Report

Chapter 2 : Short-Term Patent System (50 submissions received)
6. What benefits does the short-term patent system bring to Hong Kong? Does it promote local innovations?
6.7 Individuals
Stanley
Stanley opines that short-term patent system helps promote local innovation and is
suitable for simple inventions by individuals and small enterprises which are
suitable for local use.
believes that the short-term patent system can encourage local innovation.
Hui Wing Kin
Anonymous respondents
Hui Wing Kin suggests abolishing the short-term patent system because of the low
number of applications. Also, since the system provides an alternative route for
inventors with fewer resources to obtain some form of patent protection, the
applications are not prepared as professionally and it may not create the best
protection for the inventive idea.
A respondent finds the possibility of making a local “first filing” cheaply before the
applicant decides whether or not to file foreign patent applications to be a sure
advantage and so the system probably has a modestly positive effect on local
innovation.
A respondent is of the view that the low costs in getting a short-term patent better
suit parties with small inventions and so can promote local innovation.
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