The Measures on Patent Priority Examination Management, recently issued by the State Intellectual Property Office, has taken into effect since August 1.

The new Measures expands the scope of application of the priority examination, covers applications of invention patents in the substantive examination stage, utility models and designs as well as reexamination and invalidation procedures of the above three types of patents. It improves application conditions of priority examinations and expands them. Additionally, it also simplifies the application procedures of the priority examination, optimizes its dealing procedures and provides some situations where priority examination shall be ceased as well as detailed conditions for ordinary examination.

According to the new Measures, priority examination requests may be filed in cases involving national pillar industries or products featuring fast updates.