Prohibiting Adversarial Patents Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill stops companies that are considered national security threats from getting new U.S. patents. It specifically targets companies on lists managed by the Treasury, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Communications Commission.
• The main targets are Chinese military-linked companies and businesses that provide untrusted communications equipment. If these companies already own U.S. patents, they would no longer be able to use the courts to protect or enforce them.
• Supporters say this prevents foreign adversaries from using the American legal system to control important technology. It aims to protect U.S. innovation from being used by companies that might work against American interests.
• The President has the power to pause these rules for 180 days if there is a good reason. To do this, the President must explain to Congress why the company is not a threat and what the U.S. is doing to fix the security issue.

Impact Analysis

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