Revisions To Patent Examination Guidelines In China

SIPO of China issued Decision of Revisions to "Examination Guidelines" on February 28, 2017. The Revisions will be brought into effect on April 1, 2017. CSPTAL provides a brief introduction of the Revisions as follows.

Part II Chapter 2 - Subject Matter Excluded from Patent Protection

4.2 Rules and Methods for Mental Activities

• add "if a claim involving commercial/business pattern/model contains not only matter of commercial/business rule or method but also technical features, the claim shall not be excluded from patentability under Article 25."

Part II Chapter 9 - Invention Applications Relating to Computer Program

1) add "per se" after "computer program" and "program" in Section 2.