Question:
Before a patent is granted, is it sufficient to mark a product, its packaging, its manual or other materials with the type of Chinese patent application and the application number in Chinese?
Answer:
Under the Patent Identification Marking Procedures, which took effect on May 1, 2012, an applicant may mark the product, packaging, manual and other materials with the pending application type and application number in Chinese. However, the wording “专利申请，尚未授权” (“patent pending, not yet granted”) must also be included. The markings must be in Chinese, not English.