Final Version of Prioritized Patent Examination Published

On June 28, 2017 SIPO released the final version of the Administrative Measures on the Prioritized Examination of Patents to go into effect on August 1, 2017. 

Notably, the final version of the Administrative Measures deletes Article 9 on acceptable search reports. In regard to USITO member concerns with Article 8, which included a requirement that Requests for Prioritised Examination be reviewed and approval by a provincial-level intellectual property authority, the finalised Administrative Measures instead state that Requests "shall bear the recommendation opinions (推荐意见) issued by the relevant department under the State Council or provincial-level intellectual property authority."