Personal Information

 

(The following information is requested for statistical analysis in the survey only. All information provided will be held in confidence.)

1.        Company/Institution name:______________________________

2.        Nature of business

A: Enterprise. B: University/Research institute. C: Others (please specify) __________

3.        What is your (company/institution's) field of research/manufacturing?

_______________________________________

4.        What type of creation are you applying for patent with SIPO?

A: Invention. B: Utility model. C: Design.

 

Questionnaire

 

Instructions: this questionnaire is divided into two parts. Part I covers the fundamental questions concerning four aspects: invention, utility model, design, reexamination and invalidation. You may choose to answer questions concerning one of those aspects or all of them based on the types of patent related services you or your institution deal with; Part II covers general questions and please deliver your comments.  

 

Part I        Fundamental Questions

I.     Invention

1.      According to statistics in 2005, the application for patents for invention will get the examination results within 24 months on average as of the effective date of the request for examination as to substance .As for this practice, you think that:

A. It is fast and satisfying.
B. It is appropriate and acceptable.

C. 20 to 24 months is appropriate.
D. 15 to 19 months is appropriate;
E. 10 to 14 months is appropriate.
F. Less than 10 months is appropriate.

 

2.      What kinds of the application for patents for invention do you think should be given the accelerated examination? Please write down your advice here:                                                         

                                                                             .

 

3.    The percentage of your cases of the application for patents for invention that need to be given the accelerated examination is:          %

4.      In conducting your work in scientific researches, what channels do you usually use to retrieve technical information? Please list the specific names of the channels(including the specialized database, commercial website or periodical etc.)

                                                                                                                                                         .

 

II.   Utility Model

1.    According to statistics in 2005, the application for patents for utility model will get the　examination results within 11 months on average as of the application date. As for this practice, you think that:

A. It is fast and satisfying.
B. It is appropriate and acceptable.
C. 9 to 10 months is appropriate.
D. 6 to 8 months is appropriate;
E. 4 to 5 months is appropriate.
F. less than 4 months is appropriate.

 

2.   What kinds of the application for patents for utility model do you think should be given the accelerated examination? Please write down your advice here:

                                                                                                                                                         .

 

3.    The percentage of your cases of the application for patents for utility model that need to be given the accelerated examination is:         %.

 

III.  Design

1.   According to statistics in 2005, the application for patents for design will get the examination results within 8 months on average as of the application date .As for this practice, you think that:

A. It is fast and satisfying.
B. It is appropriate and acceptable.
C. 6 to 7 months is appropriate.
D. 4 to 5months is appropriate;
E. 2 to 3 months is appropriate.

2.    What kinds of the application for patents for design do you think should be given the accelerated examination? Please write down your advice here
                                                                                                                                                         .

 

3.    The percentage of your cases of the application for patents for design that need to be given the accelerated examination is:         %.

IV.   Reexamination and Invalidation

 

1.    According to statistics in 2005, reexamination or invalidation cases will get the decisions of the Patent Reexamination Board within 12 months on average since the filing date of the request for reexamination or invalidation. As for this practice, you think that:

A. It is fast and satisfying. 
B. It is appropriate and acceptable. 
C. 10 to 11 months is appropriate.
D. 8 to 9 months is appropriate. 
E. 6 to 7 months is appropriate. 
F. Less than 6 months is appropriate.

 

2.    Are you satisfied with the quality of examination on those reexamination or invalidation cases? 

A. Satisfied
B. Dissatisfied (Please write down here the reasons why you are dissatisfied                                                                                                                                                    ).

 

Part II       General Questions

 

1.    Which form would you like to take in filing an application for patent?

A. paper form;

B. electronic form.

 

2.    The reasons that you are not willing to use electronic form to file your application for patents or the difficulties you have encountered in your e-application. are (you may choose more than one):

A.      Poor internet access or little knowledge of internet.

B.       Concerns about confidentiality in e-application.

C.       Ill-designed and user-unfriendly e-application webpage on SIPO's website.

D.      Unaware of the online channel for application submission.

E.       Other reasons/difficulties (please specify)                                        

 

3.    How satisfactory do you think is the quality of the Patent Office's work on patent examination (whether the examination is carried out properly and the granted patents are stable and reasonable)?

A. Very satisfactory.
B. Satisfactory.

C. Unsatisfactory.
D. Very unsatisfactory (please specify why)                                        

 

4.   Which of the following means will you adopt to assist an examiner in understanding prior art in your (company/institution's) field of research/manufacturing and in proper examining the domestic and foreign applications in said field (you may choose more than one)?

A. Voluntary submission of technical information related to the application.
B. Technical conferences organized by applicants according to the Patent Office's requirements.
C. Welcoming the examiner of the Patent Office to investigate and practice in our company/institution.
D. Being invited to serve as Technical professionals of  the Patent Office.
E. Others (please specify)                                        

 

5.   What is your comment on the existing patent examination and grant process (you may choose more than one if your answer is ‘unsatisfactory’)?

A. The existing patent examination and grant process is satisfactory.
B. The process lacks in transparency: it is hard for the applicant to know which examination stage his/her application is already at.
C. It is a long wait between the notification of grant of patent right and the patent certificate.
D. Others (please specify)                                        

 

6.   Do you think applicants can easily advise the Patent Office on the problems they have with patent examination?

A. Yes, the channel is open.
B. It is slow and inconvenient to communicate problems with the quality of examination and grant process.
C. It is slow and inconvenient to communicate problems with the quality of Office Action.
D. It is slow and inconvenient to communicate problems with post notification of grant of patent right.
E. I am not aware of any feedback channels (please specify your suggestions on the improvement of the channel)                                        

 

7.   Your understanding of the patent strategy of major competitors in relevant technical fields at home and abroad:

A. Knowing well
B. Knowing
C. Knowing a little
D. Knowing nothing but hoping to get
E. No need for knowing.

 

8.   Do you think it is necessary for the government to introduce patent information analysis in support of the major policies, technology projects and national key projects or import and export projects it undertakes?

A.      Very necessary.

B.       Necessary.

C.       Not necessary now; maybe in the future.

D.      Doesn’t matter.

E.       Unnecessary.

 

9.   Who do you hope to be responsible for retrieval, tracing, evaluation and summarization for your subjects in the fields concerned to accurately learn about the development of patent in those fields?

A: The patent administration arm of ourselves.
B. Patent agency institutions.
C. Examiners of the State Intellectual Property Office.
E. Patent information service intermediary organs.
F. Technical intelligence agencies
G. Others (please write down here agencies or institutions you think appropriate                                                                                                                                                    ).

Reasons for your choice                                                            

 

10.  Do you think there is any bottleneck in the formulation and implementation of patent strategies by enterprises?

A: No, I don't.

B: Yes, including (you may choose more than one)                                

1)     Want of the professional patent database in the absence of data source.

2)     Want of the sophisticated patent management philosophy and professional patent managers.

3)     Want of methods and theories that may guide the processing and usage of patent information.

4)     Want of professionals who are capable of mining patent technology information to guide the research and the innovation and avoid the patent litigation.

5)     Others (please specify                                        ).

 

11.  What means do you think are more convenient for one who wants to konw the examination progress about his application for patent?

A. Accessing the website of the State Intellectual Property Office.
B. Contacting the examiners directly through multiple means

C. Inquiring through the Customer Service Center of the State Intellectual Property Office.
D. Others (please write down here the specificmeans                                                                                                                                             ).

 

That's the end of this questionnaire; please send your precious comments back to us by any of the following means and thank you for your cooperation.

1.        Email: houhaiyi@sipo.gov.cn; songpeipei@sipo.gov.cn

2.        Telephone: (010) 62083737

3.        Fax: (010) 62083963,62083356

4.        Mail Address: Research Division, Patent Examination Affairs Administration Department, The Patent Office of the State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R. China, No.6 XiTuCheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, P.R. China,  ( 100088)

2006-03-03

2006-03-03