BIZCHINA / Intellectual property

Patent Law of the People's Republic of China (2000)

Updated: 2006-04-17 14:45

Article 50.   Where the invention or utility model for which the patent right has been granted involves important technical advance of considerable economic  significance in relation to another invention or utility model for which a patent right has been granted earlier and the exploitation of the later invention or utility model depends on the exploitation of the earlier invention or utility model, the patent administration department under the State Council  may, upon the request of the later patentee, grant a compulsory license to exploit the earlier invention or utility model.
Where, according to the preceding paragraph, a compulsory license is granted, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  may, upon the request of the earlier patentee, also grant a compulsory license to exploit the later invention or utility model.

Article 51.   The entity or individual requesting, in accordance with the provisions of this Law, a compulsory license for exploitation shall furnish proof that it or he has not been able to conclude with the patentee a license contract for exploitation on reasonable terms and conditions.

Article 52.  The decision made by the patent administration department under the State Council  granting a compulsory license for exploitation shall be notified promptly to the patentee concerned, and shall be registered and announced.
In the decision granting the  compulsory license for exploitation, the scope and duration of the exploitation shall be specified on the basis of the reasons justifying the grant. If and when the circumstances  which led to such compulsory license cease to exist and are unlikely to recur, the patent administration department under the State Council  may, after review upon the request of the patentee, terminate the compulsory license. 

Article 53.   Any entity or individual that is granted a compulsory license for exploitation shall not have an exclusive right to exploit and shall not have the right to authorize exploitation by any others.

Article 54.   The entity or individual that is granted a compulsory license for exploitation shall pay to the patentee a reasonable exploitation fee, the amount of which shall be fixed by both parties in consultations. Where the parties fail to reach an agreement, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  shall adjudicate.

Article 55.  Where the patentee is not satisfied with the decision of  the patent administration department  under the State Council  granting a compulsory license for exploitation, or where the patentee or the entity or individual that is granted the compulsory license for exploitation is not satisfied with the ruling made by the patent administration department under the State Council  regarding the fee payable for exploitation, it or he may,  within three months from the receipt of the date of notification, institute legal proceedings in the people's court.

Chapter VII  Protection of Patent Right

Article 56.   The extent of protection of the patent right for invention or utility model shall be determined by the terms of the claims. The description and the appended drawings may be used to interpret the claims.
The extent of protection of the patent right for design shall be determined by the product incorporating the patented design as shown in the drawings or photographs.

Article 57.   Where a dispute arises as a result of the exploitation of a patent  without the authorization of the patentee, that is, the infringement of  the patent right of the patentee, it shall be settled through consultation by the parties. Where the parties are not willing to consult with each other or where the consultation fails, the patentee or any interested party may institute legal proceedings in the people's court, or request the administrative authority for patent affairs to handle the matter. When the administrative authority for patent affairs handling the matter considers that the infringement is established, it may order the infringer to stop the infringing act immediately. If the infringer is not satisfied with the order, he may, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the notification of the order, institutes legal proceedings in the people's court in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China. If, within the said time limit, such proceedings are not instituted and the order is not complied with, the administrative authority for patent affairs may approach the people's court for compulsory execution. The said authority handling the matter may, upon the request of the parties, mediate in the amount of compensation for the damage caused by the infringement of the patent right.  If the mediation fails, the parties may institute legal proceedings in the people's court in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China.
Where any infringement dispute relates to a patent for invention for a process for the manufacture of a new product, any entity or individual manufacturing the identical product shall furnish proof to show that the process used in the manufacture of its or his product is different from the patented process. Where the infringement relates to a patent for utility model, the people's court or the administrative authority for patent affairs may ask the patentee to furnish a search report made by the patent administration department under the State Council.

Article 58.  Where any person passes off the patent of another person as his own, he shall, in addition to bearing his civil liability according to law, be ordered by the administrative authority for patent affairs to amend his act, and the order shall be announced. His illegal earnings shall be confiscated and , in addition, he may be imposed a fine of not more than three times his illegal earnings and, if there is no illegal earnings, a fine of not more than RMB 50,000 yuan. Where the infringement constitutes a crime, he shall be prosecuted for his criminal liability.

Article 59.  Where any person passes any non-patented product off as patented product or passes any non-patented process off as patented process, he shall be ordered by the administrative authority for patent affairs to amend his act , and the order shall be announced, and he may be imposed a fine of  no more than RMB 50,000 yuan.


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