State Council OKs patent amendment draft

A State Council executive meeting presided by Premier Wen Jiabao on July 30, deliberated and approved the draft of the amendment of the Chinese Patent Law.  As spell out at the meeting, the objectives of the amendment are to upgrade innovative capacity, build innovative country, facilitate promotion and application of technologies and invoke the rights conferred by the international agreements China has acceded to.  Under the Legislation Law, the State Council will submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for three reads.  The final approval is expected in the first half of 2009. 

Key changes of the draft are stricter patentability, more measures for commercialization of patented technologies, tighter protection, prevention of misuse by right holders for balance between their interests and the public's and full use of the rights given by the acceding international agreements.

The Patent Law was originally in effect from April 1, 1985 and was amended twice in 1992 and 2000.  SIPO formally launched this third amendment in the first half of 2005.   (by Zhang Yonghua)

国务院审议通过专利法修订草案

本报讯  7月30日，中国国务院总理温家宝主持召开国务院常务会议，审议并原则通过了《中华人民共和国专利法修正案（草案）》。会议指出，为提高自主创新能力，建设创新型国家，促进技术推广应用，行使我国参加的国际公约赋予的权利，需要对现行专利法加以修改。根据立法法的规定，专利法修订草案将由国务院提请全国人大常委会审议。全国人大常委会经3次审议后，预计将于2009年上半年通过专利法修正案。

据悉，修订草案提高了授予专利权的标准；增加了促进专利技术推广运用的规定；加强了对专利权的保护，同时防止专利权人滥用权利，以达到专利权人利益与社会公众利益之间的平衡；并充分行使我国参加的国际公约赋予的权利。

据介绍，中国现行专利法自1985年4月1日起施行，分别于1992年和2000年进行了两次修订。2005年上半年，国家知识产权局正式启动了专利法第三次修改工作。（张永华）