China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday slammed the US' recent move to change rules regarding the invalidation of patent applications as violating its international obligations, and vowed to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

In a press release posted on the MOFCOM's website on Tuesday night, a reporter noted that the US Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office recently issued a memorandum revising its transparency rules for patent invalidation applications, with a focus on reviewing applications filed by companies with foreign backgrounds, and that some Chinese enterprises have reportedly received notifications from the US side requiring them to justify their eligibility for filing patent invalidation applications.

Asked to comment on that, a MOFCOM spokesperson said that the Chinese side has taken note of the recent modification of rules concerning patent invalidation applications by the US under the pretext of "national security."

China believes that the US' approach violates its international obligations on intellectual property and constitutes a discriminatory restriction on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, the spokesperson said.

"China will closely monitor the development of the situation and take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," the spokesperson said.

(Source: Xinhua)