1. Option to accelerate examination
There are two ways to accelerate examination of a patent application. One is Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program (PPH in short), the other is to file both a request for substantive examination and a request for publication in advance.
2. Time limit for filing a PPH request in China
The time limit for fling a PPH request is at the time when requesting for a Substantive Examination or have received the Notice of Invention Patent Application Entering into Substantive Examination Stage after the SIPO application have been published and before receiving the office action issued by the substantive examination departments in the SIPO.
3. Due date for filing the certificate of deposit and the certificate of viability of the Biological Material
For an application relating to biological material, the applicant shall submit, within four months from the filing date, a certificate of deposit and a certificate of viability of the biological material issued by the depositary institution in accordance with the requirements provided for in the Chinese Patent Law and its Implementing Regulations. Thus the applicant may submit the certificate of deposit and the certificate of viability of the biological material either on the day of entering into China or within four months from the date of entry.