Recently, SIPO issues the Circular on Launching the 2008 Annual Examination Work of Patent Agencies and Patent Agents (hereafter referred to as the Circular), announcing the affairs related to the annual examination work of patent agencies and patent agents in 2008.

The Circular clarifies that IP administrations of various regions and national defense IP administrations should complete the work of inspecting and examining patent agencies and their offices and patent agents of 2008 from September 1 to October 31,2008. SIPO will publicize related information in its governmental website to release the examination results of patent agencies and patent agents to the society in different batches.

For the patent agencies and patent agents that meet the qualifications of the annual examinations before October 31, 2008, SIPO will announce the information before November 30, 2008. In case that some patent agencies and patent agents cannot meet the qualifications stipulated in the Measures on Patent Agency Administration and should be rectified within a limited period of time, local IP administrations and national defense IP administrations should verify their rectifications before December 31, 2008, and report the results to SIPO. SIPO will announce the inspection results to the society before January 31, 2009.

The Circular points out that those who do not participate in the annual examinations or fail in the examinations cannot handle patent agency business for SIPO and various regional IP administrations before they pass the next annual examinations.

2008-08-06

2008-08-06