(1) If the contents of a patent application involve national defense interests, the National Defense Patent Office shall keep them confidential. If confidentiality is required, it shall be handed over to the National Defense Patent Office for examination in time, and the examiner shall issue a notice to the applicant to hand over the patent application to the National Defense Patent Office; Where confidentiality is unnecessary, the examiner shall issue a notice of consent to confidentiality review, informing the applicant that the patent application will not be kept confidential and shall be treated as a general patent application.
(2) Where the content of an invention or utility model involves significant interests other than national security or national defense interests, the Patent Office shall keep it confidential, and may invite technical experts in related fields to assist in determining it when necessary. The examiner shall issue a notice of approval of confidentiality review according to the results of confidentiality determination. Where confidentiality is required, the examiner shall notify the applicant to keep the patent application confidential and handle it according to the confidential patent application; Where confidentiality is unnecessary, the applicant shall be notified that the patent application shall not be kept confidential and shall be treated as a general patent application.