HONG KONG - The Designs Registry under the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) in the People’s Republican of China will reduce the fees of various design registration and post-registration services with effect from March 1. The levels of reduction are from 10 percent to 70 percent, 2024, according to the official website of IPD.

The Government has all along adopted a multi‑pronged strategy to promote intellectual property (IP) trading, including strengthening the protection of IP rights. The fee reduction concerned is one of the policy measures under the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address to promote the further development of IP trading.

The Director of Intellectual Property, Mr. David Wong, said, "This measure encourages the trade to register designs by electronic means as soon as possible to obtain legal protection for new product designs, facilitating IP commercialization and promoting the development of creative industries." 

The fee level of government services is generally set based on the "user pays" principle. The reduction of fees of the Registry's services is attributable to increased efficiency and reduced cost as a result of updating the information technology system and streamlining workflows.

"Efficient registration services are an important aspect of the IP protection system. We will continue to utilize technology to raise service standards, further enhance Hong Kong's business environment and make every effort to develop Hong Kong into a regional IP trading center," Mr. Wong added.