The China Patent Law provides protection to three types of patent categories, namely, inventions, utility models and designs.

"Invention" refers to any new technical solution relating to a product, a process or improvement thereof, "utility model" refers to any new technical solution relating to the shape, the structure, or their combination, of a product, which is fit for practical use, and “design" refers to any new design of the shape, the pattern or their combination, or the combination of the color with shape or pattern, of a product, which creates an aesthetic feeling and is fit for industrial application.

Basically, utility model patents can only cover products, but not processes, with improvements in effectiveness. It is generally considered that an invention has higher standard of inventiveness than a utility model.