EU seizes WTO to denounce China’s “unfair trade practices” – Labass.net

The European Commission announced on Monday that it had requested consultations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to denounce China’s commercial practices, deemed unfair in matters of intellectual property.

Brussels criticizes Beijing for allowing its courts to impose global royalty rates on patents essential to European standards without the consent of patent holders.

This practice, according to the EU, penalizes innovative European companies, particularly in key sectors like telecommunications and 5G, by forcing them to reduce their rates globally, thus providing an unfair advantage to Chinese manufacturers.

The Commission believes that these Chinese measures interfere with the jurisdiction of EU courts over European patents, undermining the ability of European companies to protect their innovations and inventions. She claims that these practices violate the WTO agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

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Faced with the lack of satisfactory negotiated solutions, the EU initiated this procedure to ensure that its cutting-edge industries can defend their patent rights and preserve their investments in innovation.

The WTO consultations mark the first step in this process. If no agreement is reached within 60 days, the EU may request the formation of a panel to rule on the dispute.

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