num
ber
of c
laim
s al
low
ed in
eac
h pa
tent
app
licat
ion
shou
ld
be re
laxe
d bu
t the
app
lican
ts s
houl
d be
cha
rged
an
addi
tiona
l fee
pro
porti
onal
to
the
num
ber
of a
dditi
onal
cla
ims
in e
ach
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
n so
as
to e
nsur
e th
at th
e cl
aim
s are
real
ly n
eces
sary
and
can
serv
e a
usef
ul p
urpo
se.
�
Whi
lst A
PIC
C c
onsi
ders
that
dis
cont
inua
tion
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m is
an
optio
n,
it su
gges
ts
that
if
the
syst
em
(whi
ch
does
no
t in
volv
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n)
is
mai
ntai
ned,
it
coul
d be
ou
tsou
rced
to
pr
ofes
sion
al
or
trade
as
soci
atio
ns, a
nd IP
D c
an fo
cus
on b
uild
ing
up th
e ca
paci
ty a
nd th
e w
ork
proc
esse
s re
latin
g to
fully
-exa
min
ed p
aten
ts.
7.7
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Tom
Lam
�
Eric
Yun
g
� VW#
� XYZ
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
�
Stan
ley
sugg
ests
that
opt
iona
l sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
for s
hort-
term
pat
ents
sho
uld
be i
ntro
duce
d, w
hich
can
be
carr
ied
out
afte
r th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
is g
rant
ed.
Su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
a co
nditi
on f
or c
omm
ence
men
t of
infr
inge
men
t pr
ocee
ding
s.
Onl
y th
e pa
tent
ow
ner
shou
ld
have
th
e rig
ht
to
requ
est
for
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
and
the
cost
s in
curr
ed i
n su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n of
the
pa
tent
sho
uld
be b
orne
by
the
pate
nt o
wne
r. T
he c
urre
nt t
erm
of
prot
ectio
n fo
r sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
shou
ld b
e ex
tend
ed t
o 10
yea
rs.
Res
trict
ion
in t
he n
umbe
r of
cl
aim
s is
nec
essa
ry to
pre
vent
abu
se o
f the
sys
tem
, but
to e
ncou
rage
inno
vatio
n, th
e m
axim
um n
umbe
r of c
laim
s can
be
incr
ease
d to
two
or th
ree,
and
this
can
be
furth
er
adju
sted
in fu
ture
.
�
Tom
Lam
sug
gest
s th
at s
hort-
term
pat
ent s
yste
m s
houl
d be
reta
ined
but
opt
ions
for
13
9
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
� [\]
� `ab
� ^_K
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
shor
ter
term
of
prot
ectio
n (w
ith l
ower
fee
s),
for
exam
ple,
a t
erm
of
thre
e ye
ars,
shou
ld b
e m
ade
avai
labl
e.
�
Eric
Yun
g is
of t
he v
iew
that
intro
duci
ng a
mec
hani
sm fo
r sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
of s
hort-
term
pat
ents
can
det
er a
buse
of
the
syst
em a
nd i
ncre
ase
dem
and
for
the
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
arra
ngem
ent e
stab
lishe
d fo
r the
OG
P sy
stem
.
� VW#
sug
gest
s in
trodu
cing
an
optio
n fo
r lo
cal
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts to
avo
id b
eing
ove
rcha
rged
by
pate
nt a
gent
s. H
e al
so s
ugge
sts
prov
idin
g an
opt
ion
to e
xten
d th
e m
axim
um te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
for
inve
ntio
ns w
ith
long
er c
omm
erci
al li
fe a
nd to
acc
ept a
pplic
atio
ns fi
led
in C
hine
se o
nly
with
out t
he
need
to h
ave
Engl
ish
trans
latio
n fo
r the
title
and
abs
tract
of t
he in
vent
ions
.
� XYZ
rec
omm
ends
stre
ngth
enin
g th
e sy
stem
and
to
limit
its r
estri
ctio
ns t
o en
cour
age
loca
l inn
ovat
ion.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in p
ropo
ses
intro
duci
ng a
man
dato
ry r
equi
rem
ent
for
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
to b
e co
nduc
ted
befo
re c
omm
ence
men
t of
enfo
rcem
ent.
Cos
ts o
f th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
born
e by
the
pat
ent
owne
r if
he w
ants
to
com
men
ce a
n in
frin
gem
ent
actio
n ag
ains
t a
third
par
ty;
whe
reas
cos
ts o
f th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
born
e by
a th
ird p
arty
if h
e w
ants
to c
omm
ence
a
revo
catio
n pr
ocee
ding
aga
inst
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t reg
istra
tion.
H
e al
so o
bjec
ts to
th
e ex
tens
ion
of th
e te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
if su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n is
not
don
e be
fore
gr
ant.
� [\]
sug
gest
s th
e ex
tens
ion
of t
he r
e-re
gist
ratio
n sy
stem
to
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts
and
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n is
to e
xpire
at t
he s
ame
time
as th
e ut
ility
mod
el g
rant
ed
14
0
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
in th
e de
sign
ated
pat
ent o
ffice
exp
ires.
� `ab
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at th
e te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
shou
ld b
e 14
yea
rs o
r at
leas
t 12
year
s.
� ^_K
supp
orts
th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n to
el
imin
ate
unce
rtain
ty,
with
the
cos
ts f
or t
he e
xam
inat
ion
to b
e pa
id b
y th
e ap
plic
ants
but
as
sist
ance
sh
ould
be
pr
ovid
ed
by
the
Gov
ernm
ent
to
parti
es
with
fin
anci
al
cons
train
ts.
�
A r
espo
nden
t thi
nks
that
it is
not
nec
essa
ry to
cha
nge
the
curr
ent s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em.
�
A r
espo
nden
t sug
gest
s th
at s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
ns f
or s
hort-
term
pat
ents
sho
uld
be in
trodu
ced
and
shou
ld b
e ca
rrie
d ou
t afte
r the
gra
nt o
f the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts b
ut
befo
re th
e co
mm
ence
men
t of
lega
l pro
ceed
ings
. S
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
ns s
houl
d al
so b
e a
cond
ition
for c
omm
ence
men
t of i
nfrin
gem
ent p
roce
edin
gs a
nd th
e co
sts
of
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ions
sho
uld
be b
orne
by
the
losi
ng p
arty
and
the
pate
nt o
ffice
.
The
follo
win
g ch
ange
s sho
uld
also
be
intro
duce
d to
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
:
(a)
exte
nd th
e te
rm o
f pro
tect
ion
to 1
0 ye
ars;
(b)
incr
ease
the
max
imum
num
ber o
f cla
ims
allo
wed
in e
ach
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
n to
th
ree;
(c)
revi
se
the
pate
ntab
ility
cr
iteria
of
sh
ort-t
erm
pa
tent
s by
re
mov
ing
the
requ
irem
ent o
f “su
scep
tibili
ty o
f ind
ustri
al a
pplic
atio
n”; a
nd
14
1
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
(d)
rena
me
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t as
“util
ity p
aten
t” s
o as
to b
e co
nsis
tent
with
Mac
ao
and
avoi
d co
nfus
ion
to fo
reig
ners
.
�
A re
spon
dent
sugg
ests
a n
umbe
r of c
hang
es:
(a)
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
can
eith
er b
e an
opt
ion
or m
ade
com
puls
ory
afte
r one
ye
ar, a
nd i
t sh
ould
be
mad
e a
cond
ition
for
com
men
cem
ent
of i
nfrin
gem
ent
proc
eedi
ngs w
ith th
e pa
tent
ow
ner b
earin
g th
e co
sts;
(b)
the
term
of
prot
ectio
n be
ext
ende
d to
20
year
s w
ith s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n;
and
(c)
exte
nsio
n of
the
num
ber o
f cla
ims t
o a
max
imum
of 2
0 cl
aim
s and
a m
axim
um
of th
ree
inde
pend
ent c
laim
s with
no
rest
rictio
n on
cla
im d
epen
denc
ies.
He
does
not
con
side
r a
chan
ge in
the
thre
shol
d of
pat
enta
bilit
y to
be
advi
sabl
e fo
r fe
ar o
f unc
erta
inty
.
�
A re
spon
dent
thin
ks th
at su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
not
be
mad
e m
anda
tory
but
be
im
pose
d se
lect
ivel
y an
d w
hen
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t is
con
side
red
to h
ave
infr
inge
d th
e pa
tent
of
anot
her
pers
on.
Sub
stan
tive
exam
inat
ion
shou
ld th
en b
e a
cond
ition
for
com
men
cem
ent
of t
he i
nfrin
gem
ent
proc
eedi
ngs.
The
cos
ts f
or
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
shou
ld b
e bo
rne
by t
he o
wne
r of
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t if
ther
e is
fou
nd t
o be
inf
ringe
men
t, or
the
par
ty s
uing
for
inf
ringe
men
t if
ther
e is
fo
und
to b
e no
inf
ringe
men
t on
the
par
t of
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t ow
ner.
Oth
er
chan
ges p
ropo
sed
by th
e re
spon
dent
are
the
exte
nsio
n of
the
term
of p
rote
ctio
n to
10
year
s and
the
rela
xatio
n of
the
max
imum
num
ber o
f cla
ims t
o fiv
e.
The
resp
onde
nt
14
2
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
7.
Shou
ld w
e re
tain
the
cur
rent
sho
rt-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em in
its
exis
ting
form
, or
shou
ld w
e in
trod
uce
chan
ges
to t
he s
yste
m?
If
the
latt
er, w
hat s
ort o
f cha
nges
shou
ld b
e in
trod
uced
?
does
not
thin
k th
at th
e th
resh
old
of p
aten
tabi
lity
shou
ld b
e va
ried.
14
3
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
8.
Shou
ld w
e di
scon
tinue
the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
alto
geth
er?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
8.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
HK
GC
C
�
LESC
-HK
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong
Non
e of
the
ind
ustri
al/tr
ade
asso
ciat
ions
tha
t re
spon
ded
indi
cate
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pa
tent
syst
em sh
ould
be
disc
ontin
ued.
Spec
ific
view
s
�
HK
GC
C c
onsi
ders
that
the
final
ans
wer
dep
ends
on
the
chan
ges
to b
e in
trodu
ced
to
the
pate
nt sy
stem
as a
who
le.
�
LESC
-HK
sup
ports
the
cont
inua
tion
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m u
ntil
such
tim
e w
hen
the
com
mun
ity is
mor
e so
phis
ticat
ed in
IP p
rote
ctio
n.
�
GS1
Hon
g K
ong
is o
f th
e vi
ew t
hat
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
sho
uld
not
be
disc
ontin
ued.
8.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
ITM
P, A
PAA
and
the
Law
Soc
iety
bel
ieve
tha
t th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em
shou
ld n
ot b
e di
scon
tinue
d.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
not
es th
at s
ome
have
sug
gest
ed th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m
shou
ld b
e ab
olis
hed
as i
t ha
s be
en a
buse
d by
the
reg
istra
tions
of
ques
tiona
ble
inve
ntio
ns w
hich
may
not
sta
nd a
ny c
halle
nge
at tr
ial,
and
that
rig
hts
conf
erre
d by
sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
are
unc
erta
in a
s th
e ap
plic
atio
ns h
ave
not
been
exa
min
ed o
n m
erits
. T
he L
aw S
ocie
ty i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
the
exte
nt o
f ab
use
may
be
14
4
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
8.
Shou
ld w
e di
scon
tinue
the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
alto
geth
er?
exag
gera
ted,
poi
ntin
g to
the
few
num
ber
of i
ncid
ents
of
succ
essf
ul r
evoc
atio
n of
sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ents
on
pate
ntab
ility
gro
und.
It
opin
es th
at it
is a
que
stio
n of
whe
ther
th
e ap
plic
ant
and
even
tual
ow
ner
are
prop
erly
adv
ised
and
und
erst
and
wha
t to
ex
pect
fro
m a
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t reg
istra
tion
and
ther
efor
e th
e re
quire
men
t to
prov
e va
lidity
whe
n it
is re
lied
upon
at t
rial t
o se
cure
a fi
ndin
g of
infr
inge
men
t.
8.3
Aca
dem
ic S
ecto
r
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent
syst
em s
houl
d be
mai
ntai
ned
and
alig
ned
with
the
cha
nges
to
the
stan
dard
pat
ent
syst
em.
8.4
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Chi
na In
telle
ctua
l Pro
perty
(H.K
.) Li
mite
d
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
t
�
A re
spon
dent
opp
oses
the
disc
ontin
uatio
n of
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
.
�
QPA
Gro
up i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sy
stem
sho
uld
not
be
disc
ontin
ued.
�
Nig
el L
ee o
pine
s th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m h
as a
uni
que
posi
tion
and
valu
e in
the
who
le H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
syst
em a
nd sh
ould
not
be
disc
ontin
ued.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
opp
oses
the
dis
cont
inua
tion
of t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent
syst
em (
but
cons
ider
s am
endm
ents
are
requ
ired)
and
com
men
ts th
at th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m
prov
ides
a c
heap
er a
nd e
asie
r alte
rnat
ive
to th
e O
GP
syst
em.
�
Chi
na I
ntel
lect
ual
Prop
erty
(H
.K.)
Lim
ited
supp
orts
dis
cont
inui
ng t
he s
hort-
term
pa
tent
syst
em.
8.5
Oth
ers
�
HK
PC su
ppor
ts th
e co
ntin
uatio
n of
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
.
14
5
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
8.
Shou
ld w
e di
scon
tinue
the
shor
t-te
rm p
aten
t sys
tem
alto
geth
er?
�
HK
PC
�
API
CC
�
Uni
vers
al D
ispl
ay C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
�
API
CC
con
side
rs d
isco
ntin
uatio
n of
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
cou
ld b
e an
opt
ion
for t
he re
ason
that
con
fusi
on w
ill b
e ca
used
if th
ere
are
too
man
y ty
pes o
f pat
ents
.
�
Uni
vers
al
Dis
play
C
orpo
ratio
n H
ong
Kon
g,
Ltd.
do
es
not
supp
ort
the
disc
ontin
uatio
n of
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
.
8.6
Indi
vidu
als
�
Stan
ley
�
Tom
Lam
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Stan
ley
does
not
supp
ort t
he d
isco
ntin
uatio
n of
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
.
�
Tom
Lam
opi
nes t
hat t
he sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m sh
ould
be
reta
ined
.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in s
uppo
rts a
bolis
hing
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
as
he is
of t
he v
iew
th
at th
e sy
stem
is n
ot w
idel
y us
ed in
Hon
g K
ong
and
ther
e is
no
bene
fit in
has
tily
putti
ng o
ut a
n ap
plic
atio
n fo
r a sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent.
�
A re
spon
dent
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e sy
stem
is e
ssen
tial t
o al
low
loca
l com
pani
es to
m
ake
a co
nven
ient
firs
t fili
ng.
�
A r
espo
nden
t sup
ports
the
cont
inua
tion
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent s
yste
m to
cat
er f
or
prod
ucts
with
a sh
orte
r com
mer
cial
life
.
�
Two
othe
r res
pond
ents
indi
cate
thei
r vie
ws
that
the
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t sys
tem
sho
uld
be m
aint
aine
d.
14
6
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
9.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
9.1
Indu
stria
l / T
rade
Ass
ocia
tions
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS a
nd P
VC
HK
pro
pose
tha
t m
echa
nism
s to
re
voke
or
inva
lidat
e pa
tent
s ot
her
than
cou
rt pr
ocee
ding
s sh
ould
be
set u
p to
geth
er
with
an
OG
P sy
stem
. W
ith th
e re
voca
tion
or in
valid
atio
n pr
oced
ures
set
up
on th
e ba
sis
of a
n O
GP
syst
em,
the
publ
ic o
r re
late
d pa
rties
can
hav
e an
effi
cien
t an
d ec
onom
ical
way
to o
bjec
t to
the
gran
t of a
pat
ent w
ithou
t the
nee
d to
reso
rt to
cou
rt pr
ocee
ding
s. T
his
will
det
er a
buse
(es
peci
ally
in
resp
ect
of s
hort-
term
pat
ents
), pr
otec
t th
ird p
artie
s’ rig
hts,
enha
nce
pate
nt s
tabi
lity
and
redu
ce t
he c
osts
of
litig
atio
n.
9.2
Prof
essi
onal
Bod
ies
�
HK
IPA
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
IPA
pro
pose
s th
at m
echa
nism
s to
rev
oke
or in
valid
ate
pate
nts
othe
r th
an c
ourt
proc
eedi
ngs s
houl
d be
set u
p to
geth
er w
ith a
n O
GP
syst
em.
With
the
revo
catio
n or
in
valid
atio
n pr
oced
ures
set
up
on th
e ba
sis
of a
n O
GP
syst
em, t
he p
ublic
or r
elat
ed
parti
es c
an h
ave
an e
ffici
ent a
nd e
cono
mic
al w
ay to
obj
ect t
o th
e gr
ant o
f a
pate
nt
with
out t
he n
eed
to re
sort
to c
ourt
proc
eedi
ngs.
Thi
s will
det
er a
buse
(esp
ecia
lly in
re
spec
t of
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
ts),
prot
ect t
hird
par
ties’
right
s, en
hanc
e pa
tent
sta
bilit
y an
d re
duce
the
cost
s of l
itiga
tion.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
ref
ers
to th
e vi
ews
in M
s. Ip
’s L
ette
r th
at s
hort-
term
pat
ents
lack
ef
fect
in
litig
atio
n an
d th
at i
t is
ext
rem
ely
diffi
cult
for
such
ow
ners
to
obta
in
inte
rlocu
tory
inju
nctio
ns a
gain
st in
frin
ging
act
iviti
es u
nles
s th
e de
fend
ant g
ives
in.
14
7
Cha
pter
2 :
Shor
t-Te
rm P
aten
t Sys
tem
(50
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
9.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
The
Law
Soc
iety
, how
ever
, con
side
rs th
at w
hils
t it i
s an
add
ition
al re
quire
men
t tha
t be
fore
any
cou
rt en
forc
emen
t act
ion,
a s
hort-
term
pat
ent o
wne
r m
ust f
irst e
stab
lish
the
valid
ity o
f hi
s pa
tent
, the
law
and
pra
ctic
e go
vern
ing
the
gran
t of
inte
rlocu
tory
in
junc
tion
is th
e sa
me.
Fu
rther
, the
law
pro
vide
s th
at e
vide
nce
by th
e ow
ner w
hich
is
suf
ficie
nt to
est
ablis
h pr
ima
faci
e th
e va
lidity
of t
he s
hort-
term
pat
ent s
hall
in th
e ab
senc
e of
ev
iden
ce
to
the
cont
rary
be
su
ffici
ent
proo
f of
su
ch
valid
ity.
A
ccor
ding
ly, t
he L
aw S
ocie
ty is
of
the
view
that
ther
e is
no
basi
s to
say
that
it is
ex
trem
ely
diffi
cult
for
shor
t-ter
m p
aten
t ow
ners
to o
btai
n in
terlo
cuto
ry in
junc
tions
ag
ains
t inf
ringi
ng a
ctiv
ities
.
9.3
Lega
l Pra
ctiti
oner
s / P
aten
t Pra
ctiti
oner
s
�
Song
& C
han
�
Sam
Yip
�
Song
& C
han
reco
mm
end
alig
ning
the
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
t sy
stem
with
the
util
ity
mod
el sy
stem
in C
hina
.
�
Sam
Yip
adv
ocat
es fo
r the
rem
oval
of t
he re
quire
men
t for
obt
aini
ng a
sea
rch
repo
rt w
hich
he
cons
ider
s to
be
of n
o pr
actic
al u
se a
s it
is n
ot d
eter
min
ativ
e of
the
valid
ity
of th
e sh
ort-t
erm
pat
ent.
14
8
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
10.1
In
dust
rial /
Tra
de A
ssoc
iatio
ns
�
CM
A
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
FITM
I
�
FHK
I
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
GC
C
�
HK
API
�
LESC
-HK
�
CM
A c
onsi
ders
that
the
stan
dard
of t
he s
ervi
ces
prov
ided
by
pate
nt a
gent
s in
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld b
e ra
ised
to c
orre
spon
d w
ith th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of a
n O
GP
syst
em.
D
epen
ding
on
fu
ture
ne
eds,
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld
cons
ider
w
heth
er
a go
vern
men
t-led
lic
ensi
ng s
yste
m f
or r
egul
atin
g th
e pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t ag
ency
se
rvic
es h
as to
be
esta
blis
hed.
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS a
nd P
VC
HK
sug
gest
tha
t th
e G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
pro
mul
gate
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s in
H
ong
Kon
g.
�
FITM
I not
es th
at a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e w
ill p
rote
ct p
aten
t ow
ners
and
ent
erpr
ises
and
w
ill im
prov
e th
e qu
ality
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
. W
ithou
t a re
gula
tory
regi
me
for
pate
nt a
gent
s, an
y pe
rson
cou
ld u
se th
e tit
le o
f pat
ent a
gent
and
cou
ld p
rovi
de p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s su
ch t
hat
the
right
s of
inv
ento
rs a
nd e
nter
pris
es w
ill n
ot b
e pr
otec
ted,
in p
artic
ular
in th
e fo
llow
ing
scen
ario
s:
(a)
whe
re th
ere
is a
con
flict
of i
nter
ests
;
(b)
disc
losu
re o
f co
nfid
entia
l in
form
atio
n re
latin
g to
the
pat
ent
delib
erat
ely
or
inad
verte
ntly
;
(c)
lack
of
know
ledg
e ab
out
“prio
rity”
, “p
aten
t la
ws”
and
“dr
aftin
g of
pat
ent
spec
ifica
tion”
, etc
.; an
d
14
9
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
(d)
mis
cond
uct o
n th
e pa
rt of
pat
ent a
gent
s.
�
FHK
I com
men
ts th
at th
e qu
ality
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g va
ries
and
it su
ppor
ts t
he r
egul
atio
n of
pat
ent
agen
cy s
ervi
ces
to e
nsur
e it
coul
d m
eet
inte
rnat
iona
l sta
ndar
d an
d at
tract
tale
nts i
nto
the
indu
stry
.
�
Am
Cha
m b
elie
ves
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld e
ncou
rage
the
dev
elop
men
t, an
d pr
ovid
e re
gula
tory
ove
rsig
ht,
of a
hig
h-qu
ality
loc
al p
aten
t ag
ency
pro
fess
ion.
H
avin
g pr
ofes
sion
als
know
ledg
eabl
e an
d ex
perie
nced
in I
P m
atte
rs w
ill h
elp
Hon
g K
ong
beco
me
a hu
b fo
r com
mer
cial
isin
g, fi
nanc
ing
and
tradi
ng IP
.
�
Am
Cha
m o
pine
s th
at a
pat
ent p
rofe
ssio
n w
ill p
rovi
de a
noth
er c
aree
r pat
h fo
r Hon
g K
ong
grad
uate
s in
scie
nce
and
engi
neer
ing.
�
HK
GC
C se
es a
nee
d to
intro
duce
a re
gula
tory
regi
me
only
if a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e in
trodu
ced,
as
othe
rwis
e th
e ex
istin
g sy
stem
pro
vide
s fo
r ch
oice
s an
d fle
xibi
lity
in
the
sele
ctio
n of
pro
fess
iona
ls.
Sin
ce th
e pr
imar
y fu
nctio
n of
pat
ent p
rofe
ssio
nals
is
to s
erve
the
syst
em, t
he a
ctua
l sha
pe o
f th
e sy
stem
sho
uld
be d
eter
min
ed p
rior
to
prov
idin
g su
gges
tions
to w
heth
er a
nd, i
f so
, how
the
pate
nt p
rofe
ssio
nals
are
to b
e re
gula
ted.
�
HK
API
con
side
rs t
hat
it is
ben
efic
ial
to h
ave
a bo
dy o
f w
ell-t
rain
ed l
ocal
pat
ent
agen
ts a
ccre
dite
d an
d re
gula
ted
by a
gov
ernm
ent
body
to
ensu
re t
he d
eliv
ery
of
cons
iste
nt a
nd q
ualit
y pa
tent
-rel
ated
ser
vice
s. I
t be
lieve
s th
at s
uch
a re
gula
tory
sy
stem
can
pro
vide
a f
urth
er c
aree
r pa
th f
or g
radu
ates
in
scie
nce
and
tech
nolo
gy
from
uni
vers
ities
and
col
lege
s in
Hon
g K
ong.
15
0
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
�
LESC
-HK
opi
nes
that
the
pro
mul
gatio
n of
the
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
shou
ld b
e in
depe
nden
t of w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
is
is b
ecau
se a
pat
ent a
pplic
ant w
ould
ver
y m
uch
rely
on
the
expe
rtise
of
the
pate
nt
atto
rney
/age
nt to
ens
ure
his
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
n is
pro
perly
dra
fted
and
prof
essi
onal
an
d kn
owle
dgea
ble
expe
rtise
wou
ld b
e pr
ovid
ed o
n pa
tent
filin
g st
rate
gy.
10.2
Pr
ofes
sion
al B
odie
s
�
HK
IPA
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
IPA
sup
ports
the
pro
mul
gatio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t ag
ency
serv
ices
.
�
HIP
P su
ppor
ts th
e pr
omul
gatio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pa
tent
pra
ctiti
oner
s an
d pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
in o
rder
to e
nsur
e th
at p
ropr
ieta
ry in
form
atio
n of
inve
ntor
s is
pr
otec
ted
and
a re
liabl
e st
anda
rd o
f pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
es is
mai
ntai
ned.
�
HK
ITM
P is
of
the
view
tha
t in
trodu
ctio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pa
tent
pr
actit
ione
rs s
houl
d no
t be
cons
ider
ed d
epen
dent
upo
n th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
HK
ITM
P em
phas
ises
that
if a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e fo
r pat
ent p
ract
ition
ers
is to
be
set
up, a
ny su
ch re
gula
tion
shou
ld b
e “l
ight
touc
h re
gula
tion”
.
�
APA
A c
onsi
ders
that
som
e fo
rm o
f reg
ulat
ion
of th
ose
prov
idin
g se
rvic
es a
s pa
tent
ag
ents
and
/or
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys
is r
equi
red,
irr
espe
ctiv
e of
whe
ther
or
not
an O
GP
syst
em is
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong,
but
the
natu
re a
nd e
xten
t of t
he re
gula
tion
will
de
pend
in p
art o
n w
heth
er th
ere
is a
n O
GP
syst
em.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
poi
nts o
ut th
at ti
tles s
uch
as “
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys”
and
“pa
tent
age
nts”
ar
e la
rgel
y un
ders
tood
by
the
inte
rnat
iona
l co
mm
unity
as
prot
ecte
d tit
les
with
15
1
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
spec
ial
mea
ning
s;
and
supp
orts
a
regu
lato
ry
regi
me
and
the
corr
espo
ndin
g re
cogn
ition
of
such
title
s, w
heth
er o
r no
t an
OG
P sy
stem
is to
be
impl
emen
ted
in
Hon
g K
ong.
10.3
Po
litic
al P
artie
s / G
roup
s
�
DA
B
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty
�
DA
B o
pine
s th
at a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e sh
ould
be
impl
emen
ted
as s
oon
as p
ossi
ble
so
that
the
qua
lity
of s
ervi
ces
prov
ided
by
pate
nt a
gent
s co
uld
be a
ssur
ed a
nd
cons
umer
s’ rig
hts
coul
d be
pro
tect
ed.
Thi
s m
ay a
lso
prom
ote
the
grow
th o
f th
e in
dust
ry o
f pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
and
ben
efit
pate
nt a
pplic
ants
and
may
the
n pr
omot
e in
nova
tion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at if
an
OG
P sy
stem
is im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong,
a r
egis
tratio
n sy
stem
for
pro
vide
rs o
f pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
will
nee
d to
be
set u
p in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
list
s ou
t a n
umbe
r of
inci
dent
s w
hich
ref
lect
the
wea
knes
ses
of
not r
egul
atin
g pa
tent
age
nts i
n H
ong
Kon
g:
(a)
a pa
tent
age
nt t
akin
g ov
er h
is c
lient
’s i
nven
tion
and
appl
ying
for
pat
ent
prot
ectio
n in
his
ow
n na
me;
(b)
pote
ntia
l co
nflic
t of
int
eres
t w
hen
a pa
tent
age
nt a
cts
for
two
com
petin
g co
mpa
nies
; and
(c)
filin
g pa
tent
app
licat
ions
in
Hon
g K
ong
by f
orei
gn c
ompa
nies
with
out
enga
ging
a lo
cal p
aten
t age
nt.
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty re
com
men
ds th
e st
reng
then
ing
of tr
aini
ng o
f pat
ent p
erso
nnel
in
15
2
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
addi
tion
to th
e re
gula
tion
of p
aten
t age
nts a
nd la
wye
rs.
10.4
A
cade
mic
Sec
tor
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Dr C
W T
so n
otes
that
an
unre
gula
ted
pate
nt p
rofe
ssio
n do
es n
ot a
ssur
e th
e st
anda
rd
and
qual
ity o
f th
e se
rvic
es a
nd c
onsi
ders
it
of p
aram
ount
im
porta
nce
to h
ave
a re
gula
tory
regi
me
for p
rovi
ders
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
est
ablis
hed
in H
ong
Kon
g in
ord
er to
ens
ure
that
the
pate
nt sy
stem
’s fu
ture
pos
ition
ing
is in
alig
nmen
t with
the
visi
on to
dev
elop
Hon
g K
ong
into
a re
gion
al in
nova
tion
and
tech
nolo
gy h
ub.
�
Dr
C W
Tso
agr
ees
that
with
an
OG
P sy
stem
bei
ng i
ntro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong,
a
regu
lato
ry r
egim
e w
ill h
elp
build
a l
ocal
pat
ent
prof
essi
on a
nd c
reat
e m
ore
job
oppo
rtuni
ties
for
loca
l gr
adua
tes
with
sci
ence
, en
gine
erin
g an
d ot
her
tech
nica
l ba
ckgr
ound
.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
is o
f th
e vi
ew th
at H
ong
Kon
g ha
s its
ow
n en
viro
nmen
t to
beco
me
an IP
exc
hang
e hu
b an
d th
e re
gula
tion
on th
e pr
ovis
ion
of a
genc
y se
rvic
es s
houl
d be
ind
epen
dent
of
whe
ther
an
OG
P sy
stem
will
be
empl
oyed
.
10.5
Le
gal P
ract
ition
ers /
Pat
ent P
ract
ition
ers
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
�
Chr
is M
urra
y
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
is o
f the
vie
w th
at to
ens
ure
that
Hon
g K
ong
beco
mes
a h
ub fo
r in
nova
tion,
it
is i
mpo
rtant
for
inv
ento
rs t
o kn
ow w
ho t
hey
are
deal
ing
with
, an
d w
heth
er th
ey a
re p
rofe
ssio
nally
qua
lifie
d to
dra
ft an
d pr
osec
ute
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns.
�
Chr
is M
urra
y op
pose
s th
e re
gula
tion
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
. H
e co
nsid
ers
that
, w
hile
a li
st o
f cur
rent
ser
vice
pro
vide
rs m
ay b
e he
lpfu
l, co
sts
for g
ood
regu
latio
n of
pa
tent
ser
vice
s w
ill h
ave
to b
e pa
ssed
ont
o cu
stom
ers.
He
is n
ot c
onvi
nced
tha
t re
gula
tion
will
gu
aran
tee
impr
ovem
ent
of
serv
ice
stan
dard
an
d he
be
lieve
s
15
3
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Ken
neth
Yip
�
Chi
na In
telle
ctua
l Pro
perty
(H.K
.) Li
mite
d
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
over
-reg
ulat
ion
will
driv
e cu
stom
ers a
way
to c
heap
er ju
risdi
ctio
ns.
�
QPA
G
roup
ag
rees
th
at
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld
have
a
regu
lato
ry
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es i
rres
pect
ive
of w
heth
er o
r no
t an
O
GP
syst
em is
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
QPA
Gro
up c
onsi
ders
it
to b
e of
par
amou
nt i
mpo
rtanc
e th
at s
houl
d a
regu
lato
ry
regi
me
be in
trodu
ced,
the
stan
dard
in re
spec
t of s
ubst
antiv
e pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
is
first
wor
ld c
lass
, in
kee
ping
with
Hon
g K
ong’
s w
orld
cla
ss l
egal
sys
tem
and
the
bo
dy o
f aut
horit
ativ
e ca
ses
whi
ch u
nder
pins
the
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt la
w a
nd s
yste
m.
Th
e re
gula
tory
regi
me
shou
ld b
e su
ppor
ted
by p
aten
t pra
ctiti
oner
s who
hav
e:
(a)
obta
ined
pro
fess
iona
l ter
tiary
tech
nica
l qua
lific
atio
ns e
nabl
ing
prac
titio
ners
to
appr
opria
tely
han
dle
com
plex
tech
nolo
gies
; (b
) ha
d su
bsta
ntia
l pr
ofes
sion
al t
rain
ing
and
expe
rienc
e in
sub
stan
tive
pate
nt
mat
ters
ove
r sev
eral
yea
rs; a
nd
(c
) pa
ssed
stri
ngen
t w
ritte
n pa
tent
dra
fting
exa
min
atio
ns (
it co
nsid
ers
mul
tiple
ch
oice
mus
t not
be
adop
ted
as a
mod
e of
thes
e ex
amin
atio
ns).
In
thei
r vi
ew,
no
regu
latio
n is
a
pref
erab
le
optio
n to
po
or,
ambi
guou
s or
su
b-st
anda
rd re
gula
tion.
�
Song
& C
han
indi
cate
thei
r sup
port
for a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e.
�
Dan
ny C
han
sugg
ests
tha
t pa
tent
age
nt r
egis
tratio
n sh
ould
be
com
puls
ory.
H
e
15
4
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
cons
ider
s a
Hon
g K
ong
pate
nt a
gent
is re
quire
d to
dra
ft pa
tent
spe
cific
atio
n as
wel
l as
adv
isin
g cl
ient
s on
pat
ent
law
. H
e su
gges
ts t
hat
a H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
age
nt
shou
ld b
e re
quire
d to
hav
e sc
ienc
e or
eng
inee
ring
qual
ifica
tions
with
a la
w d
egre
e at
a
com
mon
law
juris
dict
ion.
�
Nig
el L
ee b
elie
ves
that
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e ca
n pr
even
t th
e pu
blic
fro
m b
eing
m
isle
d by
the
use
of ti
tles
like
“pat
ent a
ttorn
ey”
and
“pat
ent a
gent
” by
non
-qua
lifie
d pe
rson
s, w
ho p
rovi
de p
oor p
aten
t ser
vice
s whi
ch m
ay je
opar
dise
the
pate
nt ri
ghts
.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
thi
nks
that
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld h
ave
a re
gula
tory
reg
ime
and
regu
latio
n of
pat
ent
agen
cy s
ervi
ces
shou
ld b
e in
depe
nden
t of
whe
ther
an
OG
P sy
stem
is to
be
impl
emen
ted
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Ken
neth
Yip
thin
ks th
at a
qua
lific
atio
n sy
stem
can
ass
ist u
sers
in th
e se
lect
ion
of
pate
nt p
rofe
ssio
nal
serv
ice
prov
ider
s. T
he q
ualif
ied
pate
nt a
gent
s sh
ould
hav
e pr
oper
tech
nica
l edu
catio
n an
d tra
inin
g of
pat
ent p
roce
dure
s.
�
Chi
na I
ntel
lect
ual
Prop
erty
(H
.K.)
Lim
ited
is c
once
rned
abo
ut r
egul
atin
g th
e pr
ovis
ion
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
whe
n th
e ou
tcom
e of
the
pate
nt sy
stem
revi
ew is
st
ill u
ncer
tain
.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
and
a re
spon
dent
thin
k th
at a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e is
nee
ded
irres
pect
ive
of w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
impl
emen
ted.
�
A re
spon
dent
stre
sses
the
long
tim
e re
quire
d to
trai
n up
sui
tabl
e qu
alifi
ed p
erso
ns to
be
pat
ent
agen
ts a
nd i
ts n
eed
is i
ndep
ende
nt o
f w
heth
er H
ong
Kon
g w
ill h
ave
an
OG
P sy
stem
. T
he a
ssur
ance
of t
he q
ualit
y of
the
prac
titio
ners
that
can
be
affo
rded
15
5
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
by a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e is
als
o an
adv
anta
ge h
e ha
s ref
erre
d to
.
10.6
O
ther
s
�
HK
PC
�
API
CC
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC s
uppo
rts t
he s
ettin
g up
of
a re
gula
tory
reg
ime
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es in
pat
ent a
pplic
atio
ns o
r re
late
d pr
ocee
ding
s so
as
to e
nsur
e th
at p
aten
t app
lican
ts w
ill o
btai
n pr
ofes
sion
al s
ervi
ces
from
qua
lifie
d pr
ofes
sion
als
and
to h
elp
user
s id
entif
y su
ch q
ualif
ied
prof
essi
onal
s. H
KPC
opi
nes
that
the
es
tabl
ishm
ent o
f a
regu
lato
ry r
egim
e an
d of
the
OG
P sy
stem
sho
uld
be c
onsi
dere
d se
para
tely
.
�
API
CC
sup
ports
the
regu
latio
n of
pat
ent a
gent
s, bu
t con
side
rs th
at th
e rig
ht to
gra
nt
licen
ces s
houl
d no
t be
give
n ex
clus
ivel
y to
a si
ngle
pro
fess
iona
l or t
rade
ass
ocia
tion,
in
stea
d, a
min
imum
of f
our t
o fiv
e tra
de a
nd p
rofe
ssio
nal b
odie
s sho
uld
be g
iven
the
right
to
do s
o to
ens
ure
that
a f
air,
open
and
cos
t-effe
ctiv
e lic
ensi
ng s
yste
m i
s m
aint
aine
d.
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Lim
ited
take
s th
e vi
ew th
at a
lthou
gh th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
the
exp
ertis
e, t
echn
ical
dat
abas
e, k
now
ledg
e an
d ad
min
istra
tive
syst
em in
pat
ent e
xam
inat
ion
will
take
tim
e, th
e re
gim
e of
suc
h de
velo
pmen
t and
re
gula
tion
of p
aten
t ag
ency
bus
ines
s w
ill c
reat
e ne
w j
ob o
ppor
tuni
ties
for
loca
l ta
lent
s an
d en
hanc
e th
e va
lue
crea
tion
and
inno
vatio
n m
enta
lity
in H
ong
Kon
g, a
s w
ell a
s cr
eate
a g
reat
er o
ppor
tuni
ty f
or k
now
ledg
e sh
arin
g am
ongs
t pat
ent a
gent
s, ac
adem
ics,
scie
ntis
ts, e
ngin
eerin
g pr
ofes
sion
and
oth
er e
xper
ts in
Hon
g K
ong.
10.7
In
divi
dual
s �
St
anle
y op
ines
that
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e fo
r pat
ent a
gent
s sh
ould
be
dep
ende
nt o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
If
15
6
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
�
Stan
ley
�
Tom
Lam
�
Eric
Yun
g
� XYZ
�
Hui
Win
g K
in
� [\]
� ^_K
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
an O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d, a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e of
pat
ent a
gent
s sho
uld
be
intro
duce
d.
�
Tom
Lam
opp
oses
the
int
rodu
ctio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pr
ofes
sion
als
prov
idin
g pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
.
�
Eric
Yun
g an
d an
othe
r re
spon
dent
sup
port
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for p
rofe
ssio
nals
pro
vidi
ng p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
.
� XYZ
opp
oses
pro
mul
gatio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pr
ofes
sion
als
prov
idin
g pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g as
she
thin
ks th
e m
arke
t is
smal
l and
so
it w
ill
be d
iffic
ult
to h
ave
an e
ffici
ent
regu
lato
ry s
yste
m.
Als
o, i
t m
ay r
esul
t in
a
mon
opol
y an
d dr
ive
up th
e se
rvic
e fe
es c
harg
ed b
y pa
tent
age
nts.
� XYZ
com
men
ts th
at a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e sh
ould
onl
y be
intro
duce
d af
ter a
n O
GP
syst
em is
est
ablis
hed
in H
ong
Kon
g.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in c
onsi
ders
it u
nnec
essa
ry to
est
ablis
h a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e fo
r pro
vide
rs
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s in
Hon
g K
ong
if th
e cu
rren
t re
-reg
istra
tion
syst
em i
s m
aint
aine
d, s
ince
the
proc
ess
in g
ettin
g a
pate
nt re
gist
ered
in H
ong
Kon
g is
stri
ctly
pr
oced
ural
and
doe
s no
t req
uire
a p
rofe
ssio
nal t
o pr
epar
e th
e do
cum
ents
for
pat
ent
appl
icat
ion.
�
Hui
Win
g K
in o
pine
s th
at a
reg
ulat
ory
syst
em w
ill o
nly
lead
to a
n in
crea
se in
job
oppo
rtuni
ties
if an
OG
P sy
stem
is e
stab
lishe
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
In
add
ition
, he
does
no
t thi
nk th
at it
is lo
gica
l to
crea
te jo
bs f
or p
aten
t pro
fess
iona
ls a
t the
exp
ense
of
incr
easi
ng th
e co
sts o
f inn
ovat
ion
in H
ong
Kon
g.
15
7
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
10.
Shou
ld H
ong
Kon
g ha
ve a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
for
prof
essi
onal
s pr
ovid
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es?
Sho
uld
the
prom
ulga
tion
of a
re
gula
tory
reg
ime
or o
ther
wis
e be
mad
e de
pend
ent o
n w
heth
er a
n O
GP
syst
em is
to b
e im
plem
ente
d in
Hon
g K
ong?
� [\]
thin
ks th
at th
e us
e of
title
of “
pate
nt a
gent
” sh
ould
be
rest
ricte
d to
firm
s th
at
have
in
th
eir
empl
oy
regi
ster
ed
pate
nt
agen
ts,
and
sepa
rate
qu
alifi
catio
ns
requ
irem
ents
and
reg
istra
tion
syst
ems
for
pate
nt a
gent
s, pa
tent
adm
inis
trativ
e m
anag
ers
and
pate
nt a
gent
bro
kers
sho
uld
be s
et u
p.
Apa
rt fr
om p
resc
ribed
qu
alifi
catio
ns, t
he r
egis
tere
d pa
rties
sho
uld
be r
egul
ated
by
code
s of
con
duct
and
sh
ould
be
requ
ired
to a
ttend
con
tinui
ng e
duca
tion
prog
ram
mes
with
pen
altie
s fo
r vi
olat
ion.
� ^_K
bel
ieve
s th
e re
gula
tion
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
will
affo
rd c
apab
ility
and
cr
edita
bilit
y to
the
prof
essi
on a
s wel
l as i
ncre
ase
effic
ienc
y.
�
A r
espo
nden
t do
es n
ot t
hink
the
int
rodu
ctio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e ha
s to
be
depe
nden
t on
an O
GP
syst
em.
�
A re
spon
dent
thin
ks th
at p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
shou
ld b
e re
gula
ted
if H
ong
Kon
g is
to
hav
e an
OG
P sy
stem
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t op
pose
s th
e in
trodu
ctio
n of
a r
egul
ator
y re
gim
e fo
r pr
ofes
sion
als
prov
idin
g pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
bec
ause
the
mar
ket o
r cus
tom
ers
can
deal
with
the
com
plai
nts
or n
eglig
ence
of p
aten
t age
nts
by re
ason
able
mea
ns o
r the
cus
tom
ers
can
reso
lve
the
mat
ter b
y lit
igat
ion
to c
laim
for l
oss a
nd d
amag
es.
15
8
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
11.1
In
dust
rial /
Tra
de A
ssoc
iatio
ns
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
GC
C
�
HK
API
�
LESC
-HK
�
Am
Cha
m i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
pers
ons
ente
ring
the
pate
nt a
gent
pro
fess
ion
shou
ld
unde
rgo
prop
er t
rain
ing,
exa
min
atio
n an
d ac
cred
itatio
n to
ens
ure
prov
isio
n of
hi
gh-q
ualit
y se
rvic
e.
�
HK
GC
C c
onsi
ders
that
the
shap
e of
the
pate
nt s
yste
m s
houl
d be
det
erm
ined
prio
r to
prov
idin
g su
gges
tions
and
ans
wer
s as
to
whe
ther
and
, if
so,
how
, th
e pa
tent
pr
ofes
sion
als a
re to
be
regu
late
d.
HK
GC
C su
gges
ts th
at if
the
goal
of a
regi
stra
tion
syst
em i
s to
ens
ure
a m
inim
um l
evel
of
com
pete
ncy
for
prac
tice,
the
n th
e us
e of
pa
rticu
lar t
itles
shou
ld b
e lim
ited
to th
ose
mee
ting
the
regi
stra
tion
qual
ifica
tions
.
�
HK
API
op
ines
th
at
the
pate
nt
agen
cy
prof
essi
on
shou
ld
be
regu
late
d by
a
gove
rnm
ent-r
un s
chem
e w
hich
sho
uld
ensu
re th
at p
rope
rly e
duca
ted
and
accr
edite
d st
aff,
equi
pped
with
the
nec
essa
ry t
echn
ical
tra
inin
g, i
s em
ploy
ed t
o up
hold
the
ge
nera
l pub
lic a
nd in
dust
ry’s
con
fiden
ce in
the
pate
nt sy
stem
.
�
LESC
-HK
pro
pose
s th
at o
nly
thos
e pr
ofes
sion
als
who
hav
e pa
ssed
the
appr
opria
te
exam
inat
ion
and
acqu
ired
the
prop
er q
ualif
icat
ion
coul
d be
acc
orde
d th
e tit
le “
pate
nt
atto
rney
/age
nt”
and
that
th
ere
shou
ld
be
a re
quire
men
t fo
r su
ch
pate
nt
atto
rney
s/ag
ents
to
dem
onst
rate
tha
t th
eir
know
ledg
e in
the
are
a is
cur
rent
. T
he
15
9
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d be
resp
onsi
ble
for s
ettin
g up
such
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e.
11.2
Pr
ofes
sion
al B
odie
s
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HIP
P su
gges
ts th
at th
e pr
ovis
ion
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
sho
uld
be r
estri
cted
to
qual
ified
per
sons
.
�
HK
ITM
P is
war
y th
at d
iffer
ent t
itles
may
be
conf
usin
g to
the
publ
ic a
nd a
dvis
es th
at
it m
ay b
e m
ore
appr
opria
te t
o fo
cus
on r
egul
atio
n of
the
nat
ure
of t
he s
ervi
ces
prov
ided
rath
er th
an th
e tit
le o
f the
per
son
prov
idin
g th
e se
rvic
es.
�
APA
A s
uppo
rts a
mor
e lib
eral
app
roac
h si
mila
r to
that
of t
he U
K w
hich
rest
ricts
the
abili
ty to
use
par
ticul
ar ti
tles
such
as
“pat
ent a
gent
” an
d “p
aten
t atto
rney
” by
cer
tain
pr
ofes
sion
als
who
sat
isfy
rele
vant
requ
irem
ents
and
are
regi
ster
ed u
nder
app
ropr
iate
re
gula
tions
. T
his
will
ens
ure
that
hig
h pr
ofes
sion
al s
tand
ards
are
req
uire
d an
d m
aint
aine
d, a
nd w
ill g
ive
the
publ
ic c
onfid
ence
tha
t, w
hen
deal
ing
with
a p
aten
t ag
ent
or
pate
nt
atto
rney
, th
ey
are
deal
ing
with
so
meo
ne
suita
bly
qual
ified
, ex
perie
nced
and
insu
red
to h
andl
e su
bsta
ntiv
e pa
tent
issu
es.
�
APA
A i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
even
for
pro
fess
iona
lly q
ualif
ied
pers
ons
actin
g in
the
pa
tent
fie
ld a
nd e
ntitl
ed t
o be
“pa
tent
atto
rney
s” u
nder
any
pro
pose
d re
gula
tions
, th
ere
shou
ld b
e an
ele
men
t of r
egul
atio
n to
ens
ure
that
qua
lifie
d pa
tent
age
nts w
ith a
te
chni
cal
scie
ntifi
c ba
ckgr
ound
and
tra
inin
g in
pat
ent
draf
ting
do n
ot,
unle
ss
othe
rwis
e qu
alifi
ed,
hand
le p
aten
t-rel
ated
leg
al i
ssue
s ou
tsid
e of
the
ir fie
ld o
f ex
perti
se.
Con
vers
ely,
sol
icito
rs w
ho a
re n
ot o
ther
wis
e qu
alifi
ed s
houl
d no
t han
dle
draf
ting
of p
aten
t spe
cific
atio
ns a
nd c
laim
s.
16
0
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
bel
ieve
s th
at s
ince
pat
ents
are
tec
hnic
al m
atte
rs, t
o im
prov
e (o
r m
aint
ain)
pat
ent q
ualit
y an
d to
pro
tect
pub
lic in
tere
st (f
rom
bot
h th
e pa
tent
ow
ner’s
an
d pu
blic
’s p
ersp
ectiv
es)
by h
avin
g pr
oper
ly d
efin
ed p
aten
ts, p
rofe
ssio
nal
pate
nt
serv
ices
sh
ould
be
re
stric
ted
only
to
th
ose
pers
ons
mee
ting
the
pres
crib
ed
qual
ifica
tions
.
11.3
A
cade
mic
Sec
tor
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Dr C
W T
so b
elie
ves t
hat p
rovi
sion
of p
aten
t ser
vice
s sho
uld
be re
stric
ted
to p
erso
ns
mee
ting
certa
in q
ualif
icat
ions
and
exp
erie
nce
requ
irem
ents
. H
e fu
rther
sug
gest
s th
at th
e us
e of
title
s suc
h as
“pa
tent
age
nt”
or “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
be re
stric
ted
to th
ose
prof
essi
onal
s w
ho s
atis
fy th
e pr
escr
ibed
req
uire
men
ts a
nd a
re r
egis
tere
d un
der
the
rele
vant
ord
inan
ces.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
sug
gest
s th
at u
se o
f tit
les
shou
ld b
e re
stric
ted.
11.4
Le
gal P
ract
ition
ers /
Pat
ent P
ract
ition
ers
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Song
& C
han
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Ric
hard
R.
Hal
stea
d co
nsid
ers
that
Hon
g K
ong
unde
rtaki
ngs
serv
ing
as “
pate
nt
agen
ts”
gene
rally
do
not p
osse
ss n
eces
sary
sci
entif
ic o
r tec
hnic
al e
xper
tise.
W
hile
th
ey a
re c
apab
le f
or t
he p
urpo
se o
f en
forc
emen
t of
pat
ents
, th
ey a
re l
ess
so i
n un
ders
tand
ing
the
tech
nica
l as
pect
s of
the
sub
ject
inv
entio
ns.
The
re a
re n
o pr
oble
ms
as l
ong
as t
he t
erm
“pa
tent
age
nts”
ref
er t
o le
gal
advi
sory
or
agen
cy
serv
ices
for
reg
iste
ring
pate
nts
prof
essi
onal
ly p
repa
red
and
pros
ecut
ed o
utsi
de o
f H
ong
Kon
g.
How
ever
, pr
oble
ms
will
ine
vita
bly
aris
e if
pate
nts
are
draf
ted
in
Hon
g K
ong
by u
nqua
lifie
d pe
rson
s. S
imila
rly,
if pa
tent
age
nts
poss
ess
only
te
chni
cal
but
no s
peci
alis
t le
gal
train
ing
in d
rafti
ng a
nd p
rose
cutin
g pa
tent
s, th
ere
16
1
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Ken
neth
Yip
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
will
be
a ne
gativ
e im
pact
on
the
qual
ity o
f pa
tent
s. H
e hi
ghlig
hts
the
need
to le
t co
nsum
ers k
now
the
qual
ifica
tion
of “
pate
nt a
gent
s” w
ith w
hom
they
are
dea
ling.
�
Ric
hard
R. H
alst
ead
sugg
ests
that
a re
gist
er o
f pro
fess
iona
lly q
ualif
ied
pate
nt a
gent
s si
mila
r to
the
US,
sho
uld
be s
et u
p by
inc
ludi
ng p
eopl
e ar
ound
the
wor
ld w
ith
tech
nica
l qua
lific
atio
ns a
nd w
ho h
ave
had
prof
essi
onal
trai
ning
for
the
purp
ose
of
draf
ting
and
pros
ecut
ing
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
ns.
�
QPA
Gro
up is
of
the
opin
ion
that
use
of
the
term
“re
gist
ered
” pr
eced
ing
the
title
s “p
aten
t at
torn
ey”
or
“pat
ent
agen
t”
shou
ld
be
rest
ricte
d to
th
ose
who
ar
e pr
ofes
sion
ally
qua
lifie
d.
�
Song
& C
han
sugg
est
keep
ing
a re
gist
er o
f qu
alifi
ed p
erso
ns t
hat
is a
vaila
ble
for
publ
ic i
nspe
ctio
n bu
t st
ill a
llow
ing
unqu
alifi
ed p
erso
ns t
o pr
ovid
e pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
.
�
Nig
el L
ee i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
regu
latio
n of
use
of
title
s w
ill p
reve
nt u
sers
of
the
syst
em f
rom
bei
ng c
onfu
sed
and
the
prov
isio
n of
pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
es s
houl
d be
re
stric
ted
to p
erso
ns h
oldi
ng th
e re
quis
ite q
ualif
icat
ions
onl
y, a
s si
mpl
y lim
iting
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es w
ill n
ot p
ut a
n en
d to
the
pro
visi
on o
f lo
w q
ualit
y pa
tent
se
rvic
es.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
thi
nks
that
the
pro
visi
on o
f pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
sho
uld
be
rest
ricte
d to
per
sons
mee
ting
certa
in q
ualif
icat
ions
or r
equi
rem
ents
onl
y.
�
Ben
ny K
ong,
Ken
neth
Yip
and
ano
ther
resp
onde
nt s
ugge
st th
at th
e us
e of
par
ticul
ar
16
2
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
title
s sho
uld
be li
mite
d to
reco
gnis
ed o
r qua
lifie
d pe
rson
nel o
nly.
�
A r
espo
nden
t su
gges
ts f
ollo
win
g th
e U
K s
yste
m a
nd r
estri
ctin
g th
e us
e of
titl
es
“reg
iste
red
pate
nt a
gent
” or
“re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
ey”
to p
erso
ns w
ho h
ave
pass
ed
the
rele
vant
qua
lific
atio
n ex
amin
atio
ns a
nd so
licito
rs w
ho p
ract
ise
in p
aten
t law
.
11.5
O
ther
s
�
HK
PC
�
Scho
lar C
orpo
ratio
n
�
Ble
ssed
Inc
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC s
ugge
sts
that
the
prov
isio
n of
the
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es s
houl
d be
rest
ricte
d to
per
sons
mee
ting
spec
ified
pro
fess
iona
l qua
lific
atio
ns a
nd re
quire
men
ts.
The
use
of
the
title
s su
ch a
s “p
aten
t age
nt”
or “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
shou
ld b
e re
gula
ted
eith
er b
y th
e pr
ofes
sion
or a
gov
ernm
ent q
ualif
icat
ion
auth
ority
.
�
Scho
lar
Cor
pora
tion,
Ble
ssed
Inc
and
Bac
h Li
mite
d ag
ree
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld s
et a
mea
ning
ful l
evel
of
com
pete
ncy
so th
at o
nly
thos
e w
ho h
ave
rece
ived
pr
actic
al a
nd a
cade
mic
trai
ning
can
hol
d th
emse
lves
out
as “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”.
Th
ey
are
of th
e vi
ew th
at H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
not
cou
nten
ance
a q
ualif
icat
ion
sche
me
that
is
bel
ow th
e le
vel o
f th
ose
of th
e m
ajor
eco
nom
ies
that
Hon
g K
ong
does
bus
ines
s w
ith.
11.6
In
divi
dual
s
�
Stan
ley
�
Eric
Yun
g
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Stan
ley
sugg
ests
that
pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
es c
ould
be
prov
ided
by
any
pers
on b
ut
only
the
use
of p
artic
ular
title
(s) s
houl
d be
rest
ricte
d.
�
Eric
Yun
g is
of t
he v
iew
that
wor
k re
late
d to
civ
il an
d cr
imin
al p
roce
edin
gs s
houl
d be
res
trict
ed to
law
yers
; whe
reas
gen
eral
pat
ent-r
elat
ed w
ork
can
be c
arrie
d ou
t by
regi
ster
ed p
aten
t age
nts.
16
3
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
11.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is to
be
intr
oduc
ed fo
r pr
ovid
ers
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
, sho
uld
we
rest
rict
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es to
pe
rson
s m
eetin
g ce
rtai
n qu
alifi
catio
ns o
r re
quir
emen
ts o
nly?
O
r sh
ould
we
limit
the
use
of p
artic
ular
titl
es o
nly
but
allo
w t
he
prov
isio
n of
such
serv
ices
by
any
pers
on?
�
A r
espo
nden
t sug
gest
s th
at a
s a
trans
ition
al a
rran
gem
ent,
only
the
use
of p
artic
ular
tit
les
shou
ld b
e lim
ited
but p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
sho
uld
be a
llow
ed to
be
prov
ided
by
any
per
son.
�
A r
espo
nden
t su
gges
ts m
aint
aini
ng a
reg
iste
r on
the
IPD
web
site
of
“app
rove
d”
pate
nt a
gent
s, co
mpr
isin
g an
yone
who
has
pas
sed
the
rele
vant
qua
lific
atio
ns i
n C
hina
, Aus
tralia
, the
UK
, EPO
, the
US,
Can
ada,
Sin
gapo
re o
r New
Zea
land
. T
hese
pl
aces
are
con
side
red
acce
ptab
le b
ecau
se o
f th
eir
impo
rtanc
e to
Hon
g K
ong
or th
e so
lid
qual
ifica
tions
ac
quire
d by
pa
tent
pr
actit
ione
rs
in
such
pl
aces
th
roug
h as
sess
men
ts a
nd e
xam
inat
ions
of
thei
r co
mpe
tenc
e in
rel
ated
ski
lls.
A r
esid
ence
re
quire
men
t sho
uld
also
be
impo
sed.
To
mak
e it
easi
er fo
r the
pub
lic, t
here
cou
ld
be a
lis
t of
pat
ent
agen
cies
or
law
firm
s em
ploy
ing
at l
east
tw
o pa
tent
age
nts
or
atto
rney
s in
Hon
g K
ong
or h
avin
g at
leas
t one
dire
ctor
or p
artn
er in
Hon
g K
ong
who
is
a p
aten
t age
nt o
r atto
rney
. I
f in
futu
re H
ong
Kon
g is
to h
ave
its o
wn
pate
nt a
gent
qu
alifi
catio
ns, a
ny g
rand
fath
erin
g of
exi
stin
g pr
actit
ione
rs s
houl
d be
on
the
basi
s of
on
e of
the
abo
ve w
ell-r
espe
cted
pat
ent
qual
ifica
tions
rat
her
than
sim
ply
on t
ime
spen
t in
the
fie
ld o
r qu
alifi
catio
n as
a s
olic
itor.
As
for
fluen
cy i
n C
hine
se,
the
resp
onde
nt s
ugge
sts
that
this
sho
uld
not b
e m
ade
a re
quire
men
t for
now
due
to th
e hi
gh d
eman
d fo
r pat
ent-r
elat
ed w
ork
in E
nglis
h in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
A re
spon
dent
thin
ks th
at th
e pr
ovis
ion
of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
sho
uld
be re
stric
ted
to p
eopl
e w
ith s
peci
fic q
ualif
icat
ions
and
rel
evan
t tra
inin
g on
ly s
o as
to
rais
e th
e qu
ality
of s
uch
serv
ices
.
16
4
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
12.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is t
o be
intr
oduc
ed f
or p
rovi
ders
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s, sh
ould
the
reg
ulat
ion
appl
y to
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy se
rvic
es o
r on
ly to
cer
tain
serv
ices
e.g
. the
dra
ftin
g an
d am
endm
ent o
f pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
12.1
In
dust
rial /
Tra
de A
ssoc
iatio
ns
�
HK
GC
C
�
HK
GC
C c
onsi
ders
tha
t th
e re
gula
tion
shou
ld o
nly
appl
y to
tas
ks t
hat
requ
ire a
m
inim
um le
vel o
f def
inab
le c
ompe
tenc
ies
and
not c
leric
al m
atte
rs s
uch
as fi
ling
or
payi
ng a
nnui
ties.
12.2
Pr
ofes
sion
al B
odie
s
�
HIP
P
�
HK
ITM
P
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HIP
P pr
opos
es t
hat
serv
ices
in
rela
tion
to d
rafti
ng o
f pa
tent
spe
cific
atio
n an
d th
e pr
ovis
ion
of p
aten
tabi
lity,
inv
alid
atio
n an
d in
frin
gem
ent
opin
ions
for
use
in
cour
t sh
ould
be
regu
late
d.
�
HK
ITM
P is
of
the
view
tha
t on
ly t
he p
rovi
sion
of
subs
tant
ive
aspe
cts
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s sh
ould
be
rest
ricte
d to
app
ropr
iate
ly q
ualif
ied
and
expe
rienc
ed
prac
titio
ners
. I
t als
o no
tes t
hat n
on-s
ubst
antiv
e se
rvic
es (s
uch
as e
ffect
ing
paym
ent
of a
nd i
ssui
ng r
emin
ders
for
ren
ewal
s) w
ould
usu
ally
be
perf
orm
ed b
y pe
rson
s un
der t
he su
perv
isio
n of
such
app
ropr
iate
ly q
ualif
ied
pers
ons.
�
APA
A i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
regu
latio
n sh
ould
onl
y re
late
to
thos
e as
pect
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy se
rvic
es w
here
the
publ
ic is
ent
itled
to e
xpec
t tho
se p
rovi
ding
the
serv
ices
to
have
app
ropr
iate
qua
lific
atio
ns,
skill
s an
d in
sura
nce.
Su
ch s
ervi
ces
are
not
conf
ined
to th
e dr
aftin
g of
pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
and
cla
ims.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
bel
ieve
s th
at a
s pa
tent
s ar
e te
chni
cal
mat
ters
, to
im
prov
e (o
r
16
5
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
12.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is t
o be
intr
oduc
ed f
or p
rovi
ders
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s, sh
ould
the
reg
ulat
ion
appl
y to
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy se
rvic
es o
r on
ly to
cer
tain
serv
ices
e.g
. the
dra
ftin
g an
d am
endm
ent o
f pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em?
mai
ntai
n) p
aten
t qua
lity
and
to p
rote
ct p
ublic
inte
rest
(fro
m b
oth
the
pate
nt o
wne
r’s
and
publ
ic’s
per
spec
tives
) by
havi
ng p
rope
rly d
efin
ed p
aten
ts, t
he re
gula
tion
shou
ld
appl
y to
all
type
s of p
aten
t age
ncy
serv
ices
.
12.3
A
cade
mic
Sec
tor
�
Dr C
W T
so
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Dr
C W
Tso
sug
gest
s th
at b
oth
“pat
ent
agen
t” a
nd “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
can
prov
ide
serv
ices
cov
erin
g dr
aftin
g an
d am
endm
ent
of p
aten
t sp
ecifi
catio
n un
der
an O
GP
syst
em.
How
ever
, “p
aten
t ag
ent”
can
rep
rese
nt c
lient
s in
reg
istry
pro
ceed
ings
w
here
as “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
can
repr
esen
t cl
ient
s in
bot
h re
gist
ry p
roce
edin
gs a
nd
cour
t pro
ceed
ings
.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
sug
gest
s th
at l
egal
pro
fess
iona
ls w
ith
the
title
can
repr
esen
t clie
nts
in c
ourt
on p
aten
t mat
ters
and
am
end
spec
ifica
tions
of
pate
nts
whi
le
tech
nica
l pr
ofes
sion
als
with
th
e tit
le
can
draf
t an
d fin
alis
e sp
ecifi
catio
ns o
f pat
ents
.
12.4
Le
gal P
ract
ition
ers /
Pat
ent P
ract
ition
ers
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Nig
el L
ee
�
Kam
Wah
Law
�
Ben
ny K
ong
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
QPA
Gro
up i
s of
the
vie
w t
hat
prov
isio
n of
sub
stan
tive
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es
shou
ld
be
rest
ricte
d to
th
ose
who
ar
e su
itabl
y qu
alifi
ed
and
expe
rienc
ed.
R
estri
ctio
n sh
ould
not
be
impo
sed
on n
on-s
ubst
antiv
e pa
tent
age
ncy
wor
k.
�
Nig
el L
ee s
uppo
rts t
he a
pplic
atio
n of
reg
ulat
ion
to t
he p
rovi
sion
of
all
type
s of
se
rvic
es th
at re
quire
pat
ent a
genc
y ex
perti
se a
nd sk
ills.
�
Kam
Wah
Law
is o
f the
vie
w th
at th
e re
gula
tion
shou
ld a
pply
to a
ll ty
pes
of p
aten
t ag
ency
serv
ices
.
�
Ben
ny K
ong
thin
ks t
hat
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy s
ervi
ces
shou
ld b
e re
gula
ted,
16
6
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
12.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is t
o be
intr
oduc
ed f
or p
rovi
ders
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s, sh
ould
the
reg
ulat
ion
appl
y to
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy se
rvic
es o
r on
ly to
cer
tain
serv
ices
e.g
. the
dra
ftin
g an
d am
endm
ent o
f pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em?
incl
udin
g th
e ad
optio
n of
one
’s n
ame
and
addr
ess a
s the
age
nt fo
r ser
vice
.
�
A re
spon
dent
supp
orts
regu
latin
g al
l typ
es o
f pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
es.
�
A r
espo
nden
t th
inks
tha
t on
ly p
erso
ns w
ho q
ualif
y as
reg
iste
red
pate
nt a
gent
s or
pa
tent
atto
rney
s sho
uld
be a
llow
ed to
dra
ft pa
tent
s and
pro
secu
te p
aten
ts.
12.5
O
ther
s
�
HK
PC
�
HK
PC s
ugge
sts
that
the
pro
visi
on o
f es
sent
ial
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es s
uch
as
draf
ting
and
amen
dmen
t of
pat
ent
spec
ifica
tions
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em s
houl
d be
re
gula
ted.
12.6
In
divi
dual
s
�
Stan
ley
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Stan
ley
sugg
ests
tha
t th
e re
gula
tion
shou
ld a
pply
to
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy
serv
ices
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t su
gges
ts t
hat
as a
tra
nsiti
onal
arr
ange
men
t, th
e re
gula
tory
reg
ime
shou
ld a
pply
to a
ll ty
pes o
f pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
es te
mpo
raril
y.
�
A r
espo
nden
t se
es n
o re
ason
to
requ
ire f
iling
of
pate
nts
to b
e do
ne b
y qu
alifi
ed
pate
nt a
gent
s on
ly u
nder
the
cur
rent
sta
ndar
d pa
tent
sys
tem
alth
ough
suc
h a
requ
irem
ent m
ay h
elp
to in
crea
se H
ong
Kon
g’s
com
petit
iven
ess
in te
rms
of p
aten
t ex
perti
se.
He
cons
ider
s it
a go
od id
ea to
req
uire
rep
rese
ntat
ion
befo
re I
PD to
be
done
by
som
eone
with
reco
gnis
ed p
aten
t (no
t leg
al) q
ualif
icat
ion
only
if H
ong
Kon
g is
to
switc
h to
an
OG
P sy
stem
. A
s fo
r dr
aftin
g of
pat
ent
appl
icat
ions
, al
thou
gh
regu
latin
g th
e pr
ovis
ion
of s
uch
serv
ices
will
pro
tect
the
pub
lic f
urth
er a
nd h
elp
bols
ter
the
com
petit
iven
ess
of t
he I
P pr
ofes
sion
in
Hon
g K
ong,
the
res
pond
ent
thin
ks t
hat
smal
l co
mpa
nies
tha
t do
not
car
e so
muc
h ab
out
qual
ity m
ay b
e
16
7
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
12.
If a
reg
ulat
ory
regi
me
is t
o be
intr
oduc
ed f
or p
rovi
ders
of p
aten
t ag
ency
ser
vice
s, sh
ould
the
reg
ulat
ion
appl
y to
all
type
s of
pat
ent
agen
cy se
rvic
es o
r on
ly to
cer
tain
serv
ices
e.g
. the
dra
ftin
g an
d am
endm
ent o
f pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
und
er a
n O
GP
syst
em?
conc
erne
d w
ith t
he i
ncre
ased
cos
ts.
If
the
prov
isio
n of
suc
h se
rvic
es i
s to
be
regu
late
d, h
e do
es n
ot th
ink
solic
itors
sho
uld
be a
llow
ed to
dra
ft pa
tent
app
licat
ions
.
He
also
put
s fo
rwar
d th
e su
gges
tion
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent c
an p
rovi
de s
ubsi
dies
for
draf
ting
(if d
one
loca
lly) t
hrou
gh th
e H
ong
Kon
g Pr
oduc
tivity
Cou
ncil.
�
A r
espo
nden
t th
inks
tha
t th
e re
gula
tion
shou
ld a
pply
to
certa
in s
ervi
ces
only
, fo
r ex
ampl
e, d
rafti
ng a
nd a
men
dmen
t of
pate
nt s
peci
ficat
ions
sho
uld
only
be
done
by
peop
le w
ith a
scie
nce,
eng
inee
ring
or la
w d
egre
e.
16
8
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
13.1
In
dust
rial /
Tra
de A
ssoc
iatio
ns
�
HK
API
A
�
TMH
K
�
HK
EIA
�
HK
MFS
�
PVC
HK
�
HK
MM
A
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
API
A,
TMH
K,
HK
EIA
, H
KM
FS,
PVC
HK
and
HK
MM
A a
ll su
gges
t th
at a
n op
en l
icen
sing
sys
tem
sho
uld
be i
ntro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong
in t
wo
stag
es;
first
ly
gran
ting
licen
ces
to e
xist
ing
prov
ider
s of
pat
ent a
genc
y se
rvic
e an
d se
cond
ly s
ettin
g up
a
com
mitt
ee
for
the
regu
latio
n of
pa
tent
ag
ents
to
fo
rmul
ate
a un
ified
ex
amin
atio
n sy
stem
and
to is
sue
code
s of c
ondu
ct fo
r the
gra
nt o
f lic
ence
s.
�
Am
Cha
m b
elie
ves t
hat t
he p
aten
t age
ncy
prof
essi
on sh
ould
be
prop
erly
regu
late
d by
a
stat
utor
y bo
dy to
mai
ntai
n hi
gh st
anda
rds a
nd p
rote
ct u
sers
acr
oss t
he fu
ll ra
nge
of
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es.
It s
ugge
sts
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d co
nsid
er it
s ro
le in
se
tting
stan
dard
s for
and
regu
latin
g th
e pr
ofes
sion
, and
in d
evel
opin
g in
stitu
tions
for
train
ing
pate
nt a
gent
pro
fess
iona
ls a
nd e
stab
lishi
ng a
ccre
dita
tion
that
adh
eres
to
inte
rnat
iona
l sta
ndar
ds.
13.2
Pr
ofes
sion
al B
odie
s
�
HK
IPA
�
APA
A
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HK
IPA
sug
gest
s th
at a
n op
en li
cens
ing
syst
em s
houl
d be
intro
duce
d in
Hon
g K
ong
in t
wo
stag
es;
first
ly g
rant
ing
licen
ces
to e
xist
ing
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
e pr
ovid
ers
and
seco
ndly
set
ting
up a
com
mitt
ee fo
r the
regu
latio
n of
pat
ent a
gent
s to
form
ulat
e a
unifi
ed e
xam
inat
ion
syst
em a
nd to
issu
e co
des o
f con
duct
for t
he g
rant
of l
icen
ces.
�
APA
A p
oint
s ou
t tha
t Hon
g K
ong
alre
ady
has
pers
ons
prac
tisin
g w
ho a
re q
ualif
ied
as p
aten
t age
nts o
r pat
ent a
ttorn
eys i
n th
eir h
ome
juris
dict
ions
. A
PAA
bel
ieve
s tha
t H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
con
tinue
to a
llow
and
enc
oura
ge s
uita
bly
qual
ified
pat
ent a
gent
s
16
9
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
and/
or p
aten
t atto
rney
s fro
m c
ount
ries w
ith la
ws a
nd le
gal s
yste
ms w
ith re
leva
nce
to
Hon
g K
ong
to li
ve, w
ork
and
prac
tise
in th
e pa
tent
fiel
d in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
APA
A s
ugge
sts
that
an
elem
ent
of r
egul
atio
n sh
ould
be
incl
uded
to
ensu
re t
hat
qual
ified
pat
ent a
gent
s w
ith a
tech
nica
l sci
entif
ic b
ackg
roun
d an
d tra
inin
g in
pat
ent
draf
ting
do n
ot, u
nles
s ot
herw
ise
qual
ified
, the
mse
lves
han
dle
pate
nt r
elat
ed l
egal
is
sues
out
side
thei
r fie
ld o
f ex
perti
se a
nd, c
onve
rsel
y, th
at s
olic
itors
not
oth
erw
ise
qual
ified
do
not
hand
le t
he d
rafti
ng o
f pa
tent
spe
cific
atio
ns a
nd c
laim
s, as
ver
y di
ffere
nt sk
ill se
ts a
re in
volv
ed in
thes
e di
ffere
nt fi
elds
of e
ndea
vour
.
�
APA
A a
dvis
es t
hat
form
al q
ualif
icat
ions
, in
clud
ing
educ
atio
n, t
rain
ing,
req
uisi
te
skill
s an
d ex
perie
nce
for a
pat
ent a
gent
and
/or p
aten
t atto
rney
in H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
be
kep
t up
with
the
stan
dard
s ad
opte
d by
juris
dict
ions
hav
ing
cred
ible
pat
ent a
gent
s an
d/or
atto
rney
pro
fess
ions
and
syst
ems.
�
APA
A
reco
mm
ends
th
at
any
form
al
qual
ifica
tion
mus
t be
a
prof
essi
onal
qu
alifi
catio
n co
mpa
rabl
e to
the
sta
ndar
ds r
equi
red
by l
egal
pra
ctiti
oner
s in
Hon
g K
ong
and
pate
nt a
gent
s/at
torn
eys
in o
ther
com
para
ble
juris
dict
ions
, or t
hat o
f oth
er
prof
essi
ons.
�
APA
A e
mph
asis
es th
at n
eith
er A
PAA
nor
any
of
the
bodi
es in
Hon
g K
ong
whi
ch
curr
ently
offe
rs t
rain
ing
cour
ses
in r
elat
ion
to p
aten
ts,
offe
rs a
nyth
ing
rem
otel
y ap
proa
chin
g th
e le
vel r
equi
red
to q
ualif
y as
a p
rofe
ssio
nal p
aten
t age
nt/a
ttorn
ey (i
.e.
with
a
scie
ntifi
c ba
ckgr
ound
an
d th
e ab
ility
to
dr
aft
and
inte
rpre
t pa
tent
sp
ecifi
catio
ns a
nd c
laim
s).
For
exa
mpl
e, n
one
of th
e co
urse
s of
fere
d re
cent
ly b
y A
PAA
(in
ass
ocia
tion
with
FIC
PI (
Fédé
ratio
n In
tern
atio
nale
des
Con
seils
en
Prop
riété
Ind
ustri
elle
) an
d SE
AD
(So
uth
East
Asi
an D
rafti
ng C
ours
e))
and
HK
IPA
(w
ith W
arw
ick
Uni
vers
ity)
com
e cl
ose
to q
ualif
ying
the
atte
ndee
s to
des
crib
e
17
0
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
them
selv
es a
s reg
iste
red
pate
nt a
gent
s/pa
tent
atto
rney
s.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is
conc
erne
d w
ith t
he u
se o
f tit
les
prot
ecte
d in
the
int
erna
tiona
l ar
ena
(but
not
in H
ong
Kon
g) b
y un
regu
late
d or
gani
satio
ns w
hich
asp
ire to
con
fer
such
regi
ster
ed ti
tles
to th
eir m
embe
rs a
s th
eir a
ctio
ns c
ould
wel
l con
fuse
the
publ
ic
into
be
lievi
ng
that
su
ch
orga
nisa
tions
an
d m
embe
rs
wer
e in
deed
of
ficia
lly
reco
gnis
ed a
nd re
gula
ted.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
refe
rs to
Ms.
Ip’s
Let
ter w
hich
cla
ims
that
ther
e is
a la
ck o
f loc
al
pate
nt e
xper
ts c
apab
le o
f dra
fting
pat
ent s
peci
ficat
ions
for e
nter
pris
es in
Hon
g K
ong
for u
se a
nd p
rote
ctio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
Th
e La
w S
ocie
ty d
oes
not a
gree
and
poi
nts
out t
hat m
any
of th
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
mad
e in
Hon
g K
ong
are
done
thro
ugh
law
fir
ms
or p
aten
t age
ncie
s ba
sed
in H
ong
Kon
g th
at e
mpl
oy p
aten
t pro
fess
iona
ls w
ho
have
atta
ined
the
ir re
cogn
ised
titl
es a
nd q
ualif
icat
ions
ove
rsea
s. T
his
is b
ecau
se
Hon
g K
ong
adop
ts a
re-
regi
stra
tion
syst
em a
nd it
is n
ot s
urpr
isin
g th
at m
ost o
f th
e pa
tent
spec
ifica
tions
are
dra
fted
by n
on-lo
cal p
aten
t pro
fess
iona
ls.
13.3
Po
litic
al P
artie
s / G
roup
s
�
DA
B
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty
�
DA
B o
pine
s th
at in
the
first
sta
ge o
f th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of th
e re
gula
tory
reg
ime,
th
e pr
ofes
sion
al s
tand
ards
ado
pted
by
the
Law
Soc
iety
, th
e H
ong
Kon
g B
ar
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
IPA
, H
IPP
and
APA
A s
houl
d be
rec
ogni
sed
as t
he s
tand
ard
of
regu
latio
n of
pat
ent a
gent
s. I
n th
e se
cond
sta
ge, a
com
mitt
ee f
orm
ed b
y th
e fiv
e as
soci
atio
ns m
entio
ned
abov
e fo
r re
gula
tion
of p
aten
t ag
ents
sho
uld
be s
et u
p to
fo
rmul
ate
unifi
ed p
rofe
ssio
nal g
uide
and
cod
es o
f con
duct
of p
aten
t age
nts.
�
Econ
omic
Syn
ergy
opi
nes
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld p
rovi
de t
rain
ing
to p
aten
t pr
actit
ione
rs,
engi
neer
s, ag
ents
and
res
earc
hers
in
rela
tion
to d
rafti
ng o
f pa
tent
do
cum
ents
and
han
dlin
g of
pat
ent-r
elat
ed m
atte
rs.
The
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld a
lso
17
1
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
crea
te jo
b op
portu
nitie
s for
scie
nce
grad
uate
s.
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty e
mph
asis
es th
e im
porta
nce
of h
avin
g an
ove
rall
plan
for t
rain
ing
of
pers
onne
l, re
cogn
ition
of
qu
alifi
catio
ns,
qual
ity
assu
ranc
e of
ed
ucat
iona
l pr
ogra
ms
and
regi
stra
tion
and
regu
latio
n of
pat
ent
agen
ts.
The
y ar
e of
the
vie
w
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d di
scus
s w
ith re
leva
nt a
cade
mic
and
pro
fess
iona
l bod
ies,
as w
ell a
s SI
PO a
nd W
IPO
abo
ut th
e re
quis
ite tr
aini
ng a
nd th
e se
tting
of s
tand
ards
of
pra
ctic
e fo
r pat
ent p
erso
nnel
.
13.4
Le
gal P
ract
ition
ers /
Pat
ent P
ract
ition
ers
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Song
& C
han
�
Dan
ny C
han
�
Ken
neth
Yip
�
QPA
Gro
up c
onsi
ders
it o
f par
amou
nt im
porta
nce
that
shou
ld a
regu
lato
ry re
gim
e be
in
trodu
ced,
it m
ust m
eet t
he n
eeds
of t
he le
gal s
yste
m in
Hon
g K
ong
as w
ell a
s th
e st
anda
rd o
f int
erna
tiona
l pra
ctic
e.
�
Song
& C
han
reco
mm
end
that
all
com
pani
es p
rovi
ding
pat
ent
agen
cy s
ervi
ces
shou
ld b
e re
gist
ered
with
IPD
or
an u
noffi
cial
org
anis
atio
n; in
form
atio
n re
gard
ing
such
com
pani
es in
clud
ing
qual
ifica
tions
and
exp
erie
nce
of th
eir p
erso
nnel
sho
uld
be
publ
ishe
d an
d up
date
d pe
riodi
cally
. I
nfor
mat
ion
rega
rdin
g pa
tent
age
nts
or p
aten
t ag
ency
firm
s th
at h
ave
faile
d to
pro
vide
sat
isfa
ctor
y pa
tent
age
ncy
serv
ices
cau
sing
lo
ss to
thei
r clie
nts s
houl
d al
so b
e pu
blis
hed
perio
dica
lly.
�
Dan
ny C
han
note
s th
at a
pat
ent a
gent
regi
stra
tion
syst
em is
com
mon
ly re
gula
ted
by
regi
onal
gov
ernm
ents
, not
by
indi
vidu
al o
rgan
isat
ions
.
�
Ken
neth
Yip
sug
gest
s th
at t
here
sho
uld
not
be a
dis
tinct
ion
betw
een
a te
chni
cal
educ
atio
n ga
ined
fro
m a
uni
vers
ity a
nd o
ne g
aine
d el
sew
here
so
long
as
the
tech
nica
l ed
ucat
ion
requ
irem
ent
is r
ecog
nise
d by
the
Gov
ernm
ent.
As
rega
rds
know
ledg
e of
pat
ent
law
, K
enne
th Y
ip b
elie
ves
that
for
mal
pro
cedu
ral
train
ing
17
2
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
thro
ugh
appr
entic
eshi
p, c
ours
e st
udy
or e
xam
inat
ion
shou
ld b
e m
anda
tory
. I
n ad
ditio
n, h
e su
gges
ts r
ecip
roca
l rec
ogni
tion
of p
aten
t pro
fess
iona
l qua
lific
atio
ns to
be
arr
ange
d w
ith o
ther
gov
ernm
ents
.
13.5
O
ther
s
�
API
CC
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Li
mite
d
�
API
CC
sug
gest
s th
at th
e rig
ht to
gra
nt li
cenc
es s
houl
d no
t be
give
n ex
clus
ivel
y to
a
sing
le p
rofe
ssio
nal
or t
rade
ass
ocia
tion.
A
min
imum
of
four
to
five
trade
and
pr
ofes
sion
al b
odie
s sh
ould
hav
e th
e rig
ht to
gra
nt li
cenc
e so
as
to e
nsur
e th
at a
fair,
op
en a
nd c
ost-e
ffect
ive
licen
sing
syst
em is
mai
ntai
ned.
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Lim
ited
reco
mm
ends
that
the
regu
lato
ry
regi
me
shou
ld b
e le
ft to
an
inde
pend
ent c
omm
ittee
com
pris
ing
acad
emic
s, bu
sine
ss
cons
ulta
nts,
licen
sing
pro
fess
iona
ls,
lega
l pr
ofes
sion
s an
d ce
rtifie
d en
gine
erin
g pr
ofes
sion
als
shou
ld a
dec
isio
n of
est
ablis
hing
an
OG
P sy
stem
in H
ong
Kon
g is
to
proc
eed.
13.6
In
divi
dual
s
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai
� XYZ
�
Wils
on, L
ee W
aim
Win
g
�
Ng
Cha
n W
ai o
pine
s th
at c
urre
ntly
, H
ong
Kon
g do
es n
ot h
ave
suffi
cien
t pa
tent
ag
ents
who
are
qua
lifie
d to
writ
e pa
tent
cla
ims
in v
ario
us f
ield
s, e.
g. e
lect
roni
cs,
biol
ogy
and
mec
hani
cs,
and
sugg
ests
tha
t th
e G
over
nmen
t se
ts u
p a
train
ing
and
asse
ssm
ent c
entre
for w
ritin
g of
pat
ent c
laim
s.
� XYZ
sug
gest
s th
at t
he G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
pro
vide
tra
inin
g an
d as
sist
ance
to
peop
le w
ho a
re in
tere
sted
in b
ecom
ing
pate
nt a
gent
s in
Hon
g K
ong
and
Chi
na.
�
Wils
on, L
ee W
aim
Min
g ha
s exp
ress
ed a
num
ber o
f spe
cific
vie
ws:
(a)
Hon
g K
ong
shou
ld s
trive
to
achi
eve
an i
ndep
ende
nt s
tatu
s lik
e Ta
iwan
for
w
hich
the
rig
ht o
f pr
iorit
y is
rec
ogni
sed
in t
he U
S af
ter
it ha
s si
gned
an
17
3
Cha
pter
3 :
Reg
ulat
ion
of P
aten
t Age
ncy
Serv
ices
in H
ong
Kon
g (5
5 su
bmis
sion
s rec
eive
d)
13.
Oth
er su
gges
tions
/ co
mm
ents
rec
eive
d.
agre
emen
t with
the
US
for t
he p
urpo
se;
(b)
the
clai
m o
f pr
iorit
y un
der
the
Paris
Con
vent
ion
is l
imite
d to
ind
ustri
alis
ed
natio
ns w
hich
are
par
ties
to th
e C
onve
ntio
n, s
o H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
join
Chi
na
to c
onta
ct n
atio
ns o
ther
tha
n pa
rties
to
the
Con
vent
ion
to s
eek
expo
rt op
portu
nitie
s;
(c
) th
e lim
itatio
ns o
n IP
rig
hts
shou
ld b
e cl
early
def
ined
if
they
con
flict
with
pu
blic
inte
rest
s (e.
g. if
they
har
m h
ealth
or p
reve
nt p
rogr
ess)
;
(d)
mem
bers
fro
m d
iffer
ent
com
mun
ities
sho
uld
be i
nvol
ved
to d
efin
e so
cial
rig
hts s
o as
to e
limin
ate
or re
solv
e co
nflic
ts th
at m
ay e
xist
bet
wee
n th
e re
spec
t fo
r an
d im
plem
enta
tion
of t
he c
urre
nt I
P sy
stem
and
int
erna
tiona
l hu
man
rig
hts,
and
IP sy
stem
shou
ld c
onfo
rm w
ith h
uman
righ
t law
s and
soci
al ri
ghts
;
(e
) ru
les
or g
uide
lines
sho
uld
be m
ade
for
Hon
g K
ong
desi
gns
or p
aten
ted
prod
ucts
to c
reat
e br
and
nam
e im
ages
; and
(f)
a w
orki
ng m
odel
repr
esen
ting
the
final
pro
duct
rela
ting
to th
e pa
tent
shou
ld b
e su
bmitt
ed w
ith th
e pa
tent
app
licat
ion.
17
4
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
O
rgan
isat
ions
/ In
divi
dual
s V
iew
s / C
once
rns
14.1
In
dust
rial /
Tra
de A
ssoc
iatio
ns
�
Am
Cha
m
�
HK
API
�
Am
Cha
m su
gges
ts th
e fo
llow
ing
chan
ges:
(a)
prov
ide
the
oppo
rtuni
ty to
reco
ver p
aten
t ter
m fo
r pha
rmac
eutic
al p
rodu
cts l
ost
durin
g ex
tens
ive
clin
ical
tria
ls a
nd o
ther
reg
ulat
ory
appr
oval
pro
cedu
res
that
ar
e re
quire
d be
fore
the
y re
ceiv
e ph
arm
aceu
tical
pro
duct
lic
ence
s an
d ca
n be
m
arke
ted;
(b)
amen
d th
e Pa
tent
s O
rdin
ance
to
enab
le t
he E
urop
ean
and
UK
pat
ents
for
se
cond
med
ical
use
s to
cont
inue
to b
e va
lidly
regi
ster
ed in
Hon
g K
ong;
(c)
cons
ider
intro
duci
ng w
ider
def
ence
s to
grou
ndle
ss th
reat
s (as
in th
e gr
ound
less
th
reat
s pr
ovis
ions
rela
ting
to tr
ade
mar
ks a
nd in
the
amen
ded
sect
ion
70 o
f the
U
K P
aten
ts A
ct 1
977)
to
allo
w p
artie
s to
atte
mpt
to
settl
e di
sput
es b
efor
e lit
igat
ion
with
out t
he r
isk
of b
eing
alle
ged
to h
ave
mad
e gr
ound
less
thre
at b
y se
ndin
g a
ceas
e an
d de
sist
lette
r;
(d)
revi
ew a
nd u
pdat
e th
e pr
oced
ural
rul
es f
or p
aten
t lit
igat
ion
in c
ourts
(O
rder
10
3 of
the
Rul
es o
f H
igh
Cou
rt) w
ith r
efer
ence
to c
urre
nt p
roce
dure
s us
ed in
th
e En
glis
h Pa
tent
s C
ourt
and
the
Engl
ish
Pate
nts
Cou
nty
Cou
rt, w
hich
hav
e be
en s
igni
fican
tly r
efor
med
and
im
prov
ed o
ver
the
last
10
year
s to
mak
e pa
tent
litig
atio
n le
ss c
ostly
and
muc
h qu
icke
r to
reso
lve;
17
5
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
(e)
set u
p an
IP
List
at t
he H
igh
Cou
rt by
app
oint
ing
a pa
nel o
r lis
t of
judg
es to
de
al w
ith IP
cas
es, i
nclu
ding
pat
ent c
ases
;
(f)
intro
duce
cle
ar p
roce
dura
l rul
es fo
r am
endi
ng p
aten
ts;
(g)
intro
duce
pro
visi
ons
in t
he P
aten
ts O
rdin
ance
to
deal
spe
cific
ally
with
the
pa
tent
abili
ty o
f bio
tech
nolo
gica
l inv
entio
ns; a
nd
(h)
intro
duce
pat
ent l
inka
ge to
ens
ure
that
mar
ketin
g ap
prov
al fo
r pha
rmac
eutic
al
prod
ucts
will
not
be
gran
ted
to i
nfrin
ging
pro
duct
s be
fore
exp
iry o
f th
e re
leva
nt p
aten
ts.
�
HK
API
pro
pose
s the
follo
win
g ch
ange
s:
(a)
impl
emen
t pat
ent e
xten
sion
s for
pha
rmac
eutic
als;
(b)
mai
ntai
n an
d gr
ow H
ong
Kon
g’s
com
petit
ive
edge
in c
linic
al tr
ials
and
oth
er
R&
D in
the
wor
ld’s
incr
easi
ng fl
uid
know
ledg
e ec
onom
y;
(c)
amen
d th
e Pa
tent
s O
rdin
ance
to
affo
rd p
aten
t pr
otec
tion
to p
harm
aceu
tical
s w
ith se
cond
or f
urth
er m
edic
al u
ses;
(d)
intro
duce
pat
ent
linka
ge t
o pr
even
t th
e gr
ant
of m
arke
ting
auth
oris
atio
n to
ge
neric
dru
gs b
efor
e ex
pira
tion
of p
aten
t pro
tect
ing
the
orig
inal
dru
g pr
oduc
t or
its
pate
nted
use
, so
as to
avo
id u
nnec
essa
ry li
tigat
ion,
pro
vide
read
y ac
cess
to
info
rmat
ion
abou
t the
sco
pe a
nd e
xpiry
of p
aten
ts a
nd in
crea
se e
ffici
ency
in
the
phar
mac
eutic
al in
dust
ry b
y in
crea
sing
pre
dict
abili
ty a
nd tr
ansp
aren
cy;
(e)
upda
te p
rovi
sion
s re
gard
ing
proc
edur
es f
or p
aten
t en
forc
emen
t un
der
Ord
er
17
6
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
103
of t
he R
ules
of
the
Hig
h C
ourt
to r
efle
ct t
he p
ositi
on u
nder
the
cur
rent
Pa
tent
s Ord
inan
ce a
nd th
e gl
obal
tren
ds in
pat
ent l
itiga
tion;
(f)
intro
duce
le
ss
expe
nsiv
e pr
oced
ures
fo
r lit
igat
ing
stra
ight
forw
ard
pate
nt
disp
utes
; and
(g)
esta
blis
h a
spec
ialis
t cou
rt or
div
isio
n in
cou
rt to
dea
l with
pat
ent a
nd o
ther
IP
litig
atio
n in
Hon
g K
ong.
14.2
Pr
ofes
sion
al B
odie
s
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
�
HIP
P
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
is
of t
he v
iew
tha
t in
stea
d of
mak
ing
expe
nsiv
e fu
ndam
enta
l ch
ange
s to
the
pat
ent
syst
em, t
he G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
rev
iew
its
sup
port,
sub
sidy
an
d gr
ant
proc
edur
e to
loc
al e
nter
pris
es t
o re
gist
er p
aten
ts i
n H
ong
Kon
g an
d ov
erse
as.
�
The
Law
Soc
iety
pro
pose
s up
datin
g th
e su
bsta
ntiv
e la
w, f
or e
xam
ple,
with
rega
rd to
se
cond
med
ical
use
and
“Sw
iss-
type
” cl
aim
s.
�
HIP
P re
com
men
ds th
at a
Pat
ent R
e-ex
amin
atio
n B
oard
(“PR
B”)
sho
uld
be s
et u
p to
ha
ndle
re-
exam
inat
ion
requ
ests
aris
ing
unde
r th
e fu
ll O
GP
syst
em,
to r
evie
w t
he
deci
sion
s on
sho
rt-te
rm p
aten
ts m
ade
by th
e se
arch
and
exa
min
atio
n di
visi
on a
nd to
re
view
com
plai
nts
rela
ting
to t
he a
pplic
atio
ns f
or a
nd t
he g
rant
of
pate
nts.
The
PR
B s
houl
d pr
ovid
e pa
tent
abili
ty o
pini
ons
base
d on
the
inv
entio
n di
sclo
sure
or
pate
nt s
peci
ficat
ion
subm
itted
to it
in o
rder
to r
educ
e th
e co
sts
of p
aten
t dis
pute
s.
The
PRB
may
als
o ac
t as
a d
esig
nate
d au
thor
ity f
or r
esol
ving
IP
disp
utes
by
func
tioni
ng a
s a
pate
nt m
edia
tion
or a
rbitr
atio
n ce
ntre
. H
IPP
also
sug
gest
s th
at
IPD
may
act
as
a PC
T R
ecei
ving
Offi
ce.
HIP
P al
so p
ropo
ses
that
a w
orki
ng te
am
17
7
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
to b
e se
t up
to
com
mun
icat
e w
ith W
IPO
, SI
PO a
nd U
SPTO
and
to
stud
y th
e fe
asib
ility
of (
a) a
ccre
ditin
g th
e H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
sea
rch
and
exam
inat
ion
offic
e as
an
ISA
and
an
IPEA
; and
(b) a
ctin
g as
a sa
telli
te o
ffice
of S
IPO
.
14.3
R
esea
rch
& D
evel
opm
ent I
ndus
try
�
Hon
g K
ong
Inve
ntio
n A
ssoc
iatio
ns L
td.c��
de�f
(“H
KIA
”)
�
HK
IA h
as th
e fo
llow
ing
sugg
estio
ns:
(a)
a fu
nd f
or d
evel
opm
ent
of i
nnov
atio
n in
vent
ions
sho
uld
be s
et u
p fo
r pr
omot
ion
of in
nova
tion;
(b)
a fu
nd fo
r men
tors
hip
for i
nven
tors
sho
uld
be s
et u
p to
enc
oura
ge e
xper
ienc
ed
inve
ntor
s to
shar
e th
eir e
xper
ienc
e w
ith th
e yo
unge
r gen
erat
ion;
(c)
a pe
rman
ent i
nnov
ativ
e an
d te
chni
cal i
nven
tions
mus
eum
sho
uld
be b
uilt
for
inve
ntor
s to
disp
lay
thei
r inv
entio
ns fo
r fre
e;
(d)
conf
eren
ces
for i
ntro
duci
ng p
aten
t inv
estm
ent t
o po
tent
ial i
nves
tors
sho
uld
be
held
freq
uent
ly to
allo
w in
vest
ors
to p
rom
ote
thei
r pat
ente
d in
vent
ions
and
to
faci
litat
e ex
ploi
tatio
n of
thei
r inv
entio
ns;
(e)
an “
Inno
vatio
n Fu
nd”
shou
ld b
e se
t up
to a
ssis
t the
indu
strie
s to
dev
elop
thei
r pr
oduc
ts;
(f)
the
secu
ritis
atio
n of
the
said
Inno
vatio
n Fu
nd s
houl
d be
car
ried
out s
o th
at th
e va
lue
of in
tang
ible
pro
perti
es c
an b
e de
term
ined
by
asse
ssm
ent a
nd e
valu
atio
n an
d en
terp
rises
en
gagi
ng
in
R&
D
coul
d ra
ise
capi
tal
thro
ugh
publ
ic
inve
stm
ent;
and
17
8
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
(g)
a su
perv
isor
y co
mm
ittee
for
ent
erpr
ises
on
the
boar
d of
Gro
wth
Ent
erpr
ises
M
arke
t (“G
EM”)
sho
uld
be s
et u
p to
mon
itor a
nd s
uper
vise
the
adm
inis
tratio
n of
the
ent
erpr
ises
lis
ted
on G
EM,
so a
s to
ens
ure
the
heal
thy
grow
th o
f in
nova
tive
liste
d en
terp
rises
.
14.4
Po
litic
al P
artie
s / G
roup
s
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Par
ty
�
New
Peo
ple’
s Pa
rty a
sks
the
Gov
ernm
ent t
o ta
ke n
ote
of th
e op
erat
ion
of th
e PC
T an
d PP
H a
rran
gem
ents
pio
neer
ed in
16
PCT
sign
ing
parti
es, a
s wel
l as t
he se
tting
up
of a
Gua
ngdo
ng C
entre
of S
IPO
as
the
first
org
anis
atio
n ou
tsid
e B
eijin
g th
at c
arrie
s ou
t ex
amin
atio
n fo
r in
vent
ion
pate
nts
for
SIPO
. N
ew P
eopl
e’s
Party
thi
nks
that
H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
stri
ve to
set
up
anot
her e
xam
inat
ion
cent
re re
cogn
ised
by
SIPO
, as
wel
l as a
n IS
A a
nd a
n IP
EA u
nder
PC
T.
14.5
A
cade
mic
Sec
tor
�
Ron
ald
Yu (p
art-t
ime
lect
urer
of t
he U
nive
rsity
of
Hon
g K
ong)
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
�
Ron
ald
Yu su
gges
ts th
at H
ong
Kon
g m
ust h
ave
loca
l abi
lity
to a
sses
s the
val
ue o
f IP
in o
rder
for H
ong
Kon
g to
bec
ome
a tra
ding
hub
for I
P.
Hen
ce, a
faci
lity
to a
sses
s th
e va
lidity
of
pate
nts
thro
ugh
loca
l ex
amin
atio
n sh
ould
be
set
up.
Loc
al
exam
inat
ion
capa
bilit
y w
ould
elim
inat
e pa
st p
robl
ems
of s
hort-
term
pat
ents
bei
ng
gran
ted
for i
nven
tions
whe
reas
the
pate
nts o
f whi
ch w
ere
reje
cted
els
ewhe
re.
�
Bio
chem
istry
Alu
mni
Ass
ocia
tion,
HK
UST
con
side
rs th
at H
ong
Kon
g ha
s th
e ni
che
to l
aunc
h th
e de
velo
pmen
t of
IP
exch
ange
ind
ustri
es,
and
wou
ld i
nitia
te t
he n
ew
wav
e of
“kn
owle
dge-
base
d ec
onom
y”, a
nd it
sho
uld
serv
e as
the
win
dow
for g
loba
l de
velo
pmen
t of
M
ainl
and
Chi
na
inno
vativ
e co
mpa
nies
an
d th
e pl
atfo
rm
for
mul
tinat
iona
l co
rpor
atio
ns t
o m
arke
t in
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
, an
d al
so p
rovi
de t
he
plat
form
for s
mal
ler f
irms t
o ga
ther
fina
ncia
l sup
port
and
expa
nd th
eir b
usin
esse
s.
17
9
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
14.6
Le
gal P
ract
ition
ers /
Pat
ent P
ract
ition
ers
�
QPA
Gro
up
�
Song
& C
han
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
t
�
QPA
Gro
up b
elie
ves
that
inno
vatio
n an
d in
vest
men
t can
be
enco
urag
ed b
y w
ay o
f ta
xatio
n in
cent
ives
for
IP-
rela
ted
busi
ness
es.
Gra
nts
may
als
o be
util
ised
, bu
t ap
plic
atio
ns n
eed
to b
e re
view
ed c
aref
ully
and
mec
hani
sms
to d
isco
urag
e ab
use
need
to b
e im
plem
ente
d.
�
Song
& C
han
belie
ve th
at H
ong
Kon
g sh
ould
inve
st r
esou
rces
in d
evel
opin
g its
elf
into
a k
now
ledg
e ex
chan
ge c
entre
.
�
A r
espo
nden
t pr
opos
es t
hat
ince
ntiv
es s
uch
as t
ax c
redi
t or
ded
uctio
n sh
ould
be
prov
ided
to
pros
pect
ive
pate
nt a
pplic
ants
for
the
m t
o fil
e pa
tent
app
licat
ions
in
Hon
g K
ong
and
that
con
ditio
ns s
houl
d be
impo
sed
on th
e cu
rren
t gra
nt s
chem
e so
th
at a
pplic
ants
cou
ld o
nly
appo
int H
ong
Kon
g se
rvic
e pr
ovid
ers.
14.7
O
ther
s
�
HK
PC
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Li
mite
d
�
HK
PC c
onsi
ders
that
:
(a)
the
Gov
ernm
ent’s
pol
icie
s sh
ould
be
orie
nted
tow
ards
sup
porti
ng H
ong
Kon
g in
dust
ry
to
prom
ote
the
utili
satio
n of
in
vent
ions
ge
nera
ted
by
gove
rnm
ent-s
uppo
rted
proj
ect;
(b)
the
Pate
nt A
pplic
atio
n G
rant
sho
uld
be re
laxe
d to
acc
ept a
pplic
ants
oth
er th
an
first
tim
e co
mer
s;
(c)
the
Gov
ernm
ent s
houl
d m
ake
avai
labl
e di
ffere
nt in
cent
ive
sche
mes
;
(d)
a m
ore
attra
ctiv
e ta
x re
gim
e sh
ould
be
set
up t
o su
ppor
t co
mpa
nies
in
licen
sing
, pur
chas
ing
and
trans
ferr
ing
IPs
by p
rovi
ding
tax
ince
ntiv
es to
cov
er
18
0
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
expe
nditu
re o
n ex
tern
al t
echn
olog
y ac
quis
ition
by
R&
D c
oope
ratio
n an
d m
achi
nery
and
equ
ipm
ent a
cqui
sitio
n th
at e
mbo
dies
new
tech
nolo
gies
;
(e)
an I
P C
ourt
shou
ld b
e se
t up
to
hand
le l
itiga
tion
aris
ing
from
IP
tradi
ng
disp
utes
and
IP e
nfor
cem
ent;
and
(f)
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld w
ork
on a
rec
ipro
cal
reco
gniti
on s
yste
m o
f pa
tent
s re
gist
ered
with
SIP
O a
nd in
Hon
g K
ong.
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d co
nsid
ers
“use
r pay
s” a
ppro
ach
impo
rtant
to th
e re
puta
tion
and
publ
ic
finan
ce o
f H
ong
Kon
g.
It is
als
o co
ncer
ned
that
the
Gov
ernm
ent m
ay c
onfu
se it
s ob
ject
ive
to
enco
urag
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n by
m
isal
loca
ting
fund
s an
d pr
ovid
e su
bsid
ies
to o
vers
eas
R&
D c
entre
s. I
t is
of th
e vi
ew th
at f
inan
cial
hel
p fo
r sm
all
busi
ness
es w
ith p
oten
tial
shou
ld c
ome
from
priv
ate
equi
ty,
ange
l in
vest
ors
and
vent
ure
capi
tal f
unds
inst
ead
of th
e G
over
nmen
t.
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d po
ints
out
that
whe
n re
view
ing
the
subm
issi
ons
rece
ived
in r
espo
nse
to th
e C
onsu
ltatio
n Pa
per,
the
Gov
ernm
ent m
ust “
bala
nce
inte
rest
s” b
y co
nsid
erin
g ho
w m
any
peop
le e
ach
lette
r w
riter
rep
rese
nts
and
also
how
man
y of
tho
se
peop
le/e
ntiti
es f
ile p
aten
ts,
and
the
num
ber
of p
aten
ts e
ach
of t
hem
has
file
d.
Bod
ies
like
the
HK
ITM
P, A
PAA
and
the
Law
Soc
iety
rep
rese
nt a
vas
t num
ber
of
pate
nt f
iling
ent
ities
, su
ch a
s la
rge
mul
tinat
iona
l co
rpor
atio
ns w
hich
file
man
y pa
tent
s eac
h ye
ar.
�
Bac
h Li
mite
d co
nsid
ers
it an
ov
erst
atem
ent
to
say
that
th
e pa
tent
sy
stem
“e
ncou
rage
s dev
elop
men
t” a
nd “
driv
es th
e gr
owth
of t
he e
cono
my”
.
18
1
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
�
Blu
e O
cean
Stra
tegy
Con
sulti
ng/A
rt G
roup
Lim
ited
cons
ider
s it
impo
rtant
for
the
G
over
nmen
t to
be tr
ansp
aren
t to
the
com
mun
ity a
t lar
ge o
n its
pos
ition
on
how
it
view
s th
e pa
tent
abili
ty o
f bu
sine
ss m
etho
d, c
ompu
ter
prog
ram
and
sof
twar
e pr
ogra
m in
an
OG
P sy
stem
.
14.8
In
divi
dual
s
�
Eric
Yun
g
�
Alfr
ed L
ee
�
Guy
Cha
n
� ^_K
� ghO
�
Stan
ley
�
Phili
p Yu
ng T
ak L
am
� i�j
�
Ms.
Lee
�
Ano
nym
ous r
espo
nden
ts
�
Eric
Yun
g su
gges
ts th
at th
e G
over
nmen
t sho
uld
cons
ider
set
ting
up a
sys
tem
whi
ch
prov
ides
as
sist
ance
to
su
cces
sful
pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns
whi
ch
have
un
derg
one
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion.
He
belie
ves
assi
stan
ce
and
awar
d sc
hem
es
wou
ld
enco
urag
e lo
cal
inno
vatio
n an
d at
tract
inv
esto
rs t
o us
e H
ong
Kon
g as
the
ir la
unch
ing
loca
tion
for t
heir
scie
ntifi
c re
sear
ch o
pera
tions
.
�
Alfr
ed L
ee th
inks
that
the
exis
ting
pate
nt s
yste
m is
not
yet
dev
elop
ed to
the
poin
t of
loca
lisat
ion
for
cate
ring
effe
ctiv
ely
all t
he f
orm
aliti
es o
f do
cum
enta
tions
bot
h w
ith
tech
nica
l an
d le
gal
invo
lvem
ents
. H
e su
gges
ts t
hat
the
exis
ting
Hon
g K
ong
Econ
omic
and
Tra
de O
ffice
s O
vers
eas
to d
oubl
e up
and
ext
end
thei
r se
rvic
es o
f co
nnec
tions
for h
andl
ing
form
aliti
es a
nd d
ocum
enta
tions
.
�
Guy
Cha
n ha
s th
e fo
llow
ing
sugg
estio
ns: (
a) fr
ee s
harin
g of
pat
ent r
ight
s in
lieu
of
appl
icat
ion
fee;
(b)
set
ting
up o
f an
offi
ce o
pera
ting
sche
mes
to
help
inv
ento
rs t
o m
arke
t the
ir in
vent
ions
in re
turn
for c
omm
issi
on to
fund
the
offic
e; a
nd (c
) fun
ding
by
the
offic
e to
thes
e re
sear
ches
is g
rant
ed o
n co
nditi
on th
at a
ny r
ight
s or
pat
ents
ob
tain
ed fr
om th
e re
sults
of s
uch
rese
arch
es w
ill b
e sh
ared
.
� ^_K
sug
gest
s se
tting
up
a pa
nel
with
exp
ertis
e fr
om r
elev
ant
field
s to
ass
ess
inve
ntio
ns a
nd t
o pr
ovid
e as
sist
ance
onl
y to
tho
se i
nven
tions
tha
t ar
e w
orth
18
2
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
supp
ortin
g.
� ghO
prop
oses
that
a d
epar
tmen
t or
unit
in w
hich
ther
e ar
e pr
ofes
sion
al s
taff
to
help
inv
ento
rs t
o pr
epar
e ne
cess
ary
docu
men
ts f
or p
aten
t ap
plic
atio
ns a
nd f
or
appl
icat
ions
to th
e Pa
tent
App
licat
ion
Gra
nt sh
ould
be
set u
p.
Ano
ther
fund
shou
ld
also
be
set
up t
o he
lp i
nven
tors
in
the
prod
uctio
n of
pro
duct
s to
rea
lise
thei
r in
vent
ions
. T
he G
over
nmen
t sh
ould
hel
p in
vent
ors
by m
atch
ing
or r
efer
ring
inve
ntor
s to
pot
entia
l man
ufac
ture
rs o
r ent
repr
eneu
rs w
ho m
ay b
e in
tere
sted
in th
eir
inve
ntio
ns.
�
Stan
ley
prop
oses
tha
t th
e pa
tent
leg
isla
tion
shou
ld b
e re
view
ed t
oget
her
with
the
co
pyrig
ht le
gisl
atio
n so
as
to p
rom
ote
inno
vatio
n, a
ttrac
t inv
estm
ents
in H
ong
Kon
g an
d to
avo
id u
nnec
essa
ry l
itiga
tion.
H
e al
so s
ugge
sts
the
excl
usio
n of
ind
ustri
al
prod
ucts
from
cop
yrig
ht p
rote
ctio
n.
�
Phili
p Yu
ng T
ak L
am s
ugge
sts
that
citi
zens
who
are
stu
dent
s, th
e el
derly
and
the
ha
ndic
appe
d sh
ould
be
entit
led
to r
educ
ed p
aten
t ap
plic
atio
n fe
es.
He
also
pr
opos
es t
hat
pate
nt a
pplic
ants
cou
ld f
ile p
relim
inar
y or
rou
gh i
deas
of
thei
r in
vent
ions
to
a co
mm
ittee
and
the
pat
ent
appl
icat
ion
will
be
draf
ted
at t
he
appl
ican
ts’ c
ost.
If t
he c
omm
ittee
app
rove
s the
val
ue o
f the
inve
ntio
ns, t
he c
osts
to
be b
orne
by
the
appl
ican
t fo
r pa
tent
app
licat
ion
can
be s
ecur
ed b
y ch
argi
ng t
he
inve
ntio
ns to
the
com
mitt
ee a
nd th
e as
sign
men
t of t
he ri
ght t
o gr
ant l
icen
ces
to th
e co
mm
ittee
. H
e re
com
men
ds se
tting
up
the
follo
win
g co
mm
ittee
s: (a
) a “
Pate
ntab
le
Elev
atio
n C
omm
ittee
” to
offe
r se
rvic
es to
pot
entia
l pat
ent a
pplic
ants
for
ass
essi
ng
pate
ntab
ility
; (b
) a
“Lic
ensi
ng C
omm
ittee
” to
pro
vide
pat
ent
licen
sing
ser
vice
s to
pa
tent
ow
ners
; an
d (c
) an
“In
dust
rial
Mot
ion
Com
mitt
ee”
to p
rom
ote
pate
nted
18
3
Oth
er C
omm
ents
Reg
ardi
ng th
e Pa
tent
Sys
tem
(25
subm
issi
ons r
ecei
ved)
14.
How
els
e sh
ould
we
posi
tion
our
syst
em fo
r th
e pu
rpos
es o
f enc
oura
ging
loca
l inn
ovat
ion
and
attr
actin
g in
vest
ors
to u
se H
ong
Kon
g as
a la
unch
ing
pad
for
thei
r re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent o
pera
tions
?
prod
ucts
to m
anuf
actu
rers
and
to a
ssis
t in
the
mar
ketin
g of
the
pate
nted
pro
duct
s.
�
Phili
p Yu
ng
Tak
Lam
al
so
sugg
ests
th
at
(a)
the
Gov
ernm
ent
shou
ld
mak
e ar
rang
emen
ts w
ith th
e M
ainl
and
Chi
nese
aut
horit
ies
and
Wor
ld T
rade
Org
aniz
atio
n fo
r H
ong
Kon
g pa
tent
s to
be
acce
pted
by
othe
r co
untri
es a
s an
alte
rnat
ive
rout
e to
PC
T; a
nd (b
) a w
ebsi
te in
whi
ch p
aten
ts in
all
coun
tries
can
be
sear
ched
to p
rom
ote
know
ledg
e of
prio
r arts
or g
rant
ed p
aten
ts sh
ould
be
set u
p.
� i�j
sug
gest
s th
at th
e G
over
nmen
t sho
uld
set u
p a
fund
to p
ay fo
r the
exp
ense
s in
curr
ed in
the
man
ufac
ture
of p
rodu
cts i
ncor
pora
ting
the
inno
vativ
e in
vent
ions
.
�
Ms.
Lee
sugg
ests
that
the
publ
ic s
houl
d be
allo
wed
to in
spec
t the
regi
ster
of p
aten
ts
onlin
e an
d th
e la
test
pat
ents
gra
nted
sho
uld
be p
ublis
hed.
Th
e G
over
nmen
t sho
uld
assi
st th
e ap
plic
ants
in a
pply
ing
for
pate
nts
so th
at a
pplic
ants
do
not h
ave
to f
ind
thei
r ow
n la
wye
rs o
r age
nts.
�
A r
espo
nden
t su
gges
ts s
ettin
g up
new
ass
ista
nce
sche
mes
to
enco
urag
e gr
adua
tes
with
a s
cien
ce a
nd e
ngin
eerin
g de
gree
to s
tudy
law
as
a se
cond
deg
ree
to m
eet t
he
need
s of a
n O
GP
syst
em.
�
A re
spon
dent
sugg
ests
that
stan
dard
form
s/lis
ts to
geth
er w
ith g
uide
on
com
plet
ion
of
form
s sh
ould
be
prov
ided
. T
he p
aten
t ow
ners
sho
uld
be a
llow
ed t
o at
tend
leg
al
proc
eedi
ngs
with
the
pate
nt a
gent
s so
that
the
pate
nt o
wne
rs c
ould
pro
vide
det
aile
d ex
plan
atio
n if
need
ed.
18
4
Ann
ex C
Com
pari
son
of K
ey F
eatu
res o
f the
Sta
ndar
d/In
vent
ion
Pate
nt S
yste
ms i
n H
ong
Kon
g, M
acao
and
Sin
gapo
re1
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
Nom
encl
atur
e St
anda
rd p
aten
t In
vent
ion
pate
nt
Pa
tent
(Sin
gapo
re o
nly
gran
ts o
ne ty
pe o
f pat
ent a
nd
has n
o le
sser
pat
ent s
yste
m)
Gov
erni
ng la
ws a
nd
regu
latio
ns
(a)
Pate
nts
Ord
inan
ce (
Cap
514
, La
ws
of H
ong
Kon
g)
(b)
Pate
nts
(Des
igna
tion
of P
aten
t O
ffice
s) N
otic
e (C
ap 5
14A
) (c
) Pa
tent
s (T
rans
ition
al A
rran
gem
ents
) Rul
es (C
ap
514B
) (d
) Pa
tent
s (G
ener
al) R
ules
(Cap
514
C)
Indu
stria
l Pr
oper
ty C
ode
(Dec
ree-
Law
Nº
97/9
9/M
of
13
Dec
embe
r 199
9) (I
PC)
(a)
Pate
nts A
ct (C
ap 2
21, L
aws o
f Sin
gapo
re)
(b)
Pate
nts R
ules
and
cor
resp
ondi
ng u
pdat
es
(c)
Pate
nts (
Pate
nt A
gent
s) R
ules
200
1 (d
) Pa
tent
s (C
ompo
sitio
n of
Offe
nces
) R
egul
atio
ns
2001
Res
pons
ible
de
part
men
t In
telle
ctua
l Pro
perty
Dep
artm
ent
Inte
llect
ual P
rope
rty D
epar
tmen
t of t
he D
irecç
ão d
os
Serv
iços
de
Econ
omia
(Mac
ao IP
D)
Inte
llect
ual P
rope
rty O
ffice
of S
inga
pore
(IPO
S)
Nat
ure
of th
e sy
stem
A “
re-r
egis
tratio
n” s
yste
m, w
here
pat
ents
gra
nted
by
any
one
of th
e de
sign
ated
pat
ent o
ffice
s, na
mel
y th
e Eu
rope
an P
aten
t Offi
ce (
for
pate
nts
desi
gnat
ing
the
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
), th
e St
ate
Inte
llect
ual
Prop
erty
O
ffice
(SI
PO)
of t
he P
eopl
e’s
Rep
ublic
of
Chi
na
(PR
C)
and
the
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
Pa
tent
O
ffice
(c
olle
ctiv
ely,
the
Des
igna
ted
Pate
nt O
ffice
s),
are
regi
ster
ed in
Hon
g K
ong.
An
“orig
inal
gr
ant”
pa
tent
(O
GP)
sy
stem
w
ith
outs
ourc
ing
arra
ngem
ents
(su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to S
IPO
) A
ND
Ex
tens
ion
of P
RC
pat
ents
: an
app
lican
t w
ho h
as
filed
an
appl
icat
ion
for
an i
nven
tion
pate
nt w
ith
SIPO
or
the
gran
tee
of a
n in
vent
ion
pate
nt g
rant
ed
by S
IPO
may
file
a r
eque
st w
ith M
acao
IPD
to
exte
nd th
e pa
tent
righ
t to
Mac
ao.
An
OG
P sy
stem
w
ith
outs
ourc
ing
arra
ngem
ents
(s
ubst
antiv
e ex
amin
atio
n ou
tsou
rced
to th
e A
ustri
an
Pate
nt O
ffice
, th
e D
anis
h Pa
tent
and
Tra
dem
ark
Offi
ce
and
the
Hun
garia
n In
telle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty
Offi
ce),
with
opt
ions
for a
pplic
ants
to re
ly o
n se
arch
an
d ex
amin
atio
n re
ports
fr
om
a nu
mbe
r of
pr
escr
ibed
pa
tent
of
fices
(th
e Pr
escr
ibed
Pa
tent
O
ffice
s)
inst
ead
of
requ
estin
g se
arch
an
d ex
amin
atio
n w
hen
mak
ing
the
appl
icat
ion
in
Sing
apor
e.
Th
e Pr
escr
ibed
Pa
tent
O
ffice
s in
clud
e th
ose
of
Aus
tralia
, C
anad
a (in
res
pect
of
appl
icat
ions
for
a
Can
adia
n pa
tent
fil
ed
in
Engl
ish)
, Ja
pan,
N
ew
Zeal
and,
Rep
ublic
of
Kor
ea,
the
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
1
Info
rmat
ion
cont
aine
d in
var
ious
par
ts o
f thi
s tab
le is
bas
ed o
n in
form
atio
n fo
und
on v
ario
us w
ebsi
tes o
r pub
licat
ions
, inc
ludi
ng b
ut n
ot li
mite
d to
the
offic
ial w
ebsi
tes o
f the
rele
vant
pat
ent
offic
es.
18
5
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
and
the
Uni
ted
Stat
es o
f Am
eric
a, a
nd th
e Eu
rope
an
Pate
nt
Offi
ce
(in
resp
ect
of
appl
icat
ions
fo
r a
Euro
pean
pat
ent f
iled
in E
nglis
h).
Sing
apor
e ru
ns
a se
lf-as
sess
men
t re
gim
e un
der
whi
ch t
he a
pplic
ant
can
choo
se t
o pr
ocee
d w
ith a
gr
ant
even
if
the
exam
inat
ion
resu
lt is
neg
ativ
e or
m
ixed
. S
inga
pore
is
mov
ing
tow
ard
a “p
ositi
ve
gran
t” s
yste
m,
whe
re o
nly
appl
icat
ions
tha
t fu
lly
mee
t the
pat
enta
bilit
y re
quire
men
ts c
an b
e gr
ante
d.
Pate
nt C
oope
ratio
n Tr
eaty
(PC
T)
The
PCT,
to
whi
ch P
RC
is
a co
ntra
ctin
g st
ate,
ap
plie
s to
Hon
g K
ong
with
eff
ect f
rom
1 J
uly
1997
.
A H
ong
Kon
g re
side
nt m
ay f
ile a
n in
tern
atio
nal
appl
icat
ion
eith
er w
ith S
IPO
or
the
Inte
rnat
iona
l B
urea
u of
th
e W
orld
In
telle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty
Org
aniz
atio
n (W
IPO
). T
he H
ong
Kon
g Pa
tent
s R
egis
try i
s no
t a
rece
ivin
g of
fice
for
inte
rnat
iona
l ap
plic
atio
ns u
nder
PC
T.
The
PCT
is n
ot a
pplic
able
to M
acao
. Si
ngap
ore
is
a PC
T co
ntra
ctin
g st
ate.
An
inte
rnat
iona
l app
licat
ion
may
be
filed
by
a re
side
nt
or n
atio
nal o
f Sin
gapo
re u
nder
the
PCT
dire
ctly
with
th
e R
egis
try o
f Pa
tent
s at
IPO
S as
the
rec
eivi
ng
offic
e or
the
Inte
rnat
iona
l Bur
eau
of W
IPO
.
Pate
ntab
ility
R
equi
rem
ents
A
n in
vent
ion
is p
aten
tabl
e if
it:
(a)
is su
scep
tible
of i
ndus
trial
app
licat
ion;
(b
) is
new
; and
(c
) in
volv
es a
n in
vent
ive
step
.
An
inve
ntio
n is
pat
enta
ble
if it:
(a
) is
nov
el;
(b)
invo
lves
an
inve
ntiv
e st
ep; a
nd
(c)
is in
dust
rially
app
licab
le.
A
pate
ntab
le
inve
ntio
n is
on
e th
at
satis
fies
the
follo
win
g co
nditi
ons:
(a
) th
e in
vent
ion
is n
ew;
(b)
it in
volv
es a
n in
vent
ive
step
; and
(c
) it
is c
apab
le o
f ind
ustri
al a
pplic
atio
n.
N
on-p
aten
tabl
e in
vent
ions
Th
e fo
llow
ing
are
not p
aten
tabl
e:
(a)
a di
scov
ery,
sci
entif
ic t
heor
y or
mat
hem
atic
al
met
hod;
(b
) an
aes
thet
ic c
reat
ion;
(c
) a
sche
me,
rul
e or
met
hod
for
perf
orm
ing
a m
enta
l act
, pla
ying
a g
ame
or d
oing
bus
ines
s, or
a
prog
ram
for a
com
pute
r; (d
) th
e pr
esen
tatio
n of
info
rmat
ion;
(e
) a
met
hod
for
treat
men
t of
the
hum
an o
r an
imal
The
follo
win
g ar
e no
t pat
enta
ble:
(a
) di
scov
erie
s, as
wel
l as
sci
entif
ic t
heor
ies
and
mat
hem
atic
al m
etho
ds;
(b)
mat
eria
ls
or
subs
tanc
es
alre
ady
exis
ting
natu
rally
and
nuc
lear
mat
ter;
(c)
aest
hetic
cre
atio
ns;
(d)
sche
mes
, ru
les
and
met
hods
fo
r pe
rfor
min
g m
enta
l act
s, pl
ayin
g ga
mes
or d
oing
bus
ines
s as
w
ell a
s com
pute
r pro
gram
s, as
such
;
The
follo
win
g ar
e no
t pat
enta
ble:
(a
) an
inv
entio
n th
e pu
blic
atio
n or
exp
loita
tion
of
whi
ch
wou
ld
be
gene
rally
ex
pect
ed
to
enco
urag
e of
fens
ive,
im
mor
al
or
anti-
soci
al
beha
viou
r; an
d
(b)
an i
nven
tion
of a
met
hod
of t
reat
men
t of
the
hu
man
or a
nim
al b
ody
by s
urge
ry o
r the
rapy
or
of d
iagn
osis
pra
ctis
ed o
n th
e hu
man
or
anim
al
body
.
18
6
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
body
by
surg
ery
or t
hera
py a
nd a
dia
gnos
tic
met
hod
prac
tised
on
the
hum
an o
r ani
mal
bod
y;(f
) an
in
vent
ion
the
publ
icat
ion
or
wor
king
of
w
hich
wou
ld b
e co
ntra
ry to
pub
lic o
rder
(or
dre
publ
ic) o
r mor
ality
; and
(g
) a
plan
t or
an
imal
va
riety
or
an
es
sent
ially
bi
olog
ical
pro
cess
for
the
pro
duct
ion
of p
lant
s or
ani
mal
s, ot
her t
han
a m
icro
biol
ogic
al p
roce
ss
or th
e pr
oduc
ts o
f suc
h a
proc
ess.
(e)
pres
enta
tion
of in
form
atio
n;
(f)
inve
ntio
ns
who
se
com
mer
cial
ex
ploi
tatio
n w
ould
be
illeg
al, c
ontra
ry to
pub
lic o
rder
, pub
lic
heal
th o
r mor
ality
, inc
ludi
ng:
(i)
the
hum
an b
ody,
in th
e va
rious
sta
ges
of it
s fo
rmat
ion
and
deve
lopm
ent,
as w
ell a
s th
e si
mpl
e di
scov
ery
of o
ne o
f its
ele
men
ts,
incl
udin
g th
e se
quen
ce o
r pa
rtial
seq
uenc
e of
a g
ene;
(ii
) hu
man
clo
ning
pro
cess
es;
(iii)
hum
an
germ
inal
ge
netic
id
entit
y m
odifi
catio
n pr
oces
ses;
(iv
) th
e us
e of
hum
an e
mbr
yos
for i
ndus
trial
or
com
mer
cial
pur
pose
s;
(v)
proc
esse
s fo
r th
e m
odifi
catio
n of
th
e ge
netic
ide
ntity
of
anim
als
that
can
cau
se
them
su
fferin
g w
ithou
t an
y su
bsta
ntia
l m
edic
al
bene
fit
to
man
kind
or
an
imal
- ki
nd,
as w
ell
as t
he a
nim
als
obta
ined
by
thos
e pr
oces
ses;
(g
) m
etho
ds
for
the
surg
ical
or
th
erap
eutic
tre
atm
ent
of t
he h
uman
or
anim
al b
ody
and
met
hods
of
diag
nosi
s ap
plie
d to
the
hum
an o
r an
imal
bod
y, e
xclu
ding
pro
duct
s, su
bsta
nces
or
com
posi
tions
use
d in
any
of t
hose
met
hods
; and
(h)
plan
t va
rietie
s or
bre
eds
of a
nim
al,
as w
ell
as
esse
ntia
lly
biol
ogic
al
proc
esse
s fo
r th
e pr
oduc
tion
of p
lant
s or a
nim
als.
Arti
cle
63 o
f the
IPC
pro
vide
s fo
r mat
ters
that
sha
ll no
t be
exc
lude
d fr
om p
aten
tabi
lity
in s
pite
of
the
abov
e.
Ext
ensi
on o
f pat
ent
term
Th
ere
is n
o ex
tens
ion
of p
aten
t te
rm b
eyon
d its
or
igin
al te
rm fo
r 20
year
s. A
sys
tem
for
ext
ensi
on o
f pa
tent
ter
m b
eyon
d its
or
igin
al te
rm fo
r 20
year
s is
ava
ilabl
e fo
r med
icin
es
and
phyt
o-ph
arm
aceu
tical
pro
duct
to c
ompe
nsat
e th
e pa
tent
-rig
ht h
olde
r fo
r th
e lo
ss o
f pr
otec
tion
perio
d
The
orig
inal
term
for
20
year
s m
ay b
e ex
tend
ed o
n on
e of
the
follo
win
g gr
ound
s:
(a)
ther
e w
as a
n un
reas
onab
le d
elay
by
IPO
S in
18
7
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
in
seek
ing
mar
ketin
g ap
prov
al.
Th
e le
ngth
of
ex
tens
ion
of p
aten
t sh
all
not
exce
ed s
even
yea
rs
from
the
orig
inal
term
of t
he p
aten
t.
gran
ting
the
pate
nt;
(b)
ther
e w
as a
n un
reas
onab
le d
elay
by
one
of th
e Pr
escr
ibed
Pa
tent
O
ffic
es
in
issu
ing
the
corr
espo
ndin
g pa
tent
on
w
hich
th
e na
tiona
l ap
plic
atio
n in
Si
ngap
ore
is
base
d,
and
the
Pres
crib
ed
Pate
nt
Off
ice
has
gran
ted
an
exte
nsio
n of
ter
m o
f th
e co
rres
pond
ing
pate
nt
on th
e ba
sis o
f suc
h de
lay;
and
(c
) th
ere
was
a
dela
y in
ob
tain
ing
mar
ketin
g ap
prov
al
for
a ph
arm
aceu
tical
pr
oduc
t co
ntai
ning
a p
aten
ted
activ
e in
gred
ient
whi
ch
unre
ason
ably
cur
tails
the
oppo
rtuni
ty to
exp
loit
the
pate
nt.
For g
roun
d (a
), a
dela
y is
con
side
red
unre
ason
able
if
(i) th
e in
terv
al b
etw
een
the
date
of
filin
g an
d gr
ant
exce
eds
four
yea
rs;
or (
ii) t
he i
nter
val
betw
een
the
date
of
requ
est
for
exam
inat
ion
(with
or
with
out
sear
ch)
repo
rt an
d gr
ant
exce
eds
two
year
s. A
ny
dela
y at
tribu
tabl
e to
the
appl
ican
t is
excl
uded
fro
m
the
calc
ulat
ion.
The
term
of
pa
tent
sh
all
be
exte
nded
by
th
e pe
riod
by
whi
ch
the
inte
rval
ex
ceed
s fo
ur y
ears
or
two
year
s re
spec
tivel
y; o
r in
ca
ses
whe
re b
oth
(i) a
nd (i
i) ap
ply,
the
long
er o
f the
tw
o pe
riods
. Fo
r ex
tens
ion
on g
roun
ds (
b) o
r (c
), th
e te
rm o
f ex
tens
ion
shal
l not
exc
eed
five
year
s.
Dis
pute
as t
o en
title
men
t A
t an
y tim
e be
fore
a s
tand
ard
pate
nt h
as b
een
gran
ted
for
an
inve
ntio
n (w
heth
er
or
not
an
appl
icat
ion
has
been
mad
e), a
ny p
erso
n m
ay re
fer t
o th
e R
egis
trar o
r the
cou
rt th
e qu
estio
n of
whe
ther
he
is e
ntitl
ed to
app
ly fo
r the
gra
nt o
f a s
tand
ard
pate
nt
for t
he in
vent
ion.
Whe
re a
pat
ent
right
is
gran
ted
to a
per
son
not
entit
led
ther
eto
or i
n in
frin
gem
ent
of a
ny r
ight
s of
th
ird p
artie
s, an
inte
rest
ed p
arty
may
app
ly to
cou
rt to
ann
ul t
he p
aten
t rig
ht,
or a
ltern
ativ
ely,
req
uest
re
vers
ion
of ti
tle to
him
.
At
any
time
befo
re a
pat
ent
is g
rant
ed f
or a
n in
vent
ion,
any
per
son
may
refe
r to
the
Reg
istra
r the
qu
estio
n w
heth
er h
e is
ent
itled
to b
e gr
ante
d a
pate
nt
for t
he in
vent
ion.
W
here
it a
ppea
rs to
the
Reg
istra
r th
at th
e qu
estio
n in
volv
es m
atte
rs w
hich
wou
ld m
ore
prop
erly
be
dete
rmin
ed b
y th
e co
urt,
the
cour
t sha
ll ha
ve ju
risdi
ctio
n to
do
so.
18
8
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
Afte
r a s
tand
ard
pate
nt h
as b
een
gran
ted,
any
per
son
havi
ng o
r cla
imin
g a
prop
rieta
ry in
tere
st in
or u
nder
th
e pa
tent
may
ref
er t
o th
e co
urt
to d
eter
min
e di
sput
es a
s to
righ
ts to
a p
aten
t. T
he c
ourt
may
by
orde
r tra
nsfe
r or
rev
oke
the
pate
nt o
r or
der
the
appl
ican
t fo
r re
voca
tion
to m
ake
a ne
w a
pplic
atio
n fo
r a p
aten
t.
Afte
r a
pate
nt h
as b
een
gran
ted,
any
per
son
havi
ng
or c
laim
ing
a pr
oprie
tary
int
eres
t in
or
unde
r th
e pa
tent
may
ref
er t
o th
e R
egis
trar
ques
tions
as
to
right
s to
a p
aten
t. T
he R
egis
trar (
or th
e co
urt i
f so
refe
rred
) m
ay b
y or
der
trans
fer
or r
evok
e th
e pa
tent
or
ord
er th
e ap
plic
ant f
or r
evoc
atio
n to
mak
e a
new
ap
plic
atio
n fo
r a p
aten
t.
App
licat
ion
and
gran
t pro
cedu
res
A s
tand
ard
pate
nt a
pplic
atio
n in
Hon
g K
ong
is m
ade
in t
wo
stag
es:
(1)
a re
ques
t to
rec
ord
a de
sign
ated
pa
tent
app
licat
ion
(sta
ge 1
); an
d (2
) a
requ
est
for
regi
stra
tion
and
gran
t (st
age
2).
Stag
e 1:
Req
uest
to
reco
rd a
des
igna
ted
pate
nt
appl
icat
ion
A p
erso
n en
title
d to
app
ly f
or a
gra
nt o
f st
anda
rd
pate
nt i
n H
ong
Kon
g m
ay f
ile a
req
uest
with
the
R
egis
trar
to e
nter
a r
ecor
d of
an
appl
icat
ion
for
pate
nt in
one
of
the
Des
igna
ted
Pate
nt O
ffice
s (th
e D
esig
nate
d Pa
tent
App
licat
ion)
, w
ithin
six
mon
ths
from
the
date
of p
ublic
atio
n of
that
app
licat
ion.
Afte
r fo
rmal
ity
exam
inat
ion,
th
e R
egis
trar
will
pu
blis
h th
e re
ques
t to
reco
rd th
e D
esig
nate
d Pa
tent
A
pplic
atio
n an
d ad
verti
se i
t in
the
Hon
g K
ong
Inte
llect
ual P
rope
rty Jo
urna
l (H
KIP
Jour
nal).
St
age
2: R
eque
st fo
r reg
istr
atio
n an
d gr
ant
No
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
on p
aten
tabi
lity
will
be
cond
ucte
d by
the
Reg
istra
r and
regi
stra
tion
is m
erel
y de
pend
ent
on t
he g
rant
mad
e by
the
Des
igna
ted
Pate
nt
Offi
ce.
W
hen
a re
ques
t to
re
cord
th
e D
esig
nate
d Pa
tent
App
licat
ion
has
been
rec
orde
d in
(a)
The
OG
P ro
ute:
app
licat
ion
for i
nven
tion
pate
nts
in M
acao
An
appl
icat
ion
for
a M
acao
inv
entio
n pa
tent
is
roug
hly
divi
ded
into
four
stag
es:
(1
) Fo
rmal
exa
min
atio
n
Onc
e M
acao
IP
D
has
rece
ived
an
ap
plic
atio
n fo
r pa
tent
reg
istra
tion,
it
will
ch
eck
if th
e ap
plic
atio
n fo
rm a
nd s
uppo
rting
do
cum
ents
satis
fy th
e le
gal r
equi
rem
ents
.
(2)
Publ
icat
ion
of th
e no
tice
of re
ques
t
If a
n ap
plic
atio
n is
in o
rder
, the
app
licat
ion
will
be
publ
ishe
d in
the
form
of
“dis
clos
ure
notic
e” in
the
Offi
cial
Gaz
ette
of M
acao
(the
M
acao
Gaz
ette
) af
ter
18 m
onth
s fr
om t
he
date
of f
iling
the
appl
icat
ion
or, i
f a p
riorit
y rig
ht w
as c
laim
ed, f
rom
the
prio
rity
date
.
(3)
Subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion
W
ithin
sev
en y
ears
fro
m t
he d
ate
of f
iling
, th
e ap
plic
ant
shou
ld
file
a re
ques
t of
su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n.
Th
e pa
tent
The
natio
nal
rout
e an
d th
e in
tern
atio
nal
rout
e fo
r pa
tent
app
licat
ions
in S
inga
pore
: (a
) N
atio
nal r
oute
(1)
Subm
issi
on o
f nat
iona
l app
licat
ion
� A
fter r
ecei
ving
a re
ques
t for
a p
aten
t, IP
OS
shal
l pr
ocee
d to
che
ck t
he f
orm
aliti
es a
nd
cond
uct p
relim
inar
y ex
amin
atio
n.
� T
he d
ate
of f
iling
(D
oF)
is th
e ea
rlies
t dat
e on
whi
ch d
ocum
ents
req
uire
d ar
e fil
ed t
o in
itiat
e th
e ap
plic
atio
n.
The
appl
icat
ion
shal
l be
pu
blis
hed
upon
ex
piry
of
18
m
onth
s fr
om th
e de
clar
ed p
riorit
y da
te o
r, if
none
, the
DoF
.
(2)
Sear
ch a
nd e
xam
inat
ion
Su
bseq
uent
to th
e pr
elim
inar
y ex
amin
atio
n,
the
appl
icat
ion
proc
eeds
to
the
sear
ch a
nd
exam
inat
ion
proc
ess.
Th
e pr
oces
s is
di
vide
d in
to
“all-
loca
l ap
proa
ch”,
“a
ll-fo
reig
n ap
proa
ch”
and
“com
bina
tion
appr
oach
”:
18
9
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
the
regi
ster
and
a p
aten
t in
rela
tion
ther
eto
has
been
gr
ante
d by
th
e D
esig
nate
d Pa
tent
O
ffice
, th
e ap
plic
ant
may
re
ques
t th
e R
egis
trar,
with
in
six
mon
ths
from
th
e da
te
of
the
rele
vant
gr
ant
or
publ
icat
ion
of t
he r
eque
st t
o re
cord
in
Hon
g K
ong
(whi
chev
er is
late
r), t
o re
gist
er th
e de
sign
ated
pat
ent
and
gran
t to
it a
stan
dard
pat
ent f
or th
e in
vent
ion
in
Hon
g K
ong.
A
fter
form
ality
ex
amin
atio
n,
the
Reg
istra
r w
ill
publ
ish
the
requ
est
for
regi
stra
tion
and
gran
t an
d ad
verti
se it
in th
e H
KIP
Jour
nal.
Mai
nten
ance
of p
aten
t app
licat
ions
Whe
n an
app
licat
ion
for
stan
dard
pat
ent
has
been
in
activ
e fo
r fiv
e ye
ars (
i.e. n
o re
ques
t for
regi
stra
tion
and
gran
t is
mad
e af
ter
stag
e 1)
, the
app
lican
t sha
ll m
ake
an
appl
icat
ion
to
mai
ntai
n th
e pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
n (th
e M
aint
enan
ce A
pplic
atio
n).
The
R
egis
trar
may
ref
use
to m
aint
ain
the
appl
icat
ion
if th
ere
are
defic
ienc
ies
in
the
Mai
nten
ance
A
pplic
atio
n or
the
Reg
istra
r is
not
sat
isfie
d th
at th
e D
esig
nate
d Pa
tent
A
pplic
atio
n ha
s no
t be
en
with
draw
n or
aba
ndon
ed o
r its
fin
al d
ecis
ion
is s
till
pend
ing.
appl
icat
ion
will
be
re
fuse
d if
the
exam
inat
ion
requ
est i
s no
t mad
e w
ithin
the
abov
e tim
e pe
riod.
O
nce
the
appl
ican
t fil
es
the
requ
est
of
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion,
th
e pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
n an
d th
e su
ppor
ting
docu
men
ts
(with
C
hine
se
trans
latio
ns)
will
be
fo
rwar
ded
to
SIPO
fo
r su
bsta
ntiv
e ex
amin
atio
n.
The
SIPO
ex
amin
ers
will
pr
ovid
e a
sear
ch a
nd e
xam
inat
ion
repo
rt an
d ap
plic
ants
may
file
fur
ther
sub
mis
sion
s in
or
der
to
satis
fy
the
pate
ntab
ility
re
quire
men
ts.
(4
) Re
gist
ratio
n an
d pu
blic
atio
n of
regi
stra
tion
A
fter
subs
tant
ive
exam
inat
ion,
Mac
ao I
PD
will
mak
e a
deci
sion
bas
ed o
n th
e re
port(
s)
prep
ared
by
SI
PO.
If
th
e ap
plic
atio
n sa
tisfie
s th
e re
gist
ratio
n re
quire
men
ts u
nder
th
e IP
C a
nd th
ere
is n
o ob
ject
ion
with
in th
e sp
ecifi
ed
time
limit
or
the
obje
ctio
n is
un
succ
essf
ul, t
he a
pplic
atio
n w
ill p
roce
ed to
re
gist
ratio
n.
Mac
ao I
PD w
ill t
hen
publ
ish
notic
e of
reg
istra
tion
in t
he M
acao
Gaz
ette
an
d a
certi
ficat
e of
re
gist
ratio
n w
ill
be
issu
ed to
the
appl
ican
t.
(b) T
he e
xten
sion
of P
RC
pat
ent r
oute
App
licat
ions
for
ext
ensi
on m
ay b
e m
ade
eith
er
(i) a
fter
an a
pplic
atio
n fo
r in
vent
ion
pate
nt h
as
been
subm
itted
to S
IPO
or (
ii) a
fter t
he in
vent
ion
pate
nt h
as b
een
gran
ted
by S
IPO
.
(1
) Fo
rmal
exa
min
atio
n
All-
loca
l ap
proa
ch
An
appl
ican
t sh
all
mak
e a
requ
est
with
in
13 m
onth
s or
21
mon
ths
resp
ectiv
ely
from
th
e de
clar
ed p
riorit
y da
te o
r, if
none
, th
e D
oF to
und
ergo
eith
er:
(i)
a se
arch
-then
-exa
min
atio
n pr
oces
s; o
r (ii
) a
com
bine
d se
arch
-and
-exa
min
atio
n pr
oces
s.
A
ll-fo
reig
n ap
proa
ch
An
appl
ican
t sh
all
furn
ish
IPO
S w
ith t
he
final
sea
rch
and
exam
inat
ion
resu
lts o
r co
py o
f th
e gr
ant
with
in 4
2 m
onth
s fr
om
the
decl
ared
prio
rity
date
or,
if no
ne,
the
DoF
of:
(i)
an a
pplic
atio
n fil
ed a
t any
Pre
scrib
ed
Pate
nt O
ffice
s; o
r
(ii)
an a
pplic
atio
n fil
ed u
nder
PC
T.
(the
corr
espo
ndin
g ap
plic
atio
n an
d co
rres
pond
ing
inte
rnat
iona
l ap
plic
atio
n re
spec
tivel
y)
No
inde
pend
ent s
earc
h an
d ex
amin
atio
n is
re
quire
d to
be
done
in S
inga
pore
und
er th
is
appr
oach
.
Com
bina
tion
appr
oach
A
n ap
plic
ant m
ay re
ly o
n th
e se
arch
resu
lts
of
a co
rres
pond
ing
appl
icat
ion
or
a co
rres
pond
ing
inte
rnat
iona
l ap
plic
atio
n an
d re
ques
t ex
amin
atio
n in
Si
ngap
ore
with
in
21
mon
ths
from
th
e de
clar
ed
prio
rity
date
or,
if no
ne, t
he D
oF.
Tw
o-tr
ack
appl
icat
ion
syst
em
Th
e ab
ove
timel
ine
is
the
defa
ult
“fas
t-tra
ck”
sche
dule
ad
opte
d by
IP
OS.
A
n ap
plic
ant
may
app
ly t
o IP
OS
for
a “b
lock
ex
tens
ion”
an
d co
nver
t hi
s
19
0
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
A
fter r
ecei
ving
the
appl
icat
ion
for e
xten
sion
of
a p
endi
ng a
pplic
atio
n or
an
inve
ntio
n pa
tent
, Mac
ao IP
D w
ill p
roce
ed to
form
ality
ex
amin
atio
n to
che
ck if
the
appl
icat
ion
form
an
d su
ppor
ting
docu
men
ts s
atis
fy t
he l
egal
re
quire
men
ts.
(2
) Pu
blic
atio
n of
not
ice
of a
pplic
atio
n (fo
r ex
tens
ion
appl
icat
ion
with
pe
ndin
g ap
plic
atio
n in
SIP
O o
nly)
If th
e in
vent
ion
conc
erne
d is
stil
l pen
ding
a
gran
t of
pa
tent
by
SI
PO,
notic
e of
th
e ap
plic
atio
n w
ill b
e pu
blis
hed
in t
he M
acao
G
azet
te a
fter
18 m
onth
s fr
om t
he d
ate
of
filin
g w
ith S
IPO
or,
in c
ase
a pr
iorit
y rig
ht
was
cla
imed
, fr
om t
he d
ate
of t
he f
irst
rele
vant
app
licat
ion.
W
ithin
thre
e m
onth
s fr
om th
e pu
blic
atio
n of
th
e gr
ant o
f th
e co
rres
pond
ing
SIPO
pat
ent,
the
appl
ican
t sh
all
file
the
pres
crib
ed
info
rmat
ion
with
Mac
ao IP
D.
(3
) Ap
prov
al o
f ap
plic
atio
n an
d pu
blic
atio
n of
no
tice
of g
rant
Whe
n th
e ap
plic
atio
n is
in o
rder
(an
d w
hen
the
pate
nt is
gra
nted
by
SIPO
in th
e ca
se o
f an
ext
ensi
on o
f pe
ndin
g SI
PO a
pplic
atio
n),
the
appl
icat
ion
will
pro
ceed
to
appr
oval
st
age
prov
ided
th
at
it sa
tisfie
s th
e re
gist
ratio
n re
quire
men
ts
unde
r th
e IP
C
(incl
udin
g co
mpl
ianc
e of
al
l fo
rmal
ities
un
der t
he IP
C).
The
not
ice
of g
rant
will
be
publ
ishe
d in
the
Mac
ao G
azet
te b
y M
acao
appl
icat
ion
into
a
“slo
w
track
” sy
stem
.
Und
er
the
“slo
w
track
” sy
stem
, th
e ap
plic
ants
may
file
exa
min
atio
n re
ques
t or
se
arch
and
exa
min
atio
n re
ques
t w
ithin
39
mon
ths
or f
ile f
inal
for
eign
sea
rch
and
exam
inat
ion
resu
lts w
ithin
60
mon
ths
from
th
e de
clar
ed p
riorit
y da
te o
r, if
none
, th
e D
oF.
(3)
Gra
nt o
f pat
ent
Upo
n re
ceiv
ing
all r
equi
red
docu
men
ts a
nd
satis
fyin
g its
elf
that
al
l co
nditi
ons
have
be
en m
et,
in t
he a
bsen
ce o
f an
y pe
ndin
g ap
peal
, IP
OS
shal
l gr
ant
the
appl
ican
t a
pate
nt
and
publ
ish
in
the
IPO
S pa
tent
jo
urna
l a
notic
e th
at t
he p
aten
t ha
s be
en
gran
ted.
(b
) In
tern
atio
nal r
oute
(i.
e. A
pplic
atio
n fil
ed u
nder
the
PCT)
App
lican
ts r
esid
ing
in S
inga
pore
may
file
an
inte
rnat
iona
l ap
plic
atio
n w
ith
IPO
S as
a
rece
ivin
g of
fice
or w
ith th
e In
tern
atio
nal B
urea
u of
WIP
O in
Gen
eva.
A
n in
tern
atio
nal
appl
icat
ion
cons
ists
of
th
e in
tern
atio
nal
phas
e an
d na
tiona
l ph
ase.
D
urin
g th
e in
tern
atio
nal p
hase
, an
appl
ican
t will
re
ceiv
e an
inte
rnat
iona
l sea
rch
repo
rt (I
SR)
and
has
the
optio
n to
ob
tain
an
in
tern
atio
nal
prel
imin
ary
repo
rt on
pa
tent
abili
ty
(IPR
P).
Th
e in
tern
atio
nal a
pplic
atio
n w
ill th
en e
nter
the
natio
nal
phas
e an
d ap
plic
ants
may
use
the
ISR
(u
nder
th
e co
mbi
natio
n ap
proa
ch)
and,
if
avai
labl
e, IP
RP
(und
er th
e al
l-for
eign
app
roac
h)
19
1
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
IPD
and
the
certi
ficat
e of
regi
stra
tion
will
be
issu
ed to
the
appl
ican
t. to
app
ly fo
r a g
rant
of p
aten
t in
Sing
apor
e.
Post
-gra
nt se
arch
an
d ex
amin
atio
n Th
ere
are
no r
elev
ant
prov
isio
ns i
n th
e Pa
tent
s O
rdin
ance
. Th
ere
are
no re
leva
nt p
rovi
sion
s in
the
IPC
. A
ny p
erso
n m
ay r
eque
st a
pos
t-gra
nt s
earc
h an
d ex
amin
atio
n fo
r an
y cl
aim
(s)
in
a pa
tent
sp
ecifi
catio
n on
the
grou
nd th
at, p
rior t
o gr
ant (
a) a
t le
ast o
ne c
laim
in th
e pa
tent
app
licat
ion,
at t
he ti
me
of re
ques
t for
a g
rant
, was
not
rela
ted
to a
ny c
laim
in
the
appl
icat
ion
at t
he t
ime
the
exam
inat
ion
repo
rt w
as i
ssue
d w
hich
has
bee
n ex
amin
ed a
nd w
hich
is
refe
rred
to in
the
repo
rt, o
r (b)
the
exam
iner
did
not
co
nsid
er a
ll re
leva
nt p
rior
art
befo
re p
repa
ring
the
repo
rt.
The
prop
rieto
r of t
he p
aten
t is
give
n a
right
to
re
spon
d be
fore
th
e po
st-g
rant
se
arch
an
d ex
amin
atio
n re
port
is is
sued
.
Rel
ief f
or
infr
inge
men
t C
ivil
proc
eedi
ngs m
ay b
e br
ough
t in
the
cour
t by
the
prop
rieto
r of
a p
aten
t in
res
pect
of
any
act
of
infr
inge
men
t w
hich
he
al
lege
s he
is
en
title
d (w
heth
er e
xclu
sive
ly o
r not
) und
er s
ectio
ns 7
3 to
75
of th
e Pa
tent
s Ord
inan
ce to
pre
vent
.
Upo
n a
pate
nt ri
ght b
ecom
ing
valid
, a p
aten
t hol
der
is e
ntitl
ed to
opp
ose
any
acts
that
con
stitu
te a
bre
ach
of
his
pate
nt,
and
spec
ifica
lly
to
prev
ent
third
pa
rties
, w
ithou
t hi
s co
nsen
t, fr
om m
anuf
actu
ring,
of
ferin
g,
stor
ing,
m
arke
ting
or
usin
g a
prod
uct
cove
red
by t
he p
aten
t, or
im
porti
ng o
r ow
ning
the
sa
me
for a
ny o
f the
abo
ve p
urpo
ses.
Civ
il pr
ocee
ding
s may
be
brou
ght i
n th
e co
urt b
y th
e pa
tent
hol
der
agai
nst a
ny p
erso
n w
ho c
omm
its a
cts
as st
ipul
ated
und
er se
ctio
n 66
of t
he P
aten
ts A
ct.
As
an
alte
rnat
ive
sim
plifi
ed
proc
edur
e,
the
prop
rieto
r of
a p
aten
t and
any
oth
er p
erso
n m
ay, b
y ag
reem
ent w
ith e
ach
othe
r, re
fer t
o th
e R
egis
trar t
he
ques
tion
whe
ther
that
oth
er p
erso
n ha
s in
frin
ged
the
pate
nt.
Proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e R
egis
trar
/Cou
rt
Proc
eedi
ngs
that
may
be
begu
n be
fore
the
Reg
istra
r in
clud
e:
(a)
dete
rmin
atio
n be
fore
gra
nt o
f qu
estio
ns a
s to
w
ho m
ay a
pply
; (b
) re
stor
atio
n of
rig
hts
in
stan
dard
pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns;
(c)
rest
orat
ion
of la
psed
stan
dard
pat
ents
; (d
) op
posi
tion
to su
rren
der o
f pat
ents
; (e
) re
voca
tion
of
pate
nt
on
grou
nds
of
“ord
re
publ
ic”
and
mor
ality
; and
Proc
eedi
ngs
that
may
be
begu
n be
fore
Mac
ao I
PD
incl
ude:
(a
) pr
e-gr
ant
oppo
sitio
n by
th
ird
party
to
th
e pa
tent
abili
ty o
f an
inve
ntio
n;
(b)
appl
icat
ion
for d
ecla
ratio
n of
forf
eitu
re; a
nd
(c)
appl
icat
ion
for g
rant
ing
of m
anda
tory
lice
nce.
Pr
ocee
ding
s tha
t mus
t be
begu
n in
cou
rt in
clud
e:
(a)
appe
al a
gain
st d
ecis
ions
of M
acao
IPD
whe
reby
Proc
eedi
ngs
that
may
be
begu
n be
fore
the
Reg
istra
r in
clud
e:
(a)
dete
rmin
atio
n be
fore
gra
nt o
f qu
estio
ns a
bout
en
title
men
t to
pate
nts,
etc.
; (b
) ex
tens
ion
of te
rm o
f pat
ent;
(c)
amen
dmen
t of
sp
ecifi
catio
n of
pa
tent
af
ter
gran
t; (d
) re
stor
atio
n of
laps
ed p
aten
ts;
(e)
oppo
sitio
n to
surr
ende
r of p
aten
ts;
(f)
dete
rmin
atio
n af
ter
gran
t of
que
stio
ns a
bout
19
2
H
ON
G K
ON
G
MA
CA
O
SIN
GA
POR
E
(f)
revo
catio
n of
pat
ent
follo
win
g op
posi
tion
or
revo
catio
n pr
ocee
ding
s of
the
cor
resp
ondi
ng
pate
nt in
the
Des
igna
ted
Pate
nt O
ffice
. Th
e R
egis
trar
shal
l gi
ve a
ny p
arty
to
a pr
ocee
ding
be
fore
him
an
oppo
rtuni
ty o
f be
ing
hear
d be
fore
ex
erci
sing
any
dis
cret
ion
adve
rsel
y to
that
par
ty.
Proc
eedi
ngs t
hat m
ust b
e be
gun
in c
ourt
incl
ude:
(a
) ap
peal
ag
ains
t de
cisi
ons
or
orde
rs
of
the
Reg
istra
r; (b
) ap
plic
atio
n w
hich
is re
late
d to
an
actio
n pe
ndin
g be
fore
the
cour
t, an
d ap
plic
atio
n re
ferr
ed b
y th
e R
egis
trar t
o th
e co
urt;
(c)
amen
dmen
t of
sp
ecifi
catio
n of
pa
tent
s af
ter
gran
t; (d
) re
ctifi
catio
n of
regi
ster
; (e
) di
sput
es o
ver
prop
rieta
ry i
nter
est
of a
pat
ent
alre
ady
gran
ted;
(f
) ap
plic
atio
n fo
r co
mpu
lsor
y lic
ence
s fo
r
stan
dard
pat
ents
; (g
) re
fere
nce
of d
ispu
tes
as t
o go
vern
men
t us
e in
ex
trem
e ur
genc
y,
and
impo
rt an
d ex
port
com
puls
ory
licen
ces
for
pate
nted
ph
arm
aceu
tical
pro
duct
s;
(h)
infr
inge
men
t of p
aten
t;
(i)
infr
inge
men
t of
right
s co
nfer
red
by p
ublic
atio
n of
app
licat
ion
for a
stan
dard
pat
ent;
(j)
grou
ndle
ss th
reat
s of i
nfrin
gem
ent p
roce
edin
gs;
(k)
decl
arat
ion
as to
non
-infr
inge
men
t; an
d (l)
ap
plic
atio
n to
re
voke
a
pate
nt
on
vario
us
grou
nds i
nclu
ding
pat
enta
bilit
y, e
ntitl
emen
t, et
c.
pate
nt
right
s ar
e gr
ante
d,
refu
sed,
af
fect
ed,
mod
ified
or t
erm
inat
ed; a
nd
(b)
appl
icat
ion
for a
nnul
men
t.
entit
lem
ent t
o pa
tent
s;
(g)
infr
inge
men
t of p
aten
ts (q
uest
ion
refe
rred
to th
e
Reg
istra
r by
agre
emen
t);
(h)
decl
arat
ion
as to
non
-infr
inge
men
t; an
d (i)
re
voca
tion
of
pate
nts
on
vario
us
grou
nds
incl
udin
g pa
tent
abili
ty, e
ntitl
emen
t, et
c..
The
Reg
istra
r sh
all
give
any
par
ty t
o a
proc
eedi
ng
befo
re h
im a
n op
portu
nity
of
bein
g he
ard
befo
re
exer
cisi
ng a
ny d
iscr
etio
n ad
vers
ely
to th
at p
arty
. Pr
ocee
ding
s tha
t mus
t be
begu
n in
cou
rt in
clud
e (b
ut
not l
imite
d to
): (a
) ap
peal
s fro
m c
erta
in d
ecis
ions
of t
he R
egis
trar;
(b)
refe
renc
es o
f dis
pute
s as t
o go
vern
men
t use
; (c
) ap
plic
atio
n fo
r com
puls
ory
licen
ces;
(d
) in
frin
gem
ent
of p
aten
ts o
ther
tha
n th
at b
egun
un
der s
ectio
n 67
(3) o
f the
Pat
ents
Act
; (e
) pr
ocee
ding
s fo
r gr
ound
less
th
reat
s of
in
frin
gem
ent p
roce
edin
gs; a
nd
(f)
ques
tions
re
ferr
ed
by
the
Reg
istra
r un
der
sect
ions
20,
47
and
67 o
f the
Pat
ents
Act
.
193
Ann
ex D
An
Ove
rvie
w o
f the
Les
ser
Pate
nt S
yste
ms i
n So
me
Juri
sdic
tions
C
ount
ry
Title
M
axim
um
term
of
prot
ectio
n
Pate
ntab
ility
req
uire
men
t L
imita
tion
on
num
ber
of
clai
ms
Exa
min
atio
n &
Enf
orce
men
t
Aus
tralia
In
nova
tion
Pate
nt
(rep
laci
ng
petty
pa
tent
1 on
24.5
.200
1)
8 ye
ars
- Th
e in
vent
ion
mus
t sat
isfy
the
follo
win
g co
nditi
ons :
�
is
a m
anne
r of m
anuf
actu
re;
�
nove
l (ab
solu
te n
ovel
ty2 i
s re
quire
d);
�
invo
lves
an
inno
vativ
e st
ep3 (
a lo
wer
inve
ntiv
e th
resh
old
as
com
pare
d to
app
licat
ions
for
stan
dard
pat
ents
)4 ; �
us
eful
; and
�
w
as n
ot se
cret
ly u
sed
in th
e pa
tent
are
a pr
ior t
o ap
plic
atio
n da
te.
Up
to 5
cla
ims
- To
obt
ain
gran
t : fo
rmal
ity e
xam
inat
ion
only
. -
The
Com
mis
sion
er o
f Pat
ents
may
dec
ide
to e
xam
ine
the
inno
vatio
n pa
tent
, or
the
pate
nt o
wne
r or
a th
ird
party
may
spe
cific
ally
req
uest
an
exam
inat
ion
afte
r gr
ant.
If
th
e in
nova
tion
pate
nt
mee
ts
the
pate
ntab
ility
req
uire
men
ts,
a ce
rtific
ate
of v
alid
ity
will
be
issu
ed to
the
pate
nt o
wne
r. I
f the
inno
vatio
n pa
tent
fai
ls to
mee
t the
req
uire
men
ts, t
he in
nova
tion
pate
nt w
ill b
e re
voke
d by
the
pat
ent
offic
e.
An
appe
al m
ay b
e fil
ed a
t the
Fed
eral
Cou
rt ag
ains
t the
pa
tent
offi
ce’s
dec
isio
n to
rev
oke
the
inno
vatio
n pa
tent
. -
At
any
time
afte
r an
inn
ovat
ion
pate
nt h
as b
een
certi
fied
: (1
) th
e pa
tent
offi
ce m
ay d
ecid
e to
re-
exam
ine
the
inno
vatio
n pa
tent
, or t
he p
aten
t ow
ner o
r a th
ird
party
may
req
uest
for
re-
exam
inat
ion.
O
nly
nove
lty
and
inno
vativ
e st
ep
issu
es
are
cons
ider
ed
durin
g re
-exa
min
atio
n.
If
an
ad
vers
e re
port
is i
ssue
d, a
nd t
he p
aten
t ow
ner
1
Und
er th
e pr
evio
us sy
stem
in A
ustra
lia, t
he p
aten
tabi
lity
requ
irem
ents
for s
tand
ard
pate
nts a
nd p
etty
pat
ents
wer
e la
rgel
y th
e sa
me.
2
Abs
olut
e no
velty
mea
ns th
at th
e in
vent
ion
is n
ot p
ublic
ly k
now
n an
ywhe
re in
the
wor
ld p
rior t
o th
e fil
ing
of th
e ap
plic
atio
n fo
r a le
sser
pat
ent.
3 Th
e re
quire
men
t of a
n “i
nnov
ativ
e st
ep”
wou
ld b
e sa
tisfie
d if
the
inve
ntio
n di
ffers
from
wha
t has
bee
n kn
own
in a
way
that
is n
ot m
erel
y su
perf
icia
l or p
erip
hera
l to
the
inve
ntio
n.
The
varia
tion
mus
t be
of p
ract
ical
sig
nific
ance
to th
e w
ay th
e in
vent
ion
wor
ks, s
o as
to m
ake
a su
bsta
ntia
l con
tribu
tion
to th
e w
orki
ng o
f th
e in
vent
ion.
Th
ere
is n
o re
quire
men
t tha
t an
inve
ntio
n cl
aim
ed in
an
inno
vatio
n pa
tent
mus
t be
non-
obvi
ous.
4 F
or a
n in
vent
ion
to b
e pa
tent
able
as a
stan
dard
pat
ent,
it m
ust s
atis
fy th
e fo
llow
ing
requ
irem
ents
: (1)
is a
man
ner o
f man
ufac
ture
; (2)
nov
el (a
bsol
ute
nove
lty re
quire
d); (
3)
invo
lves
an
inve
ntiv
e st
ep (i
.e. t
he in
vent
ion
is n
ot o
bvio
us to
som
eone
with
kno
wle
dge
and
expe
rienc
e in
the
tech
nolo
gica
l fie
ld o
f the
inve
ntio
n); (
4) u
sefu
l; an
d (5
) was
no
t sec
retly
use
d in
the
pate
nt a
rea
befo
re a
pplic
atio
n da
te.
194
Cou
ntry
Ti
tle
Max
imum
te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
Pate
ntab
ility
req
uire
men
t L
imita
tion
on
num
ber
of
clai
ms
Exa
min
atio
n &
Enf
orce
men
t
fails
to
reso
lve
all
issu
es w
ithin
the
stip
ulat
ed
perio
d of
tim
e, t
he i
nnov
atio
n pa
tent
will
be
revo
ked.
Th
e pa
tent
ow
ner m
ay a
ppea
l to
the
Fede
ral
Cou
rt ag
ains
t th
e pa
tent
of
fice’
s de
cisi
on t
o re
voke
the
inn
ovat
ion
pate
nt a
fter
re-e
xam
inat
ion;
and
(2
) an
y pe
rson
may
opp
ose
an i
nnov
atio
n pa
tent
an
d se
ek th
e re
voca
tion
of it
(af
ter
it ha
s be
en
adve
rtise
d as
bei
ng c
ertif
ied)
bas
ed o
n ce
rtain
sp
ecifi
ed g
roun
ds.
Eith
er p
arty
may
file
an
appe
al
to
the
Fede
ral
Cou
rt ag
ains
t an
y de
cisi
on is
sued
by
the
pate
nt o
ffice
. -
Infr
inge
men
t pro
ceed
ings
in re
spec
t of a
n in
nova
tion
pate
nt c
anno
t be
star
ted
unle
ss it
has
bee
n ex
amin
ed
and
certi
fied.
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
U
tility
M
odel
Pa
tent
5
10 y
ears
-
The
utili
ty m
odel
mus
t sat
isfy
the
follo
win
g co
nditi
ons :
�
no
vel (
abso
lute
nov
elty
is
requ
ired)
; �
cr
eativ
e; a
nd
�
of p
ract
ical
use
; and
-
Esse
ntia
lly th
e sa
me
pate
ntab
ility
re
quire
men
ts a
s for
inve
ntio
n pa
tent
ap
plic
atio
ns.
Unl
imite
d –
but s
ubje
ct to
ad
ditio
nal
offic
ial f
ee fo
r ea
ch c
laim
in
exce
ss o
f the
in
itial
10
- To
obt
ain
gran
t : fo
rmal
ity e
xam
inat
ion
only
. -
Exam
inat
ion
on
the
pate
ntab
ility
of
th
e su
bjec
t m
atte
r of
a u
tility
mod
el w
ill b
e co
nduc
ted
by t
he
Pate
nt R
e-ex
amin
atio
n B
oard
dur
ing
the
cour
se o
f an
inva
lidat
ion
proc
eedi
ng.
If
it is
fou
nd t
hat
the
subj
ect
mat
ter
fails
to
m
eet
the
pate
ntab
ility
re
quire
men
ts,
the
utili
ty m
odel
will
be
inva
lidat
ed.
App
eal
agai
nst
the
Pate
nt R
e-ex
amin
atio
n B
oard
’s
deci
sion
may
be
filed
at t
he P
eopl
e’s C
ourt.
-
If a
n in
frin
gem
ent d
ispu
te a
rises
ove
r a u
tility
mod
el
pate
nt,
the
Peop
le's
Cou
rt or
th
e ad
min
istra
tion
depa
rtmen
t fo
r pa
tent
-rel
ated
wor
k m
ay r
equi
re t
he
pate
nt o
wne
r or
the
com
plai
nant
to p
rese
nt a
pat
ent
right
as
sess
men
t re
port
prep
ared
by
th
e pa
tent
ad
min
istra
tion
depa
rtmen
t un
der
the
Stat
e C
ounc
il.
Such
a
repo
rt w
ill
serv
e as
ev
iden
ce
in
the
infr
inge
men
t dis
pute
.
5
In M
ainl
and
Chi
na, “
utili
ty m
odel
s” r
efer
to n
ew te
chni
cal s
olut
ions
pro
pose
d fo
r th
e sh
ape
and
stru
ctur
e of
a p
rodu
ct, o
r th
e co
mbi
natio
n th
ereo
f, w
hich
are
fit f
or
prac
tical
use
.
195
Cou
ntry
Ti
tle
Max
imum
te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
Pate
ntab
ility
req
uire
men
t L
imita
tion
on
num
ber
of
clai
ms
Exa
min
atio
n &
Enf
orce
men
t
Den
mar
k U
tility
M
odel
10
yea
rs
- A
cre
atio
n m
ust s
atis
fy th
e fo
llow
ing
requ
irem
ents
: �
ne
w (a
bsol
ute
nove
lty is
re
quire
d);
�
diffe
rs d
istin
ctly
from
the
prio
r ar
t; an
d �
su
scep
tible
of i
ndus
trial
ap
plic
atio
n; a
nd
- Es
sent
ially
the
sam
e pa
tent
abili
ty
requ
irem
ents
as f
or p
aten
t ap
plic
atio
ns.6
App
ears
to b
e un
limite
d -
To o
btai
n gr
ant :
form
ality
exa
min
atio
n on
ly.
- Pr
ior
to
gran
t, an
ap
plic
ant
may
re
ques
t an
ex
amin
atio
n on
nov
elty
of t
he c
reat
ion
and
whe
ther
it
diffe
rs d
istin
ctly
fro
m th
e re
leva
nt p
rior
art.
If
the
pate
nt o
ffice
fin
ds t
hat
the
appl
icat
ion
does
not
co
mpl
y w
ith t
he a
bove
req
uire
men
ts,
the
appl
ican
t w
ill b
e no
tifie
d an
d be
invi
ted
to fi
le h
is o
bser
vatio
ns
or c
orre
ct t
he a
pplic
atio
n w
ithin
a t
ime
limit.
Th
e ap
plic
atio
n w
ill b
e sh
elve
d if
the
appl
ican
t doe
s no
t re
spon
d to
the
not
ice
or t
ake
step
s to
cor
rect
the
ap
plic
atio
n.
- Ex
amin
atio
n af
ter g
rant
may
be
requ
este
d by
any
one,
bu
t th
e re
ques
t m
ay o
nly
be m
ade
base
d on
cer
tain
gr
ound
s fo
r re
voca
tion
set
out
in
Den
mar
k’s
Con
solid
ated
Util
ity M
odel
s A
ct.
If
the
pate
nt
offic
e fin
ds t
hat
ther
e ar
e ob
stac
les
to r
egis
tratio
n,
the
regi
stra
tion
shal
l la
pse.
W
here
the
reg
istra
tion
coul
d be
mai
ntai
ned
subj
ect t
o ce
rtain
am
endm
ents
, th
e pa
tent
offi
ce m
ay a
men
d th
e re
gist
ratio
n up
on
obta
inin
g th
e ag
reem
ent
of t
he p
ropr
ieto
r of
the
ut
ility
mod
el.
G
erm
any7
Geb
rauc
hs-m
uste
r (U
tility
M
odel
)
10 y
ears
-
Inve
ntio
ns m
ust s
atis
fy th
e fo
llow
ing
cond
ition
s :
�
new
(nov
elty
onl
y ne
eds t
o be
lo
calk , i
.e. a
low
er n
ovel
ty
thre
shol
d as
com
pare
d to
pat
ent
App
ears
to b
e un
limite
d -
To o
btai
n gr
ant :
form
ality
exa
min
atio
n on
ly.
- A
t any
tim
e be
fore
or a
fter g
rant
, upo
n re
ques
t fro
m
the
appl
ican
t, th
e re
gist
ered
pro
prie
tor
or a
ny o
ther
pe
rson
, the
pat
ent o
ffice
will
con
duct
a s
earc
h fo
r the
pu
rpos
e of
hel
ping
the
appl
ican
t and
/or t
hird
par
ty to
6 To
obt
ain
the
gran
t of a
pat
ent,
an in
vent
ion
mus
t sat
isfy
the
follo
win
g co
nditi
ons:
(1) n
ew; (
2) d
iffer
s es
sent
ially
from
the
prio
r art;
and
(3) b
e su
scep
tible
of i
ndus
trial
ap
plic
atio
n.
7 In
form
atio
n ba
sed
on u
noffi
cial
Eng
lish
trans
latio
n of
rele
vant
legi
slat
ion
of G
erm
any.
8
In G
erm
any,
a u
tility
mod
el m
ay b
e re
gard
ed a
s new
if it
doe
s not
com
pris
e an
y kn
owle
dge
mad
e av
aila
ble
to th
e pu
blic
with
in G
erm
any.
9
Pate
nts
may
be
gran
ted
to a
n in
vent
ion
in a
ny te
chni
cal f
ield
if it
sat
isfie
s th
e fo
llow
ing
requ
irem
ents
: (1)
abs
olut
e no
velty
; (2)
invo
lves
an
inve
ntiv
e st
ep; a
nd (
3) is
su
scep
tible
of i
ndus
trial
app
licat
ion.
196
Cou
ntry
Ti
tle
Max
imum
te
rm o
f pr
otec
tion
Pate
ntab
ility
req
uire
men
t L
imita
tion
on
num
ber
of
clai
ms
Exa
min
atio
n &
Enf
orce
men
t
appl
icat
ions
)9 ; �
in
volv
e an
inve
ntiv
e st
ep; a
nd
�
susc
eptib
le o
f ind
ustri
al
appl
icat
ion.
asce
rtain
w
heth
er
the
subj
ect
mat
ter
of
an
appl
icat
ion/
gran
t is n
ovel
. -
Exam
inat
ion
on th
e pa
tent
abili
ty o
f the
subj
ect m
atte
r of
a u
tility
mod
el w
ill b
e co
nduc
ted
by t
he p
aten
t of
fice
in a
can
cella
tion
proc
eedi
ng (w
ith a
n av
enue
of
appe
al t
o th
e Pa
tent
Cou
rt) o
r in
an
infr
inge
men
t pr
ocee
ding
.
Japa
n10
Util
ity
Mod
el11
10 y
ears
-
The
devi
ce m
ust s
atis
fy th
e fo
llow
ing
cond
ition
s :
�
nove
l (ab
solu
te n
ovel
ty is
re
quire
d);
�
indu
stria
lly a
pplic
able
; and
�
a
pers
on o
rdin
arily
skill
ed in
the
art o
f the
dev
ice
wou
ld n
ot h
ave
been
exc
eedi
ngly
eas
y to
cre
ate
the
devi
ce, a
low
er in
vent
ive
thre
shol
d as
com
pare
d to
ap
plic
atio
ns fo
r pat
ents
.12
App
ears
to b
e un
limite
d -
To o
btai
n gr
ant :
form
ality
exa
min
atio
n on
ly.
- A
t any
tim
e be
fore
or
afte
r gr
ant o
f a
utili
ty m
odel
, an
y pe
rson
may
file
a r
eque
st f
or a
Util
ity M
odel
Te
chni
cal
Opi
nion
(th
e “U
MTO
Rep
ort”
). W
hen
prep
arin
g th
e U
MTO
Rep
ort,
the
pate
nt o
ffice
will
ev
alua
te:
(a)
the
nove
lty o
f th
e su
bjec
t m
atte
r; an
d (b
) whe
ther
the
clai
med
dev
ice
invo
lves
an
inve
ntiv
e st
ep.
-
Hol
der
of u
tility
mod
el o
r ex
clus
ive
licen
see
mus
t ob
tain
a U
MTO
Rep
ort
prio
r to
exe
rcis
e of
util
ity
mod
el ri
ght a
gain
st a
n al
lege
d in
frin
ger.
- Ex
amin
atio
n on
th
e pa
tent
abili
ty
of
the
subj
ect
mat
ter
of a
util
ity m
odel
will
be
cond
ucte
d by
the
pa
tent
offi
ce in
an
inva
lidat
ion
proc
eedi
ng.
App
eal
agai
nst t
he p
aten
t offi
ce’s
dec
isio
n m
ay b
e fil
ed w
ith
the
Toky
o H
igh
Cou
rt.
10
Info
rmat
ion
base
d on
uno
ffici
al E
nglis
h tra
nsla
tion
of re
leva
nt le
gisl
atio
n of
Japa
n.
11
In Ja
pan,
“ut
ility
mod
els”
refe
r to
devi
ces r
elat
ing
to th
e sh
ape
or st
ruct
ure
of a
n ar
ticle
or c
ombi
natio
n of
art
icle
s. 12
To
obt
ain
the
gran
t of a
pat
ent,
an in
vent
ion
mus
t sat
isfy
the
follo
win
g co
nditi
ons:
(1) n
ew; (
2) in
dust
rially
app
licab
le; a
nd (3
) a p
erso
n or
dina
rily
skill
ed in
the
art o
f the
in
vent
ion
wou
ld n
ot h
ave
been
abl
e to
eas
ily m
ake
the
inve
ntio
n.
- 197 -
Annex E
Short-Term Patents : Number of Applications Filed and Granted in Hong Kong
Number of applications filed
Number of short-term patents granted
1997 30 0
1998 113 51
1999 175 117
2000 274 233
2001 312 271
2002 333 265
2003 398 335
2004 416 329
2005 463 419
2006 520 436
2007 599 492
2008 488 435
2009 551 474
2010 614 522
2011 615 517
2012 (as at 30.11.2012)
589 475
198
Ann
ex F
An
Ove
rvie
w o
f the
Pat
ent A
genc
y R
egul
ator
y R
egim
es in
Som
e Ju
risd
ictio
ns
with
an
“Ori
gina
l Gra
nt”
Pate
nt S
yste
m
Juri
sdic
tion
Reg
ulat
ory
Bod
y
Pers
ons p
erm
itted
to a
ct a
s ag
ent i
n ap
plyi
ng fo
r pa
tent
/ co
nduc
ting
pate
nt r
elat
ed
proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e th
e pa
tent
off
ice
and
the
cour
t
Res
tric
tion
on U
se o
f Titl
esQ
ualif
icat
ions
Aus
tralia
Pr
ofes
sion
al
Stan
dard
s B
oard
for
Pate
nt a
nd
Trad
e M
arks
A
ttorn
eys
(PSB
)1
Eith
er :
– re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
eys
(they
are
not
aut
horis
ed to
pr
epar
e do
cum
ents
to b
e is
sued
from
or f
iled
in a
co
urt o
r to
trans
act
busi
ness
, or c
ondu
ct
proc
eedi
ngs,
in c
ourt)
; or
– le
gal p
ract
ition
ers
(they
are
not
allo
wed
to
prep
are
spec
ifica
tion,
or
docu
men
t rel
atin
g to
am
endm
ent o
f sp
ecifi
catio
n un
less
they
ar
e in
stru
cted
by
regi
ster
ed
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys o
r the
am
endm
ent i
s dire
cted
by
the
cour
t).
Use
of t
he ti
tles “
pate
nt
agen
t” a
nd “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
is re
stric
ted
to re
gist
ered
pa
tent
atto
rney
s who
se
nam
es a
re e
nter
ed o
n th
e R
egis
ter o
f Pat
ent A
ttorn
eys
kept
by
the
Dire
ctor
Gen
eral
of
IP A
ustra
lia.
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
ey :
– a
resi
dent
of A
ustra
lia;
– a
hold
er
of
a de
gree
, di
plom
a,
adva
nced
di
plom
a or
gr
adua
te
dipl
oma
unde
r th
e A
ustra
lian
Qua
lific
atio
n Fr
amew
ork
whi
ch is
in a
fie
ld o
f te
chno
logy
that
con
tain
s po
tent
ially
pat
enta
ble
subj
ect m
atte
r an
d is
aw
arde
d in
the
high
er e
duca
tion
sect
or;
– sa
tisfie
d th
e re
quire
men
ts o
f an
acc
redi
ted
cour
se o
f st
udy
cond
ucte
d by
an
appr
opria
te te
rtiar
y in
stitu
tion;
–
with
at
leas
t tw
o ye
ars
of w
orki
ng e
xper
ienc
e in
pat
ent
rela
ted
wor
k; a
nd
– of
goo
d fa
me,
inte
grity
or c
hara
cter
.
1
PSB
is a
stat
utor
y bo
dy e
stab
lishe
d to
adm
inis
ter t
he re
gula
tory
and
dis
cipl
inar
y re
gim
es fo
r pat
ent a
ttorn
eys i
n A
ustra
lia (s
ee w
ww.
psb.
gov.
au).
199
Juri
sdic
tion
Reg
ulat
ory
Bod
y
Pers
ons p
erm
itted
to a
ct a
s ag
ent i
n ap
plyi
ng fo
r pa
tent
/ co
nduc
ting
pate
nt r
elat
ed
proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e th
e pa
tent
off
ice
and
the
cour
t
Res
tric
tion
on U
se o
f Titl
esQ
ualif
icat
ions
Mai
nlan
d C
hina
All
Chi
na
Pate
nt A
gent
s A
ssoc
iatio
n (a
utho
rised
by
the
Stat
e In
telle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty O
ffice
)
Pate
nt a
gent
s U
se o
f the
title
“pa
tent
ag
ent”
in th
e pr
ovis
ion
of
pate
nt a
genc
y se
rvic
es fo
r ec
onom
ic b
enef
its is
re
stric
ted
to th
e pa
tent
age
nts
with
pro
fess
iona
l pra
ctic
e ce
rtific
ates
.
Qua
lific
atio
ns fo
r obt
aini
ng a
pro
fess
iona
l pra
ctic
e ce
rtific
ate
: –
a C
hine
se c
itize
n;
– ag
ed b
etw
een
18 a
nd 7
0, w
ith fu
ll ca
paci
ty o
f civ
il co
nduc
t; –
grad
uate
d fr
om
a hi
gher
ed
ucat
ion
inst
itutio
n w
ith
a sc
ienc
e de
gree
(o
r po
sses
sed
equi
vale
nt
educ
atio
nal
qual
ifica
tion)
; –
prof
icie
nt in
at l
east
one
fore
ign
lang
uage
; –
fam
iliar
with
the
Pat
ent
Law
and
oth
er r
elat
ed l
aws
and
regu
latio
ns;
– w
ith a
t le
ast
two
year
s of
wor
king
exp
erie
nce
in t
he
scie
ntifi
c an
d te
chno
logi
cal f
ield
or t
he le
gal f
ield
; –
pass
ed t
he P
aten
t A
gent
s Q
ualif
icat
ion
Exam
inat
ion
held
by
the
Pate
nt A
gent
Exa
min
atio
n C
omm
issi
on; a
nd
– in
em
ploy
men
t w
ith
a pa
tent
ag
ency
(f
or
first
-tim
e ap
plic
ants
: m
ust
com
plet
e on
e ye
ar o
f in
tern
ship
with
a
pate
nt a
genc
y be
fore
a p
rofe
ssio
nal p
ract
ice
certi
ficat
e m
ay
be is
sued
).
Euro
pean
Pa
tent
C
onve
ntio
n (E
PC)
C
ount
ries
Euro
pean
Pat
ent
Offi
ce (E
PO)
and
the
Inst
itute
of
Pro
fess
iona
l R
epre
sent
ativ
es
befo
re th
e Eu
rope
an P
aten
t O
ffice
(the
In
stitu
te)2
Eith
er :
– pr
ofes
sion
al
repr
esen
tativ
es o
n th
e lis
t of
repr
esen
tativ
es
mai
ntai
ned
by E
PO; o
r –
lega
l pra
ctiti
oner
s hav
ing
a pl
ace
of b
usin
ess i
n a
cont
ract
ing
stat
e.
The
Inst
itute
of P
rofe
ssio
nal
Rep
rese
ntat
ives
bef
ore
EPO
re
com
men
ds th
at u
se o
f the
tit
les “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
and
“pat
ent a
gent
” be
rest
ricte
d to
pro
fess
iona
l re
pres
enta
tives
who
se n
ames
ap
pear
on
the
list m
aint
aine
d by
EPO
. I
ndiv
idua
l EPC
C
ount
ries m
ay p
rovi
de fo
r si
mila
r res
trict
ions
in th
eir
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a p
rofe
ssio
nal r
epre
sent
ativ
e :
– a
natio
nal o
f any
con
tract
ing
stat
e;
– ha
s a
plac
e of
bus
ines
s /
empl
oym
ent
in a
ny c
ontra
ctin
g st
ate;
–
poss
esse
d a
scie
ntifi
c or
tec
hnic
al q
ualif
icat
ion,
e.g
. in
bi
olog
y,
bioc
hem
istry
, ch
emis
try,
elec
troni
cs,
phar
mac
olog
y or
phy
sics
; –
train
ed
unde
r th
e su
perv
isio
n of
a
prof
essi
onal
re
pres
enta
tive
or
as
an
empl
oyee
de
alin
g w
ith
pate
nt
mat
ters
in a
n in
dust
rial c
ompa
ny e
stab
lishe
d in
one
of
the
cont
ract
ing
stat
es; a
nd
2
The
Inst
itute
is a
n in
tern
atio
nal n
on-g
over
nmen
tal p
ublic
law
cor
pora
tion
that
repr
esen
ts th
e Eu
rope
an p
aten
t pro
fess
ion
and
has
its o
wn
by-la
ws
and
code
of p
rofe
ssio
nal c
ondu
ct
(see
ww
w.pa
tent
epi.c
om/p
aten
tepi
/en/
).
200
Juri
sdic
tion
Reg
ulat
ory
Bod
y
Pers
ons p
erm
itted
to a
ct a
s ag
ent i
n ap
plyi
ng fo
r pa
tent
/ co
nduc
ting
pate
nt r
elat
ed
proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e th
e pa
tent
off
ice
and
the
cour
t
Res
tric
tion
on U
se o
f Titl
esQ
ualif
icat
ions
legi
slat
ion
(e.g
. the
UK
). –
pass
ed th
e Eu
rope
an q
ualif
ying
exa
min
atio
n co
nduc
ted
by
vario
us b
oard
s and
com
mitt
ees o
f EPO
and
the
Inst
itute
.
New
Ze
alan
d N
ew Z
eala
nd
Inte
llect
ual
Prop
erty
Offi
ce
(IPO
NZ)
Eith
er :
– re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
eys
(they
are
not
aut
horis
ed to
tra
nsac
t bus
ines
s or
cond
uct p
roce
edin
gs in
co
urt,
unle
ss th
ey a
re a
lso
a ba
rris
ter o
r sol
icito
r); o
r –
barr
iste
rs /
solic
itors
.
Use
of t
he ti
tles “
pate
nt
agen
t” a
nd “
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey”
is re
stric
ted
to p
erso
ns w
hose
na
mes
are
ent
ered
into
the
regi
ster
of p
aten
t atto
rney
s ke
pt b
y IP
ON
Z.
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
ey :
– a
New
Zea
land
citi
zen,
Com
mon
wea
lth c
itize
n (B
ritis
h su
bjec
t) or
a c
itize
n of
the
Rep
ublic
of I
rela
nd;
– no
t les
s tha
n 21
yea
rs o
f age
; –
pass
ed th
e N
ew Z
eala
nd P
aten
t Atto
rney
Exa
min
atio
ns h
eld
by IP
ON
Z;
– of
goo
d ch
arac
ter;
and
– in
em
ploy
men
t for
a p
erio
d(s)
of
at le
ast t
hree
yea
rs b
y a
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey in
New
Zea
land
, the
Pat
ent O
ffice
, or
in a
fo
rm
of
empl
oym
ent
that
of
fers
su
bsta
ntia
lly
sim
ilar
prac
tical
exp
erie
nce.
Sing
apor
e
Inte
llect
ual
Prop
erty
Offi
ce
of S
inga
pore
(I
POS)
Eith
er :
– re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
gent
s (th
ey a
re n
ot a
utho
rised
to
repr
esen
t his
clie
nts b
efor
e th
e co
urt,
unle
ss h
e is
als
o an
adv
ocat
e / s
olic
itor)
; or
– ad
voca
tes /
solic
itors
.
Onl
y a
regi
ster
ed p
aten
t ag
ent w
ith p
ract
isin
g ce
rtific
ates
issu
ed b
y th
e R
egis
trar o
f Pat
ents
may
ho
ld o
ut a
s a “
pate
nt a
gent
” an
d “p
aten
t atto
rney
s”.
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
gent
: –
a re
side
nt o
f Sin
gapo
re;
– a
hold
er o
f a
univ
ersi
ty d
egre
e or
equ
ival
ent q
ualif
icat
ion
appr
oved
by
the
Reg
istra
r of P
aten
ts;
– pa
ssed
the
Gra
duat
e C
ertif
icat
e in
Int
elle
ctua
l Pr
oper
ty
Law
cou
rse
cond
ucte
d by
the
Fac
ulty
of
Law
, N
atio
nal
Uni
vers
ity o
f Sin
gapo
re;
– pa
ssed
th
e Pa
tent
A
gent
s Q
ualif
ying
Ex
amin
atio
ns
cond
ucte
d by
the
Reg
istra
r of P
aten
ts; a
nd
– co
mpl
eted
int
erns
hip
in p
aten
t ag
ency
wor
k un
der
the
supe
rvis
ion
of a
reg
iste
red
pate
nt a
gent
, or
an
indi
vidu
al
regi
ster
ed a
s a
pate
nt a
gent
or
its e
quiv
alen
t in
Aus
tralia
, C
anad
a, N
ew Z
eala
nd,
the
UK
or
the
US,
or
EPO
for
a
perio
d of
at l
east
12
mon
ths.
201
Juri
sdic
tion
Reg
ulat
ory
Bod
y
Pers
ons p
erm
itted
to a
ct a
s ag
ent i
n ap
plyi
ng fo
r pa
tent
/ co
nduc
ting
pate
nt r
elat
ed
proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e th
e pa
tent
off
ice
and
the
cour
t
Res
tric
tion
on U
se o
f Titl
esQ
ualif
icat
ions
Con
ditio
ns fo
r iss
uanc
e of
a p
ract
isin
g ce
rtific
ate
: –
obta
ined
pr
ofes
sion
al
inde
mni
ty
insu
ranc
e ag
ains
t an
y lia
bilit
y in
curr
ed w
hen
carr
ying
out
pat
ent a
genc
y w
ork
in
that
pra
ctic
e ye
ar.
U
nite
d K
ingd
om
(UK
)
Inte
llect
ual
Prop
erty
R
egul
atio
n B
oard
(IPR
eg)3
Any
per
son
may
con
duct
pr
ocee
ding
s bef
ore
the
pate
nt
offic
e.
How
ever
, onl
y ba
rris
ters
(and
in c
erta
in
circ
umst
ance
s, so
licito
rs a
nd
pate
nt a
ttorn
eys)
may
act
as
advo
cate
s in
cour
t.4
Use
of t
he ti
tle “
pate
nt
agen
t” a
nd/o
r “pa
tent
at
torn
ey”
is re
stric
ted
to
thos
e pe
rson
s who
se n
ames
ar
e en
tere
d in
to th
e re
gist
er
of p
aten
t atto
rney
s5 kep
t by
the
Cha
rtere
d In
stitu
te o
f Pa
tent
Atto
rney
s (C
IPA
); bu
t so
licito
rs m
ay u
se th
e tit
le
“pat
ent a
ttorn
ey”
with
out
bein
g so
regi
ster
ed.
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a p
aten
t age
nt /
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey :
– a
degr
ee c
onfe
rred
by
a un
iver
sity
or
high
er e
duca
tion
inst
itutio
n in
the
UK
or a
pas
s in
the
Fina
l Exa
min
atio
n of
th
e La
w
Soci
ety
of
the
UK
(o
r ot
her
equi
vale
nt
qual
ifica
tion)
; –
pass
ed th
e Q
ualif
ying
Exa
min
atio
ns h
eld
by C
IPA
; –
eith
er (
1) c
ompl
eted
not
les
s th
an t
wo
year
s’ fu
ll-tim
e pr
actic
e in
the
fie
ld o
f in
telle
ctua
l pr
oper
ty,
incl
udin
g su
bsta
ntia
l ex
perie
nce
of p
aten
t at
torn
ey w
ork,
und
er t
he
supe
rvis
ion
of a
reg
iste
red
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey,
or a
bar
riste
r, so
licito
r or
adv
ocat
e w
ho is
eng
aged
in o
r ha
s su
bsta
ntia
l ex
perie
nce
of p
aten
t at
torn
ey w
ork
in t
he U
K,
or (
2)
com
plet
ed n
ot le
ss th
an fo
ur y
ears
’ ful
l-tim
e pr
actic
e in
the
field
of
in
telle
ctua
l pr
oper
ty,
incl
udin
g su
bsta
ntia
l ex
perie
nce
of p
aten
t atto
rney
wor
k in
the
UK
; –
hone
st a
nd tr
ustw
orth
y;
– w
illin
g to
com
ply
with
regu
lato
ry re
quire
men
ts; a
nd
– ab
le to
man
age
finan
cial
affa
irs f
or th
emse
lves
and
clie
nts
resp
onsi
bly.
3
IPR
eg is
a n
on-g
over
nmen
tal o
rgan
isat
ion
join
tly s
et u
p by
CIP
A a
nd th
e In
stitu
te o
f Tra
de M
ark
Atto
rney
s to
regu
late
the
pate
nt a
ttorn
ey a
nd tr
ade
mar
k at
torn
ey p
rofe
ssio
ns (s
ee
ww
w.ip
reg.
org.
uk/in
dex.
php
for f
urth
er d
etai
ls).
4
Trad
ition
ally
, onl
y ba
rris
ters
may
act
as a
dvoc
ates
in c
ourt.
H
owev
er, i
n re
cent
yea
rs, s
olic
itors
and
pat
ent a
ttorn
eys a
re a
ble
to a
ct a
s adv
ocat
es in
cou
rt in
cer
tain
circ
umst
ance
s.
5 Th
e re
gist
er w
as p
revi
ousl
y pu
blis
hed
as th
e “r
egis
ter o
f pat
ent a
gent
s”.
Thi
s was
cha
nged
to th
e “r
egis
ter o
f pat
ent a
ttorn
eys”
on
1 Ja
nuar
y 20
10.
202
Juri
sdic
tion
Reg
ulat
ory
Bod
y
Pers
ons p
erm
itted
to a
ct a
s ag
ent i
n ap
plyi
ng fo
r pa
tent
/ co
nduc
ting
pate
nt r
elat
ed
proc
eedi
ngs b
efor
e th
e pa
tent
off
ice
and
the
cour
t
Res
tric
tion
on U
se o
f Titl
esQ
ualif
icat
ions
Uni
ted
Stat
es
(US)
Uni
ted
Stat
es
Pate
nt a
nd
Trad
emar
k O
ffice
(U
SPTO
)
Eith
er :
– re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
eys;
or
–
regi
ster
ed p
aten
t age
nts
(they
can
not c
ondu
ct p
aten
t lit
igat
ion
in th
e co
urts
or
perf
orm
var
ious
serv
ices
w
hich
the
loca
l jur
isdi
ctio
n co
nsid
ers a
s pra
ctis
ing
law
).
Use
of t
he ti
tles
“r
egis
tere
d pa
tent
atto
rney
s”
and
“reg
iste
red
pate
nt
agen
ts”
is re
stric
ted
to
pers
ons w
hose
nam
es a
re
ente
red
on th
e re
gist
er o
f at
torn
eys a
nd a
gent
s kep
t in
USP
TO.
Qua
lific
atio
ns o
f a re
gist
ered
pat
ent a
ttorn
ey /
regi
ster
ed p
aten
t ag
ent :
–
a U
S ci
tizen
; –
poss
esse
d th
e le
gal,
scie
ntifi
c, a
nd te
chni
cal q
ualif
icat
ions
ne
cess
ary
for h
im to
rend
er a
pplic
ants
val
uabl
e se
rvic
e;
– pa
ssed
the
“Ex
amin
atio
n fo
r R
egis
tratio
n to
Pra
ctic
e in
Pa
tent
Cas
es b
efor
e U
SPTO
” he
ld b
y U
SPTO
; and
–
of g
ood
mor
al c
hara
cter
and
repu
tatio
n.
Add
ition
al re
quire
men
t for
regi
ster
ed p
aten
t atto
rney
s :
– ad
mitt
ed t
o th
e pr
actic
e of
law
in
at l
east
one
sta
te o
r te
rrito
ry o
f the
Uni
ted
Stat
es.