第三十一条 一件发明或者实用新型专利申请应当限于一项发明或者实用新型。

Article 3l. An application for a patent for invention or utility model shall be limited to one invention or uti1ity model.

属于一个总的发明构思的两项以上的发明或者实用新型，可以作为一件申请提出。

Two or more inventions or utility models belonging to a single general inventive concept may be filed as one application.

一件外观设计专利申请应当限于一种产品所使用的一项外观设计。

An application for a patent for design shall be limited to one design incorporated in one product.

用于同一类别并且成套出售或者使用的产品的两项以上的外观设计，可以作为一件申请提出。

Two or more designs which are incorporated in products belonging to the same c1ass and are sold or used in sets may be filed as one application.

第三十二条 申请人可以在被授予专利权之前随时撤回其专利申请。

Article 32. An applicant may withdraw his or its application for a patent at any time before the patent right is granted.

第三十三条 申请人可以对其专利申请文件进行修改，但是，对发明和实用新型专利申请文件的修改不得超出原说明书和权利要求书记载的范围，对外观设计专利申请文件的修改不得超出原图片或者照片表示的范围。

Article 33. An applicant may amend his or its application for a patent, but the amendment to the application for a patent for invention or utility model may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure contained in the initial description and claims, and the amendment to the application for a patent for design may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure as shown in the initial drawings or photographs.

第四章　专利申请的审查和批准

Chapter IV Examination and Approval of Application for Patent

第三十四条 国务院专利行政部门收到发明专利申请后，经初步审查认为符合本法要求的，自申请日起满十八个月，即行公布。

Article 34. Where, after receiving an application for a patent for invention, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council, upon preliminary examination, finds the application to be in conformity with the requirements of this Law, it shall publish the application promptly after the expiration of eighteen months from the date of filing.

国务院专利行政部门可以根据申请人的请求早日公布其申请。

Upon the request of the applicant, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council publishes the application earlier.

第三十五条 发明专利申请自申请日起三年内，国务院专利行政部门可以根据申请人随时提出的请求，对其申请进行实质审查；

Article 35. Upon the request of the applicant for a patent for invention, made at any time within three years from the date of filing, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council will proceed to examine the application as to its substance.

申请人无正当理由逾期不请求实质审查的，该申请即被视为撤回。

If, without any justified reason, the applicant fails to meet the time limit for requesting examination as to substance, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

国务院专利行政部门认为必要的时候，可以自行对发明专利申请进行实质审查。

The Patent Administration Department Under the State Council may, on its own initiative, proceed to examine any application for a patent for invention as to its substance when it deems it necessary.

第三十六条 发明专利的申请人请求实质审查的时候，应当提交在申请日前与其发明有关的参考资料。

Article 36. When the applicant for a patent for invention requests examination as to substance , he or lit shall furnish pre-filing date reference materials concerning the invention.

发明专利已经在外国提出过申请的，国务院专利行政部门可以要求申请人在指定期限内提交该国为审查其申请进行检索的资料或者审查结果的资料；

For an application for a patent for invention that has been already filed in a foreign country, the patent administration department under the State Council may ask the app1icant to furnish within a specified time limit documents concerning any search made for the purpose of examining that application, or concerning the results of any examination made, in that country.

无正当理由逾期不提交的，该申请即被视为撤回。

If, at the expiration of the specified time limit, without any justified reason, the said documents are not furnished, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

第三十七条 国务院专利行政部门对发明专利申请进行实质审查后，认为不符合本法规定的，应当通知申请人，要求其在指定的期限内陈述意见，或者对其申请进行修改；

Article 37. Where the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council, after it has made the examination as to substance of the application for a patent for invention, finds that the application is not in conformity with the provisions of this Law, it shall notify the applicant and request him or it to submit, within a specified time limit, his or its observations or to amend the application.

无正当理由逾期不答复的，该申请即被视为撤回。

If, without any justified reason, the time limit for making response is not met, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

第三十八条 发明专利申请经申请人陈述意见或者进行修改后，国务院专利行政部门仍然认为不符合本法规定的，应当予以驳回。

Article 38. Where, after the applicant has made the observations or amendments, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council finds that the application for a patent for invention is still not in conformity with the provisions of this Law, the application shall be rejected.

第三十九条 发明专利申请经实质审查没有发现驳回理由的，由国务院专利行政部门作出授予发明专利权的决定，发给发明专利证书，同时予以登记和公告。

Article 39. Where it is found after examination as to substance that there is no cause for rejection of the application for a patent for invention, the patent administration department under the State Council shall make a decision to grant the patent right for invention, issue the certificate of patent for invention, and register and announce it.

发明专利权自公告之日起生效。

The patent right for invention shall take effect as of the date of the announcement.

　第四十条 实用新型和外观设计专利申请经初步审查没有发现驳回理由的，由国务院专利行政部门作出授予实用新型专利权或者外观设计专利权的决定，发给相应的专利证书，同时予以登记和公告。

Article 40. Where it is found after preliminary examination that there is no cause for rejection of the application for a patent for utility model or design, the patent administration department under the State Council shall make a decision to grant the patent right for utility model or the patent right for design, issue the relevant patent certificate, and register and announce it.

实用新型专利权和外观设计专利权自公告之日起生效。

The patent right for utility model or design shall take effect as of the date of the announcement.