Hong Kong’s patent system is very unique. Because Hong Kong was a colony of the United Kingdom before, Hong Kong’s standard patent system (re-registration) can use patent documents from China, the United Kingdom, and the European Patent Office. Re-examine to obtain a Hong Kong patent.
Having said that, because of this special system, Hong Kong has become one of the most special patent systems in the world, and Hong Kong's calculation of patent renewal fees is relatively complicated. In view of this, the author briefly elaborates on the calculation method of the renewal fees of various patents in Hong Kong.
In order to make it easier for people to calculate the renewal or maintenance fee, we can use our free patent expiration computer to calculate the date when the next issue needs to be renewed. https://www.patentanddesignltd.com/
Of course, if you can, you only need to leave the application number, and we are happy to calculate the expiration date and the costs related to the quotation in real-time. We are also renewing patents for world-renowned sports brands, medical care, vaccines, and telecommunications.
Hong Kong's patents are divided into a re-registered standard patent (R), original grant patent (O), and short-term patent (S), while standard patent (R) and the original patent (O) are also a standard patent with a protection period of 20 years, similar to the invention patents in various countries. The protection period of short-term patents is 8 years, similar to utility model patents in various countries.
The maintenance fee for Hong Kong patents is also $270 (~US$35) for each year, and the renewal fee (4-10 years) is $450 (~US$58). The renewal fee (4-10 years) is $450 (~US$58). The renewal fee (11-15 years) is $620 (~US$80). The renewal fee (16-20 years) is $850 (~US$110). The short-term patent renewal period is only one-time (5-8 years), $1,080 (~US$140).
The re-registration of standard patent in Hong Kong will be divided into under examination or the patents that have been granted. As the Hong Kong standard patents in the re-registration system require 2-stage applications, 1) request for application 2) request for grant and registration, applicants It is necessary to rely on the originally designated patent office to grant patents before they can be granted and registered in Hong Kong. However, before the patent is granted in Hong Kong, Hong Kong patents are required to submit maintenance fees.
The Hong Kong patent system can be viewed in the previous blog: https://www.patentanddesignltd.com/hong-kong-patent-process
How to calculate the maintenance fee for a re-registered standard patent (R)?
Applicants must file an application in Patent Form P9 and pay a maintenance fee to maintain the standard patent application for transcription. If your application fails to enter Stage 2 (i.e. registration and grant request, see below for details), you can specify the date of the first anniversary of the filing date of the patent application after the publication date of the request to record The application shall be maintained until the expiry of the fifth year or any subsequent year.
The complexity of calculating Hong Kong patent maintenance fees is divided into two paths: the designated patent and the Hong Kong patent. This will lead to many application days, publication days, etc.
Tips: We only need to pay attention to the designated patent application and the Hong Kong patent publication date.
See the figure below (linear graph) to take the case we have done as an example for illustration.
example
Above: UK Designated Patent
Filing date: 2009-4-10
Below: Hong Kong standard patent
Publication date: 2011-7-22
_____________________________________________
Step 1: To determine the 1st anniversary, the year of after publication is 2011+1 = 2012
Step 2: In the first 5th anniversary, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department does not charge any fees, and the maintenance fee is required to be submitted at the end of the 5th year or any subsequent year. In the first year that the payment is required, that is 2012+5 = 2017.
The month and day required to pay the fee are based on the designated patent application (2009-4-10), that is, 2017-4-10 is the maintenance fee that needs to be submitted for the first time.
Tips: We must know the publication date of the Hong Kong patent before we can calculate the next renewal date.
And we have a client who asked us when the next maintenance fee for this case was when they requested the record (Stage 1) application?
However, since Stage 1 has not yet been published in Hong Kong, it is impossible to determine the next maintenance fee.
How to calculate the renewal fee for a re-registered standard patent (R)?
The application must be filed in Patent Form P10. The first renewal fee shall be paid for the patent on the fourth patent application anniversary after the grant date, and subsequent renewal fees will expire on each subsequent patent application anniversary until the expiry of the 20-year patent protection period.
example
UK Designated Patent
Filing date: 2011-7-7
_______________________
Hong Kong standard patent
Grant date: 2013-5-12
__________________________________
Step 1: To determine the 1st anniversary, the year of after grant date is 2013+1 = 2014
Step 2: During the first 3 years, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department will not charge any fees. The first renewal fee will be paid on the fourth patent application anniversary after the grant date. In the first year that the payment is required, that is 2014+3 = 2017.
As with the renewal fee, the month and day of the payment are based on the patent of the designated patent application (2011-7-7), that is, 2017-7-7 is the renewal fee to be submitted for the first time.
How to calculate the renewal fee for the original grant standard patent (O)?
As for the calculation method of the original granted patent, if the patents of various countries are similar, it starts from the filing date, and the renewal fee needs to be submitted every year. The first renewal fee shall be paid on the fourth anniversary of the patent application after the grant date. Subsequent renewal fees will expire on each subsequent patent application anniversary date until the expiration of the 20-year patent protection period.
The calculation of the renewal period is the same as mentioned above (renewal fee).
Step 1: To determine the 1st anniversary, the year of after grant date is 2021+1 = 2022
Step 2: During the first 3 years, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department will not charge any fees. The first renewal fee will be paid on the fourth patent application anniversary after the grant date. In the first year that the payment is required, that is, 2022+3 = 2025.
The month and day of the payment is based on the patent application of the Hong Kong patent application (2020-4-7), that is, 2025-4-7 is the maintenance fee to be submitted for the first time.
You can view the official fees for each year.
How to calculate the anniversary years of the renewal?
For granted re-registered standard patent (R)
The calculation of the renewal is different in different countries, the renewal year is also different. And Hong Kong's re-registered patent and the original granted patent have different calculation methods.
For example, the Hong Kong re-registration standard patent, as mentioned above, has the designated patent and Hong Kong standard patent, which has these two paths. When calculating the period, you can refer to some real examples. There will also be a priority date or PCT international filing date, PCT publication date, etc., which is more likely to disturb us.
Therefore, as always, we teach you that you can ignore these dates and just pay attention to the year of the filing date of the designated patent (DP).
Example
UK Designated Patent
Filing date: 2004-9-28
_______________________
Finland
Priority date: 2003-10-3
_______________________
International Patent Application
Filing date: 2004-9-28
_______________________
Hong Kong standard patent
Grant date: 2009-4-17
Step 1: To determine the designated patent is 2004
Step 2: You can subtract the year of the designated patent +1 from the year you need to pay (for example, this year, 2021), which is the year you need to pay next year.
i.e. 2021-2004 + 1 = 18
Therefore, the applicant needs to pay the fee for 18th anniversary. The official fee of
renewal fee (16-20th year) is $850 (~US$110).
You can view the official fees for each year.
For re-registered standard patent (R) – under examination
A maintenance fee is required for a patent that is under examination, and the official fee for the maintenance fee is HK$270 (~US$35), regardless of the patent year that is still under examination, this rule also charges the maintenance fee at the same price.
For original grant standard patent (O)
The calculation of this period is similar to the invention patents in general countries, and it also starts with the year of the filing date. Similarly, you don't need to pay attention to any priority date as the calculation period.
Example
Hong Kong standard patent
Filing date: 2020-4-7
Grant date: 2021-6-4
Priority date: 2019-4-10
Step 1: To determine the year of the filing date is 2020
Step 2: You can subtract the year of the filing date + 1 from the year you need to pay (for example, 2025), which is the year you need to pay next year.
i.e. 2025-2020 + 1 = 6
Therefore, the applicant needs to pay the fee for the 6th anniversary. The official fee of
renewal fee (4-10th year) is $450 (~US$58).
Tips: Regardless of the calculation, re-registered or original grant standard patent, we do not need to care about the international filing date or priority date.
For the Re-registered standard patent, we need to pay attention to the year of the designed patent.
As for the original grant standard patent, we need to pay attention to the Hong Kong application date and year. Look back at the annual fee for the corresponding year in Hong Kong to see what you need to pay next time.
Of course, the best thing is to leave us an application number or registration number, and we will reply to you on the same day.
Time frame for paying the renewal fee
The patent fee can be renewed 3 months before the expiration or half a year later. That is, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department can submit the renewal fee at the earliest 3 months in advance, and at the latest 6 months later (with fines).
Tips:
If the fee has not been submitted within 6 months from the due date. This patent will be banned (ceased), and the applicant can still submit P12 within 18 months from the expiry date to request the restoration of the patent. The P12 form needs to explain the reason for the delay and submit evidence, and the evidence needs to be a statutory declaration or affidavit, and then the examiner decides whether to approve the restoration or not.
Short-term patent
Since the protection period for short-term patents is only 8 years. However, there is no need to submit renewal fees for the first 4 years, and the operation of short-term patents is quite easy. You only need to submit a renewal fee for 5-8 years. However, there is no need to pay for the first 1-4 years. It is easy to ignore the patent for several years and forget to pay the fee.
Tips:
If the applicant is applying in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department will issue a renewal reminder to the service address in Hong Kong. And we can provide clients with free renewal reminder service.
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