Patent Act Article 52

Payment of fees and publication of an issued invention patentFor a patent application for invention that is approved, the grant of such a patent application shall be published only when the patent certificate fee and the first-year patent annuity are paid by the applicant within three (3) months after the date on which the approval decision is served; if the fees are not paid within the said time period, no publication shall be made.A patent right granted to a patent application for an invention shall start from the publication date of the patent, and a patent certificate shall be issued thereto.The term of an invention patent shall expire after a period of twenty (20) years from the filing date of the application.Where the applicant unintentionally fails to pay the required fees within the time period set forth in Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 4 of the preceding article, the applicant should pay the patent certificate fee and two times the first-year patent annuity within six (6) months after the period has expired. After the said payment has been made, the Specific Patent Agency shall publish the patent.