Monthly Archives: October 2026

Maintenance or Renewal? When Fees Fall Due for Hong Kong Standard Patents

Anyone who dockets Hong Kong standard patents like European patents will get the dates wrong. Hong Kong charges two different kinds of annual fee: a maintenance fee for certain pending applications and a renewal fee for granted patents. Neither is simply due on each … Continue reading →

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Patent Protection in Ireland: The Short-Term Patent, the Evidence-of-Novelty Trap, and a Back Door for PCT Applications

Ireland has no utility model. Instead, it offers two national patents side by side: a full-term patent with a maximum term of 20 years and a short-term patent with a maximum term of 10 years. The short-term patent is granted … Continue reading →

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