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递交美国专利申请,错过优先权递交期限怎么办?

  • 计划递交美国专利申请时,如果错过优先权的期限(如PCT-30个月、巴黎公约-12/6个月、临时申请-12个月),是可以申请补救的。

  • 申请的一般条件为:延迟的时间不超两个月(PCT国家阶段除外),而且延迟是非故意的。

  • 补救的官费[1]比较高,基本的请求费就是2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体。


大部分中国申请人是通过巴黎公约途径或者PCT途径递交美国专利申请,而无论是巴黎公约途径还是PCT途径,对于美国专利提交的时限都有严格要求。如果不小心错过了期限怎么办?有什么补救措施吗?今天我们就跟大家分享一下,递交美国专利申请时,如果错过优先权期限应该如何补救。我们将结合不同的递交情况与大家一一分享。

情况一 PCT进入美国国家阶段时超过30个月

大家都知道,如果你已递交了一份PCT申请,那么一般来说,需要在最早优先权的30个月内落地各个国家[2]。如果很不幸,你错过了30个月的美国国家阶段期限,但延迟是非故意的,则可以提交延迟的美国国家阶段申请。申请人可以基于37 CFR 1.137提出恢复 PCT 申请优先权的请求书。

需要提交的内容包括:

  1. 申请文件及费用,即美国国家申请以及与进入美国国家阶段相关的所有必要文件和费用;

  2. 37 CFR 1.17(m)要求的请求费(2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体);

  3. 关于延迟是非故意的声明(包含在表格 PTO/SB64/PCT 中),需要说明:“从给定的期限到此次根据 37 CFR 1.137(b) 提交的请愿书的延迟是非故意的。”


情况二 发明申请基于巴黎公约进入美国超过12个月

《巴黎公约》规定,发明的专利申请人从首次向成员国提出申请之日起,可以在12个月内以同一发明向其他成员国提出申请。如果申请人想基于巴黎公约在美国递交一份发明专利申请,但是超过了12个月的期限,那么如果未超过14个月,还是可以补救的。

法条原文:

35 U.S.C.119 Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority[3]

An application for patent for an invention filed in this country by any person who has, or whose legal representatives or assigns have, previously regularly filed an application for a patent for the same invention in a foreign country which affords similar privileges in the case of applications filed in the United States or to citizens of the United States, or in a WTO member country, shall have the same effect as the same application would have if filed in this country on the date on which the application for patent for the same invention was first filed in such foreign country, if the application in this country is filed within 12 months from the earliest date on which such foreign application was filed. The Director may prescribe regulations, including the requirement for payment of the fee specified in section 41(a)(7) , pursuant to which the 12-month period set forth in this subsection may be extended by an additional 2 months if the delay in filing the application in this country within the 12-month period was unintentional.

即,在其他国家递交发明的申请人,可以在该首国申请最早提交之日起 12个月内就该申请在美国提交专利申请,但如果有延迟,且如果延迟是非故意的,该12个月期限可再延长2个月。

需要提交的内容包括:

  • 一份application data sheet(ADS),列出优先权的相关信息如优先权的申请号,国别,递交的年月日等(如果先前已递交过,则不用此份文件);

  • 37 CFR 1.17(m)要求的请求费(2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体);

  • 关于整个延迟是非故意的声明;如果对延误是否是非故意这一情况有疑问,PTO可能会要求提供更多信息。


同样,从外国申请的优先权日起,申请人现在有14个月的时间来向美国专利商标局提交PCT 申请,只需要提交恢复优先权的请求书。

法条原文:

37 CFR 1.452 Restoration of right of priority[4]

If the international application has an international filing date which is later than the expiration of the priority period as defined by PCT Rule 2.4 but within two months from the expiration of the priority period, the right of priority in the international application may be restored upon request if the delay in filing the international application within the priority period was unintentional.

需要提交的内容包括:

  1. 如果在先申请的优先权要求未包含在国际申请中,则根据 PCT Rule 26bis.1 (a) 添加优先权要求的通知书;

  2. 37 CFR 1.17(m)要求的请求费(2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体);

  3. 关于延迟是非故意的声明。如果对延误是否是非故意这一情况有疑问,PTO可能会要求提供更多信息。


情况三 外观设计基于巴黎公约进入美国超过 6个月

《巴黎公约》规定,外观设计的专利申请人从首次向成员国之一提出申请之日起,可以在6个月内以同一发明向其他成员国提出申请。对于非故意延迟造成的延期,美国专利法规定申请人在法定的6个月截止日期之外还有2个月的宽限期,所以申请人如果有一件中国外观申请,需要进入美国,但因非故意的原因没能在6个月内递交美国申请,则可以在中国外观申请递交后8个月内提交,并要求该中国外观为优先权。

法条原文:

35 U.S.C. 172 Right of priority [5]      

In order to obtain the benefit of an earlier foreign filing date, the U.S. application must be filed within 6 months of the earliest date on which any foreign application for the same design was filed. It should be noted that where a design patent application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 to an intermediate nonprovisional utility patent application that directly claims priority to a foreign application, the intermediate nonprovisional utility application must have been filed within 6 months of the filing date of the foreign priority application in order for the design patent application to obtain the benefit of the earlier foreign filing date. See 35 U.S.C. 172. Under certain conditions, a right of priority to a foreign application may be restored if the U.S. design application is filed within two months of the expiration of the six-month period specified in 35 U.S.C. 172. See 37 CFR 1.55(c).

需要提交的内容包括:

  • 一份application data sheet(ADS),列出优先权的相关信息如优先权的申请号,国别,递交的年月日等(如果先前已递交过,则不用此份文件);

  1. 37 CFR 1.17(m)要求的请求费(2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体);

  2. 关于整个延迟是非故意的声明;如果对延误是否是非故意这一情况有疑问,PTO可能会要求提供更多信息


情况四 美国临时申请超过12个月

递交美国临时申请后,申请人需要在临时申请12个月的期限内递交以此临时申请为优先权的一份非临时申请,或在12个月内将该临时申请转化为一份非临时申请。同样的,如果超过12个月,并且延迟是非故意的,那么申请人可以获得额外2个月的延期,递交请求书要求恢复此临时申请优先权。

法条原文:

211.01(a) Claiming the benefit of a provisional application[6]

 If a nonprovisional application or an international application designating the United States has a filing date which is after the expiration of the twelve-month period but within two months from the expiration of the period, the benefit of the provisional application may be restored under PCT Rule 26bis.3 for an international application, or upon petition under 37 CFR 1.78(b), if the delay in filing the nonprovisional application or the international application was unintentional. Thus, an application may now validly claim the benefit of a provisional application filed up to fourteen months earlier.

需要提交的内容包括:

  • 一份application data sheet(ADS),列出优先权的相关信息;

  • 37 CFR 1.17(m)要求的请求费(2,100美元/大实体;1,050美元/小实体;525美元/微实体);

  • 关于整个延迟是非故意的声明;如果对延误是否是非故意这一情况有疑问,PTO可能会要求提供更多信息。

以上我们列举了不同的美国专利申请递交场景,在这些递交场景下,如果错过了优先权的期限,还是有补救的机会的。简单来说,大家可以记住3个要点:(1)正常期限后2个月内(PCT国家阶段除外);(2)非故意;(3)额外的请求费用

这样延迟递交的情况是比较容易出错的,如果有需要,建议咨询专业律师,避免错过专利申请的机会。


[1] 此为2022年6月查到的官费;此后可能会有变化。

[2] 各国期限不尽相同,但30个月是多数PCT国家的期限

[3] https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/mpep-9015-appx-l.html#d0e302921

[4] https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1828.html

[5] https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1504.html#d0e159958

[6] https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s211.html


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