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Reminder: Extended CNIPA Closure for Lunar New Year 2026
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed February 15, 2026 to February 23, 2026 for the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival). Note, to compensate, CNIPA will be open on February 14 (Saturday) and February 28 (Saturday). Patent deadlines are postponed to the next following non-weekend workday. Other closure dates for 2026 Chinese holidays […]
CNIPA Releases 2025 Statistics – Total Patent Grants Down 16% YoY
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has recently released full year statistics for 2025. Overall grants (including invention, utility model and design patents) were down 16.18% compared to 2024. Invention patent grants were down 7%, utility model patent grants were down 27.28% and design patent grants were up 3.56%. While no official reason was given […]
CNIPA January 2026 Press Conference – Utility Model Grants Down 27%; Invention Patent Grants Down 7% in 2025
On January 23, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held a press conference summarizing their intellectual property work in 2025. Of note, a total of about 972,000 invention patents, about 1,461,000 utility model patents, and about 666,000 design patents were granted in 2025. This represents a roughly 7% drop in invention patent grants from […]
CNIPA Releases Guidelines on Trademark Registration for Industrial Cluster Brands and Regional Brands
On January 8, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Guidelines on Trademark Registration for Industrial Cluster Brands and Regional Brands (关于产业集群品牌和区域品牌申请注册商标的指引). The Guidelines explain acceptable use of place names for collective trademarks and certification trademarks. Generally, place names of administrative divisions at or above the county level cannot be used as trademarks. […]
CNIPA Releases Work Report of the 2026 Directors’ Conference – Intensify Crackdown on Patent Applications that Violate Good Faith and Malicious Trademark Squatting
On January 7, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Excerpt from the Work Report at the 2026 National Intellectual Property Office Directors’ Conference (2026年全国知识产权局局长会议工作报告（摘编）). The Excerpt details IP achievements made during the 14th Five-Year Plan (running from 2021-2025) and lists key key tasks for 2026 including improving examination quality, conducting a rectification […]
CNIPA Revokes Four Chinese Patent Firms’ Licenses for Fabricating Applicants Using Stolen Personal Data
On January 4, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced it had revoked 4 Chinese patent firms’ licenses for filing ‘irregular’ patent applications using fabricated patent applicants based on stolen personal data. The firms in question had purchased stolen personal data from a Xu XX, who had been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison […]