What should I do if the patent application involves national defense interests and needs to be kept confidential?
Where a patent application involves national defense interests and needs to be kept confidential, it shall be accepted and examined by the national defense patent agency; Where the patent application accepted by the patent administrative department of the State Council involves national defense interests and needs to be kept confidential, it shall be handed over to the national defense patent institution for examination in time. If the national defense patent agency finds no reasons for rejection after examination, the patent administration department of the State Council shall make a decision to grant the national defense patent right. What if the patent application involves national defense interests and needs to be kept confidential? Where the administrative department for patent in the State Council considers that its accepted application for a patent for invention or utility model involves significant interests other than national security or national defense interests and needs to be kept confidential, it shall promptly make a decision to treat it as a confidential patent application and notify the applicant. Special procedures for examination and reexamination of confidential patent applications and invalidation of confidential patent rights shall be formulated by the patent administration department of the State Council.