The Ministry of Commerce responds to the US's modification of the rules related to invalidation of patent applications

Beijing, November 18 (Xinhua) -- The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce stated on November 18 that China has noticed that the United States has recently modified the rules related to invalidation of patent applications under the pretext of "national security". The Chinese side believes that the US approach violates its international obligations related to intellectual property rights and is a discriminatory restriction on the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises. The Chinese side will closely monitor the development of the situation and take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

A reporter asked, the US Patent and Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce recently issued a memorandum to modify the transparency rules for patent invalidation applications, with a focus on reviewing applications submitted by companies with foreign backgrounds. It is reported that some Chinese companies have received notification from the US requesting them to state the reasons for applying for patent invalidation. What is the evaluation of the Ministry of Commerce on this? The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce made the above response.