CAplus (SM) Now Provides Non-Conventional Patent Families for Chinese Dual Filings

The Chinese patent system allows for parallel filing of a patent application and a utility model on the same day. This allows companies to get rapid protection with the utility model application for their invention, and stronger patent protection later when the patent application grants.

Because there is no shared patent priority for the utility model and patent application, they end up in separate patent families. Retroactive to September 3, 2019 filings and later, non-conventional patent families for Chinese dual filings are now available in CAplus, linking together the utility model and patent application for the same invention, which increases the efficiency of patent analysis.