Article 93 Where the party concerned makes a request for an examination as to substance, a restoration of right or a reexamination, the relevant fee shall be paid within the time limit as prescribed respectively for such requests by the Patent Law. If the fee is not paid or not paid in full within the time limit, the request is deemed not to have been made.

Article 94 Where the applicant for a patent for invention has not been granted a patent right within two years from the date of filing, it or he shall pay a fee for the maintenance of the application from the third year.

Article 95 When the applicant goes through the formalities of registration of the grant of patent right, it or he shall pay a registration fee for the grant of patent right, printing fee for the announcement of grant of patent right and the annual fee of the year in which the patent right is granted. The applicant for a patent for invention shall pay the application maintenance fee for all the years, with the exception of the year in which the patent right is granted. If such fees are not paid within the prescribed time limit, the registration of the grant of patent right shall be deemed not to have been made. The subsequent annual fees shall be paid in advance within the month before the expiration of the preceding year.

Article 96 Where the annual fee of the patent right after the year in which the patent is granted is not paid in due time by the patentee, or the fee is not paid in full, the Patent Administration Department under the State Council shall notify the patentee to pay the fee or to make up the insufficiency within six months from the expiration of the time limit within which the annual fee is due to be paid, and at the same time pay a surcharge. The amount of the surcharge shall be, for each month of late payment, 5% of the whole amount of the annual fee of the year within which the annual fee is due to be paid. Where the fee and the surcharge are not paid within the time limit, the patent right shall lapse from the expiration of the time limit within which the annual fee should be paid.

Article 97 The fee for a change in the bibliographic data, fee for establishing a search report on a utility model patent, fee for requesting suspension of the patent procedure, fee for requesting a compulsory license, fee for requesting adjudication on exploitation fee of a compulsory license and fee for requesting invalidation shall be paid as prescribed within one month from the date on which such request is filed. The fee for requesting extension of a time limit shall be paid before the expiration of the said time limit. If the fee is not paid or not paid in full within the time limit, the request shall be deemed not to have been made.

Article 98 Where any applicant or patentee has difficulties in paying the various fees prescribed in these Implementing Regulations, he may, in accordance with the prescriptions, submit a request to the Patent Administration Department under the State Council for a reduction or postponement of the payment. Measures for the reduction and postponement of the payment shall be prescribed by the Patent Administration Department under the State Council in consultation with the finance administration department and the price administration department under the State Council.

Chapter X Special Provisions Concerning International Application

Article 99 The Patent Administration Department under the State Council receives international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in accordance with the provisions of Article 20 of the Patent Law.
Where any international application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty designating China (hereinafter referred to as the international application) enters the Chinese national phase, the requirements and procedures prescribed in this Chapter shall apply. Where no provisions are made in this Chapter, the relevant provisions in the Patent Law and in any other chapters of these Implementing Regulations shall apply.

Article 100 Any international application which has been accorded an international filling date in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty and which has designated China shall be deemed as an application for patent filed with the Patent Administration Department under the State Council, and the said filing date shall be deemed as the filing date referred to in Article 28 of the Patent Law.
Where, in the international phase, an international application or its designation of China is withdrawn or deemed to be withdrawn, the effect of the said international application in China shall cease.

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