The European Patent Office (EPO) and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently held their 18th annual conference in Chengdu, Sichuan. EPO President António Campinos and CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu led discussions on expanding the strong partnership between the two offices.

Over the past year, this collaboration has deepened, with teams from both offices working closely in areas like patent documentation, examination processes, and automation. Commissioner Shen highlighted the positive results of these efforts and looked forward to next year, which will mark 40 years of cooperation between EPO and CNIPA. He expressed hopes to broaden the partnership further in the coming year.

President Campinos praised the partnership’s achievements and shared the enthusiasm for continuing this collaboration. He emphasized the importance of exchanging best practices and exploring more opportunities to work together, particularly within the "IP5," an alliance of the world’s five largest IP offices.

The two offices also issued a Joint Communiqué announcing the next phase of their Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) pilot project, which will start on December 1, 2024. This new phase will allow Chinese applicants to pay patent fees directly in RMB, making the process simpler and more convenient.

While in Chengdu, the EPO delegation also visited high-tech companies, further strengthening ties and gaining insights into China’s dynamic innovation landscape. The partnership between EPO and CNIPA continues to grow, setting a solid foundation for new advancements in intellectual property.

If you have any inquiries regarding intellectual property matters in China, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Liliana ZHANG

Trademark and Patent Attorney

[email protected]

+86 10 8446 4788