Besides the invention patent, Chinese patent law protects the shiyong xinxing, the utility model. The Patent Law defines it as a new technical solution for the shape or structure of a product, or both, that is “suitable for practical use.”
A utility model is granted after a preliminary examination only and is protected for ten years. In 2023, according to China News Service, China granted 921,000 invention patents and 2.09 million utility model patents.