The Provisions of the State Intellectual Property Office on Electronic Patent Application Promulgated by State Intellectual Property Office on 2004-2-12
Article 1 The present Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with Article 3 and paragraph 2, Article 16 of the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Patent Law, for the purpose of regulating the relevant procedures and requirements for patent application put forward in the form of electronic documents through the Internet (hereinafter referred to as the electronic patent application).
Article 2 Anyone who wishes to make electronic patent applications shall sign the User Agreement for Registration in Electronic Patent Application System (hereinafter referred to as the "User Agreement") with the State Intellectual Property Office beforehand.
A patent agency that opens agency business for electronic patent application shall sign the User Agreement with the State Intellectual Property Office in the name of the patent agency.
Where an applicant who entrusts a patent agency that has signed the User Agreement with the State Intellectual Property Office to handle electronic patent application business, does not need to sign an additional User Agreement with the State Intellectual Property Office.
Article 3 Patent Applications for inventions, utility models and industrial designs may all be filed in the form of electronic documents.
For an applicant who is going through the formalities of international patent application and is at the Chinese phase in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2, Article 99 of the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Patent Law, he may submit the documents as prescribed in Article 101 of the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Patent Law in electronic form.
The present Provisions are not applicable to the international application for patent to the State Intellectual Property Office in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1, Article 99 of the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Patent Law.
Article 4 Where an applicant submits an electronic patent application and relevant documents, he/it shall abide by the file formats, data standards, operational procedures, and ways of transmission as prescribed in the User Agreement. If the application does not comply with the forgoing prescriptions, and leads to the failure of normal reception of the electronic patent application and relevant documents by the electronic patent application system, the electronic patent application shall not be accepted, and the relevant documents shall be deemed as not being submitted.
Article 5 Where an applicant files a patent application in the form of paper documents which is then accepted, he/it shall submit the relevant documents in paper form in each
process of the patent application. Unless there are provisions otherwise, the State Intellectual Property Office shall not accept the relevant documents submitted by the applicant in the electronic form, and the application will be deemed as not being submitted in case it does not comply with the provisions of this paragraph.
Where an applicant files an electronic patent application, which is then accepted, he/it shall submit the relevant documents in the electronic form in each process of the patent application. Unless there are provisions otherwise, the State Intellectual Property Office shall not accept the relevant documents submitted by the applicant in paper form. And the application will be deemed as not having been submitted in case it does not comply with the provisions of this paragraph.
Article 6 Where an applicant files an electronic patent application which is then accepted, he shall, for relevant documents that must be submitted in their originals as prescribed in the Patent Law and its Detailed Implementation Rules and the examination guidelines, submit the electronic scanning or image text of the original one, and submit the originals within the prescribed or specified time limit.
Article 7 Where an applicant files an electronic patent application, the application date shall be deemed as the date when the State Intellectual Property Office receives the patent application documents in conformity with the provisions of Patent Law and its Detailed Implementation Rules. The State Intellectual Property Office shall issue notice of acceptance to the applicant after receiving the patent application fees paid by the applicant within a prescribed time limit. Where an applicant submits the patent application documents in conformity with the provisions of the Patent Law and its Detailed Implementation Rules, but fails to pay patent application fees within the prescribed time limit, the State Intellectual Property Office shall issue notice that is regarded as withdrawal at the same time of issuing a notice of acceptance.
Article 8 Where an applicant files an electronic patent application, he/it shall pay patent application fees and various other fees. Unless otherwise there are special provisions, the various fees for electronic patent application shall be paid in accordance with the amount of charge rates in existence.
Article 9 Where the State Intellectual Property Office issues various notices, decisions and other documents to an applicant for his/its electronic patent application in the form of electronic documents, the applicant shall obtain them in the way as prescribed in the User Agreement.
Article 10 All the provisions of the Patent Law and its Detailed Implementation Rules and the examination guidelines on patent application and relevant documents shall be applicable to the electronic patent application, unless there are special provisions otherwise on patent application and relevant documents that shall be submitted in the form of paper documents.
Article 11 The power to interpret the present Provisions shall remain with the State
Intellectual Property Office.
(Source: Invest In China)
国家知识产权局局令
（第 35 号）
为了规范与通过互联网以电子文件形式提出的专利申请有关的程序和要求，
制定《关于电子专利申请的规定》，现予以发布。本规定自 2004 年 3 月 12 日起施 行。
局长 王景川
二 00 四年二月十二日
国家知识产权局关于电子专利申请的规定
第一条 为了规范与通过互联网以电子文件形式提出的专利申请（以下简称电
子专利申请）有关的程序和要求，依照专利法实施细则第三条和第十六条第二
款，制定本规定。
第二条 提出电子专利申请的，应当事先与国家知识产权局签订《电子专利申
请系统用户注册协议》（以下简称用户协议）。
开办电子专利申请代理业务的专利代理机构，应当以该专利代理机构名义与国
家知识产权局签订用户协议。
申请人委托已与国家知识产权局签订用户协议的专利代理机构办理电子专利
申请业务的，无须另与国家知识产权局签订用户协议。
第三条 发明、实用新型和外观设计专利申请均可采用电子文件形式提出。
依照专利法实施细则第九十九条第二款的规定办理专利国际申请进入中国国家
阶段手续的，可以采用电子形式提交专利法实施细则第一百零一条规定的文件。
依照专利法实施细则第九十九条第一款的规定向国家知识产权局提出专利国际
申请的，不适用本规定。
第四条 提交电子专利申请和相关文件的，应当遵守用户协议中规定的文件
格式、数据标准、操作规范和传输方式。不符合本条上述规定，导致电子专利申请
和相关文件未能被电子专利申请系统正常接收的，电子专利申请不予受理，相关
文件视为未提交。
第五条 申请人以纸件形式提出专利申请并被受理的，在针对该专利申请的
各程序中应当以纸件形式提交相关文件。除另有规定外，国家知识产权局不接受申
请人以电子形式提交的相关文件。不符合本款规定的，视为未提交。
申请人提出电子专利申请并被受理的，在针对该专利申请的各程序中应当以电
子形式提交相关文件。除另有规定外，国家知识产权局不接受申请人以纸件形式
提交的相关文件。不符合本款规定的，视为未提交。
第六条 申请人提出电子专利申请并被受理的，对专利法及其实施细则和审查
指南中规定必须以原件形式提交的相关文件，申请人应当提交原件的电子扫描/图 像文本，并在规定或者指定期限内提交原件。
第七条 申请人提出电子专利申请的，以国家知识产权局收到符合专利法及其
实施细则规定的专利申请文件之日为申请日。国家知识产权局在收到申请人于规
定期限内缴纳的专利申请费之后，向申请人发出受理通知书。申请人提交了符合专
利法及其实施细则规定的专利申请文件，但未在规定期限内缴纳专利申请费的，
国家知识产权局在发出受理通知书的同时，发出视为撤回通知书。
第八条 提出电子专利申请的，应当通过互联网缴纳专利申请费和其他各项
费用。除另有规定外，电子专利申请的各项费用均应按照现行收费标准规定的数额
缴纳。
第九条 对于电子专利申请，国家知识产权局以电子文件形式向申请人发出各
种通知书、决定和其他文件的，申请人应当按照用户协议规定的方式获取。
第十条 专利法及其实施细则和审查指南中关于专利申请和相关文件的所有
规定，除专门针对以纸件形式提交的专利申请和相关文件的规定之外，均适用于
电子专利申请。
第十一条 本规定由国家知识产权局解释。
发布部门：国家知识产权局 发布日期：2004 年 02 月 12 日 实施日期：2004 年 03 月 12 日 (中央法规)