On December 5, 2025, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued new guidelines for design patent applications involving graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The guidance aims to improve the consistency and quality of filings, reflecting the growing importance of digital interface design as a protected form of intellectual property in China.

The guidelines provide clarification on how GUI designs should be illustrated and described in applications, including requirements related to screenshots, animations, transitional states, and display environments. By standardizing the technical presentation, CNIPA intends to reduce uncertainty during examination and ensure clearer determination of a design’s scope of protection.

This update is particularly relevant for companies in the technology, software, e-commerce, gaming, and consumer electronics sectors. Businesses developing user-facing digital products may wish to review existing and upcoming designs to take advantage of the strengthened and more predictable protection now available for GUIs in China.

If you have any inquiries regarding intellectual property matters in Greater China, please contact us at mail@so-ipr.com.