The Patents Registry of the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of Hong Kong has recently granted the first standard patent under the original grant patent (OGP) system.

 

The OGP system was introduced in December 2019 as part of Hong Kong's patent system reform to provide a direct route for innovators to seek standard patent protection in the territory, as an alternative to the "re-registration" route the local patent system had been practising, which requires the relevant patent application to be first approved by any of the three designated patent offices outside of Hong Kong, namely, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), United Kingdom Patent Office (UKPO), and European Patent Office (EPO).

 

This first standard patent granted by the IPD relates to the use of artificial intelligence to manage inventory in an e-commerce system. It was granted within 14 months after the date of filing of the application by the applicant.

 

According to the Patents Registry, a total of 426 OGP applications had been received as of 31 May 2021, of which 33 per cent (142 applications) were submitted by Hong Kong residents or enterprises and 67 per cent (284 applications) were from non-local applicants.