Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration issued a notice on the full implementation of the submission of electronic patent documents in the extensible markup language format. It is mentioned that if patent applications, reexamination requests, invalidation declaration requests and relevant formalities are handled in electronic form from January 1, 2026 (inclusive), patent electronic documents should be submitted in XML format, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration will no longer accept patent electronic documents in non XML format.

In order to improve the efficiency of patent examination and promote the informatization of patent work, in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the Provisions on Electronic Patent Applications (Order No. 57 of the China National Intellectual Property Administration), we hereby notify the following matters related to the full implementation of the submission of electronic patent documents in extensible markup language (XML) format:

1、 From January 1, 2026 (inclusive), if patent applications, reexamination requests, invalidation declaration requests and relevant formalities are handled in electronic form, patent electronic documents shall be submitted in XML format, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration will no longer accept patent electronic documents in non XML format.

2、 The scope of electronic patent documents that should be submitted in XML format includes Chinese national application documents for invention, utility model, and design patents, international application documents entering the Chinese national phase in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), reexamination request documents, invalidation declaration request documents, as well as other requests, applications, opinion statements, corrections, and other documents submitted during various procedures. The list of XML format files submitted by uploading files through the patent business processing system is detailed in the attachment of this notice. Other forms of XML format files can be directly filled in and submitted as required in the patent business processing system.

3、 Except that the nucleotide or amino acid sequence table is applicable to the WIPO ST.26 standard, the XML format file shall comply with the data standard requirements issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The standard specification for patent electronic document data, XML format conversion tool, and user operation manual can be used in the patent business processing system（ http://cponline.cnipa.gov.cn ）Get it from the "Tools Download" section.

4、 The parties and patent agencies shall submit XML format files in accordance with the requirements, optimize business processes, strengthen quality management, conscientiously fulfill the obligation of document verification, and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the submitted XML format files. If there are file errors caused by XML format conversion, remedial measures can be taken if sufficient evidence can be provided to prove it.