I. Types of Changes at a Glance
Changes to the information in the patent register fall into the following three major categories. When handling a change, the corresponding supporting documents must be prepared according to the type of change.
| Type of Change | Specific Circumstances | Official Fee |
| Applicant / Patentee Change | Assignment, gift, inheritance, corporate merger/spin-off/renaming, auction, ruling on ownership dispute, etc. | ¥200/case |
| Inventor Change | Renaming, correction of typographical errors, supplementation/correction of omissions or errors | ¥200/case |
| Agent / Contact Person Change | Change of agent organization, change of contact person, change of representative, change of address | No official fee |
II. List of Application Materials
1. Rights Transfer Category (Assignment / Gift)
- Assignment agreement or gift agreement signed by both parties (company seal / individual signature)
- Where there are multiple patentees, proof of consent to the assignment by all right holders is required
- Proof of entity qualification (business license / ID card)
- Where a new agent organization is appointed, a power of attorney and a statement revoking the original appointment are also required
Note: Where the patent is under pledge, additional proof of consent to the change by both parties to the pledge is also required.
2. Inheritance Category
- Notarized inheritance proof document (proving the person is the sole legal heir or all statutory heirs)
- Joint heirs shall inherit jointly
3. Corporate Renaming Category
- Renaming proof document issued by the administration for industry and commerce (original)
- Copy of the business license with the new-name company seal affixed
- The copy must be notarized or sealed by the competent authority
4. Inventor Change Category
The materials required differ for the following three circumstances:
| Change Circumstance | Required Materials |
| Renaming | Certificate issued by the household registration authority |
| Typographical Error | Statement signed/sealed by the person + identity proof |
| Omission/Error in Filing | Proof signed/sealed by all applicants + all inventors before and after the change |
⚠ Omissions/errors in filing must be raised within 1 month of receiving the acceptance notice; late submissions will not be accepted!
⚠ Assignment during pledge period: additional proof of consent to the change by both parties to the pledge must be submitted.
III. Procedures
Log in to cponline.cnipa.gov.cn to handle the matter online; complete the patent change in the three steps below:
Step 1 Submit the Declaration
Log in to the patent affairs handling system → access “Patent Affairs Services” → submit the “Request for Changes in Bibliographic Data”
Step 2 Upload Supporting Documents
Upload the corresponding supporting documents according to the reason for the change (assignment agreement, renaming certificate, inheritance notarization, etc.)
Step 3 Pay the Change Fee
Pay in full within 1 month from the date the request is filed; otherwise it will be deemed not to have been filed
IV. Fee Notes
Money-Saving Rules
Rule 1: Changing Multiple Items of the Same Patent at the Same Time
Applicant + inventor + address — handled in one change → only one declaration needs to be submitted and the fee paid as for one change.
💰 Change multiple items together and pay only once!
Rule 2: Same Change for Multiple Patents
For example, where 3 patents are assigned to the same person at the same time → three separate declarations must be submitted and the fee paid three times separately.
⚠ Patents are not the same; fees cannot be combined
Official Fee Overview:
| Change Item | Official Fee | Remarks |
| Applicant/Patentee Change | ¥200/case | Per case per time |
| Agent organization/Contact person/Address Change | ¥0 | No official fee |
Online handling: cponline.cnipa.gov.cn
China National Intellectual Property Administration · Patent Affairs Handling System
Patent Change
