A Patent offers the strongest protection under all Intellectual Property protections, it grants its owner an exclusive right and monopoly over all uses of the patented invention. To apply for Patent, the applicant must provide to the Registry what is being claimed and the description of the invention; which such would be disclosed to the public. 

There are two types of Patent in Hong Kong- Standard Patent and Short Term Patent.

Hong Kong is a member under the PCT by the WIPO with another 155 contracting states. PCT can be applied within 12 months of your initial filing and so extend the priority to 30 months from the initial filing date to filing your invention at the PCT member countries. PCT is advised if you are intended to file your invention at multiple jurisdictions.

Advantages of PCT:
• Additional time to claim priority for application in other jurisdictions (Paris Convention gives only 12 months from date of initial filing)
• Commercial flexibility for evaluating the chances of obtaining patent and exploiting your invention in foreign countries before paying the national filing fees.

Trademark is mostly regarded as a business’ name or its logo- yet it can be more than that. It can be extended to your business’ signature, e.g. colour and sound. There are a number of factors affecting one’s Trademark registrability, for example when there is a similar mark already registered or it is offensive to certain culture. Our professional team can advise you on your mark before submitting it to the officials.  

A registered Trademark can be valid forever, as long as it is renewed every ten years and in genuine use.  

When you apply for registration of your Trademark, you apply to register it under the class of goods or services your Trademark will cover. 

Under the NICE International Classification (an international Trademark classification system), there are 45 classes (35 classes for goods and 10 classes for service). Each Trademark application is for a single class only, though you may include more than one good or service under the same class in one Trademark application (but not the entire class).

It gives you exclusivity to your Trademark over the classification you specified in the registration. It does not just prevent copycat, but for any misuse of your mark which may damage your business reputation. Registering your Trademark is essential in protecting and growing your business’ intangible asset.  

Registered Design covers the non-functional design to an article, which an article means any and any part of an article of manufacture or handicraft (except integrated circuit). It is the external visual design of an article that Industrial Design protects. Design of the functional part of an article may be qualified for registering as Patent (see Patent).  

A registered Design can last for 25 years in total from the date of initial filing subject to renewal every 5 years.  

Only new Design that has not been disclosed to the public anywhere in the world can be qualified for registration. (Except for unlawful public disclosure or public disclosure in an official or officially recognized exhibition 6 months prior to date of filing).

The Registry adopts the International Classification for Industrial Design, namely the Locarno Classification, system for Design registration. You are required to select which class of article is your design for in the application.
There are 32 classes of goods in total, class selection should be based on the nature and the main function of your product.

Our professional team can advise you further if you require help in selecting class.