In June 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration（CNIPA） published its 2022 Annual Report, containing the following important information related to patents.
1.619 million invention patent applications were filed in 2022, up 2.1% year-on-year. The applications for utility models were 2.951 million with an annual increase of 3.5%, and the applications for design patents were 795,000, up 1.4% year-on-year.
[Trend chart of the number of patent applications in China]
In 2022, the pendency for invention application in China was shortened to 16.5 months. It is expected to be reduced to 16 months in 2023.
In 2022, a total of 74,000 PCT applications were accepted, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.4%. Among them, 69,000 were from domestic applicants, with a year-on-year increase of 1.1 %.
In 2022, 105,000 patent reexamination requests were received, up 38.1% year-on-year. 63,000 cases were concluded, up 16.1% year-on-year. The average pendency for patent reexamination cases was 17.2 months. Among the concluded reexamination cases for invention patents, 48.8% of the rejections were reversed and 51.2% of the rejections were maintained or concluded in other ways.
In 2022, a total of 7,095 requests for patent invalidation were received, down 7.2% year-on-year. 7,879 cases were concluded, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. The average pendency for patent invalidation requests was 5.7 months. Among the concluded invalidation cases for invention patents, 27.9% were totally invalidated, 15.4% were partially invalidated, and 56.7% were maintained. Of the concluded invalidation cases for utility model patents, 41.4% were invalidated in their entirety, 18.7% were invalidated partially, and 39.9% were maintained. Of the concluded invalidation cases for design patents, 53.8% were invalidated in their entirety, 1.4% were invalidated partially, and 44.8% were maintained.
[The pendency for invention application in China from 2019 to 2022 (months)]
[Top 10 Chinese companies in the number of invention patents granted in 2022]
[Top 10 foreign companies in the number of invention patents granted in 2022]
Source：https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2023/6/5/art_3249_185538.html