Hong Kong IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names

Hong Kong is a territory located on the Pearl River Delta in East Asia, bordering the Chinese province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south. It has a population of 6.9 million people, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a dependent territory of the United Kingdom in 1842, and remained so until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Along with Macau, Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions and is not considered part of mainland China. Under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong retains a high degree of autonomy in all of its affairs, with the exception of foreign affairs and defence.

Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial capitals, a major business and cultural hub, and maintains a highly capitalist economy. Its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where east meets west is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions, and although the population is predominantly Chinese, residents and expatriates of other ethnicities form a small but significant segment of society.

General Information

Population:

7 Million

Languages:

Chinese

Languages:

English

Government Type:

Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

Dialing Code:

+852

Timezone:

GMT +8

Monetary Unit:

Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

More information:

Hong Kong

International Arrangements

WIPO Convention
Paris Convention (Industrial Property)
Berne Convention (Literary and Artistic Works),
PCT (Patents)
Madrid Agreement (International Registration of Marks)
Madrid Protocol
Nice Agreement (International Classification of Goods and Services)
Locarno Agreement (International Classification for Industrial Designs
Strasbourg Agreement (International Patent Classification),
Geneva Convention (Unauthorized Duplication of Phonograms)
Budapest Treaty (Deposit of Micro-organisms)
WCT (WIPO Copyright Treaty)
WPPT (WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty)

Patents

Types of Patents:
- Standard Patent
- Short-term Patent

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Standard Patent:
The grant of a standard patent in Hong Kong is based on the registration of a patent granted by one of three patent offices, called designated patent offices
- The State Intellectual Property Office, People’s Republic of China
- The European Patent Office, in respect of a patent designating the United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom Patent Office

Filing Requirements:
- Full particulars of the inventors and of the applicants
- Copy of the designated patent application as published
- Assignment of priority rights

Granting:
The term of a patent is twenty years from the filing date.

Renewals:
Every year

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Short-term patent:
The grant of a short-term patent in Hong Kong is based on a search report from an international searching authority or one of the three designated patent offices.

Filing Requirements:
- The A specification
- An abstract in both English and Chinese
- The title of invention in both English and Chinese
- Applicant’s name and address
- Inventor’s name and address
- A search report issued from an international searching authority, the State Intellectual Property Office, or the United Kingdom Patent Office
- If priority is claimed, a statement of priority documents
- If non-prejudicial disclosure is claimed, a statement and written evidence to support the claim

Granting:
Protection under a short-term patent is renewable after the end of the fourth year, up to maximum term of eight years

Renewals:
Every four years

Trademarks

Filing Requirements:
- Power of Attorney (in English)
- 2 prints of the trademark
- The full particulars of the applicant
- The list of the goods and/or services to be covered by the trademark and classes
- Priority document with verified English translation

Granting:
The protection is for seven years, and starts from the date of application or priority date.
Before the expiring the seven years, is possible to renewal for fourteen years.

Renewals
Every fourteen years

Designs and Models

Filing Requirements:
- Power of Attorney (in English)
- Full particulars of the inventors and of the applicants.
- Graphic representation or a sample of the model
- Description of the novelty for the industrial model or the industrial design in English and Chinese
- Deed of Assignment
- Priority document should be a certificate issued by competent authority.

Granting:
The term of protection is five years from the filing date.
Renewal is possible for four periods of five years each.

Renewals:
Every five years

Copyrights

Hong Kong hasn't signed up to the Berne Convention yet. However, your creative works may be copyright protected locally and directly in their Intellectual Property Department.

If you seek copyright protection in Hong Kong, please contact us.

Domain Names

Domain extension:

.hk

Requirements:
-For .hk domain registration there are no requirements.
-For .com.hk domain registration, the authorities request a Certificate of Business Registration in Hong Kong-

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Hong Kong IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names