ENG-2004 — Page 170

136 Commerce and Industry

e-business model of the Intellectual Property Department. Cost savings achieved under e-filing are passed back to users through fees reduction.

Trade Marks

The Trade Marks Registry is responsible for the registration of trade marks in respect of goods and services. In 2004, 19 940 applications were received, comprising 13 176 single-class applications and 6 764 multiple-class applications. During the period, 26 440 marks were registered, an increase of 29.9 per cent compared with 20 359 in 2003. Out of the total of 86 countries filing applications, the principal places from which applications originated were:

HK, China

USA

8 173

2 820

Germany

United Kingdom

550

539

Japan

1 732

Switzerland

485

Mainland China

1 490

Taiwan, province of China

409

France

615

Italy

396

The register had a total of 189 733 marks as at December 31, 2004.

With effect from January 1, 2005, Hong Kong service suppliers will be able to conduct trade mark agency business in the Mainland after registering with the Administration for Industry and Commerce at the provincial level and acquiring the qualification of a statutory operating body.

Patents

The Patents Ordinance provides for the grant of standard patents based on patents granted in the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the United Kingdom Patent Office or the European Patent Office (in respect of patents designating the United Kingdom). It also provides for the grant of short-term patents. The commencement of the Patents (General) (Amendment) Rules 2004 on May 7, 2004 has enabled e-filing and e-publication for patents. The fees for patent registration services, which are charged at full-cost recovery basis, have been reduced by 73 per cent. In 2004, the Patents Registry received 10 005 standard patent applications and 4 242 were granted. During the period, there were also 416 applications for grant of short-term patents, and 329 were granted.

Starting from 2004, eligible Hong Kong residents can sit the National Qualification Examination for Patent Agents, which was previously open only to Chinese Nationals in the Mainland, to qualify as patent agents in the Mainland. Candidates who pass the examination need to complete one full year of apprenticeship in an authorised patent agency in the Mainland before obtaining the qualification to act as patent agents. With technical and logistical support from the Intellectual Property Department, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Society organised a training course in August, which was open to candidates sitting the examination as well as those interested in Mainland patent law and practice. The examination is held once every two years, and the latest examination took place in