China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has published the “Guidance on Design Patent Applications for Products with Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)” for reference by innovators. Based on this guidance and design patent examination practice in China, this article explains the key filing requirements and common formalities issues when seeking design patent protection for a product embodied with a GUI.
1. What Is a Design with a Graphical User Interface
A design patent in China protects the shape, pattern, or their combination, as well as the combination of color with shape or pattern, of a product that is aesthetically pleasing and industrially applicable. A GUI, as the visual presentation of interaction between software and users, cannot be protected separately from hardware. Under China’s current system, a GUI must be claimed as part of a “product design” together with a concrete product (e.g., a phone, computer, vehicle terminal, or smart appliance).
In other words, what is protected is “a product with a certain GUI,” not an isolated interface pattern. This differs from jurisdictions that protect “partial designs” or standalone GUIs, and applicants should take note.
2. Special Requirements for Filing Documents
2.1 The product name must reflect the interface
The product name should clearly indicate the product’s use and include the words “graphical user interface” or “interface,” e.g., “Mobile phone with a graphical user interface.” It should not merely read “graphical user interface,” which would be seen as not referencing a specific product.
2.2 Expression in drawings or photos
Views should present the overall product embodying the GUI. Where the non-GUI part is a conventional design, broken and solid lines may be combined: solid lines show the claimed product and interface outline, broken lines show the unclaimed remainder, focusing attention on the GUI area.
For a dynamic GUI (e.g., sliding or switching), “transition state drawings” reflecting the complete change process should be filed, with the start state, process, and end state described in the brief description.
2.3 Brief description
The brief description should state the GUI’s use, human-computer interaction, the transition-state drawings, and the design’s salient features. For dynamic interfaces, describe each state and the corresponding operation. The brief description is key to defining scope and examination.
3. Common Formality Issues in Examination
In practice, common defects in GUI applications include: the product name not reflecting the interface; submitting only screenshots without the overall product carrier; broken lines making the claimed subject matter unclear; missing or incomplete transition-state drawings for dynamic interfaces; and a brief description omitting interaction and use. These are mostly formal defects remediable during examination but add cycle time and communication cost.
4. Practical Tips for Applicants
Plan the GUI-product mapping early; keep views consistent with standardized broken/solid lines; always pair dynamic interfaces with transition-state drawings and interaction notes; and make the brief description, name, and views mutually consistent. Professional search and form-check tools can help spot defects beforehand.
5. FAQ
Q: Can a GUI be filed as a design patent on its own, separate from a product?
A: Generally not under China’s current system. A GUI must be claimed as part of a product design; the protected subject is “a product with a GUI,” not the isolated interface itself.
Q: How should a dynamic interface be presented in views?
A: File transition-state drawings reflecting the complete process, describing the start, process, and end states and the corresponding user operation in the brief description.
Q: May broken lines be used for the non-GUI product part?
A: Yes. Conventional unclaimed parts may be shown in broken lines to highlight the GUI, but usage must be standardized and clear to avoid uncertainty in the claimed subject matter.
6. Related Services and Tools
For annuity management after grant, see our China patent annuity monitor; for trademark planning, see the trademark classification table; for pre-filing self-checks, our Zhihai tools include a Chinese utility/innovation patent form-check tool.
7. Source
This article is compiled from the CNIPA policy interpretation “Guidance on Design Patent Applications for Products with Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)” (2025-12-05; source: CNIPA · Policy Interpretation). It is for reference only; please follow the latest official provisions and the full guidance text.
This article describes the intellectual property system of the People’s Republic of China (China); please refer to the latest official regulations for specifics.