Geneva: The World Trade Organization (WTO) today ruled in a major dispute between the European Union and China over patent rules, here today. The decision came from an appeal by the EU and a counter-appeal by China about a report on how China handles patents essential for key technologies.
The EU said China’s rules, which stop European companies from protecting their patents in courts outside China, broke global trade agreements. China argued its rules were fair and tried to defend the earlier report’s findings.
The WTO’s arbitrators, working under a special appeal system, decided China’s rules violated trade laws that protect patent owners’ rights and ensure fair processes. They overturned parts of the April 2025 report that had sided with China.
The WTO also agreed with the EU that China wasn’t open enough about its court decisions on these patents, breaking rules on sharing information. However, some of the EU’s bigger claims about problems in China’s system didn’t have enough proof.
China’s counter-appeal was mostly rejected, giving the EU a big win. There’s no clear deadline for China to fix its rules, but if it doesn’t, the EU could push for trade penalties.
This ruling could change how patents are handled worldwide, helping EU companies protect their technology while pushing China to update its patent system. The decision came from an appeal by the EU and a counter-appeal by China about a report on how China handles patents essential for key technologies.
The EU said China’s rules, which stop European companies from protecting their patents in courts outside China, broke global trade agreements. China argued its rules were fair and tried to defend the earlier report’s findings.
The WTO’s arbitrators, working under a special appeal system, decided China’s rules violated trade laws that protect patent owners’ rights and ensure fair processes. They overturned parts of the April 2025 report that had sided with China.
The WTO also agreed with the EU that China wasn’t open enough about its court decisions on these patents, breaking rules on sharing information. However, some of the EU’s bigger claims about problems in China’s system didn’t have enough proof.
China’s counter-appeal was mostly rejected, giving the EU a big win. There’s no clear deadline for China to fix its rules, but if it doesn’t, the EU could push for trade penalties.
This ruling could change how patents are handled worldwide, helping EU companies protect their technology while pushing China to update its patent system.
– global bihari bureau
