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I. [CN] CNIPA Has Promulgated the “Guidelines for Combining Designs into a Single Design Patent Application”
I. CNIPA Has Promulgated the “Guidelines for Combining Designs into a Single Design Patent Application”
To help applicants better understand the procedures related to design patent applications and to promote high-quality design patent development, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) promulgated the Guidelines for Combining Designs into a Single Design Patent Application in October 2025.
The Guidelines systematically outline the applicable circumstances and key considerations for combing designs into a single design patent application, clarifying which types of designs may be filed as one design patent application, along with criteria and illustrative examples for different types of combined filings.
In brief, the four types of designs shown on the right side of the diagram below may be filed as a combined application:
- First Type: A common single product with a single design;
- Second Type: Multiple components that are structurally connected and form one product when assembled;
- Third Type: A single product with multiple similar designs; and
- Fourth Type: A set of items of a product belonging to the same category, customarily sold or used together.
Among these, the Guidelines mainly focus on the key considerations and examples related to Types 3 and 4.
Key points to note:
- Each application may include no more than 10 similar designs;
- The number of items within a set of products is not theoretically limited, but each must represent an overall design (partial designs are not allowed);
- A set design application should not include similar designs of individual items; and
- Multiple component products may include similar designs under the same application.
For more details, please refer to the attached document on the website.
Chun-Wei Lo
Patent and Trademark Counselor of RichIP Group
II. WIPO Global Innovation Index 2025: New “Venture Capital” Indicator Reshapes Ranking of Top 100 Innovation Clusters
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released its influential 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) Cluster Report, which now incorporates Venture Capital (VC) transactions alongside traditional metrics like PCT patent filings and scientific publications. This update highlights the critical role of commercialization and investment flow in driving innovation.
Key Highlights for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
- Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou rises to No. 1 globally, supported by strong VC activity and high contributions to PCT patent filings and scientific output (nearly 9% of global PCT filings.)
- Beijing remains a major innovation hub, ranking No. 4, driven by the world’s highest volume of scientific publications (4% of global total.)
- Shanghai–Suzhou places No. 6, reflecting its balanced strength across patents, research, and VC activity.
- Taipei–Hsinchu ranks No. 41, with notable contributions from PCT filings and semiconductor-related R&D. According to WIPO, MediaTek is now the top PCT applicant in the Taipei–Hsinchu cluster, surpassing Hewlett-Packard.
Brief Conclusion
As innovation becomes increasingly concentrated within leading regional clusters, strong and forward-looking intellectual property protection is essential, both to safeguard innovative output and to ensure competitiveness in global technology ecosystems.
References
Frank Tseng
Patent Specialist of RichIP Group