News

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently implemented amendments to its Patent Examination Guidelines under Decision No. 84, which took effect on January 1, 2026. While Decision No. 84 introduced multiple changes to China’s patent examination framework, one provision—the requirement for inventor identity information—has received significant attention and been the subject of concern among international applicants. The original draft required all inventors listed in patent applications to provide their full name, nationality, and an identity document number (such as a passport or driver’s license) at the time of filing instructions. This raised immediate questions regarding data privacy, storage, and compliance for global applicants. 

In response, CNIPA issued updated guidance on December 31, 2025, clarifying that the identity document number field for foreign inventors—including those from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan—may now be left blank in the e‑filing system. In other words, identification numbers for non-Chinese inventors are no longer mandatory at the time of filing. However, ID card numbers for Chinese inventors remain mandatory, and nationality information for all inventors must still be provided at the time of filing. This revision significantly reduces the administrative and privacy burden for global applicants while maintaining CNIPA’s authenticity requirements for Chinese inventors. 

Applicants should update their internal inventor intake forms to reflect these changes and ensure compliance with the new rules. We will continue to monitor these rules closely and provide updates as they develop. Companies with questions or concerns are encouraged to reach out to their contacts at Michael Best for guidance on implementing these changes effectively.