On July 1, China National Intellectual Property Administration of China (CNIPA) and the European Patent Office (EPO) made a joint declaration on rendering full support to those affected by the Convid19 pandemic.

In the declaration, it’s mentioned that CNIPA and EPO have taken a number of measures to ensure continuous access for the global users to the high-quality patent protection in China and Europe. For example, CNIPA has adopted series measures such as restoration of rights, simplification of materials required for certification and waiver of late fee for patent annual renewal. EPO has provided greater flexibility through extending the time limit and payment deadlines and conducting verbal examination in online video meetings.

(Source: CNIPA website)