PATENT DISCLOSURE VS TECHNOLOGICAL SECURITY: BALANCING WESTERN INNOVATION PROTECTION IN A GEOPOLITICAL CONFLICT

Santrauka

Innovation is pivotal in national economic development, and it is essential that intellectual property (IP) rights are protected. Geopolitical tensions, especially since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, highlight the need to safeguard Western technological innovation. Despite sanctions aiming to restrict Russia’s access to advanced technology, Russia circumvents restrictions and deliberately violates Western IP rights. This article explores the limitations of existing technological sanctions and proposes a reform to the patent system by considering selective disclosure for dual-use technology patent applications. Selective disclosure of a patent application would provide key strategic benefits to Western nations in protecting their technological innovation and IP rights while maintaining the core principles of IP protection. This approach balances technological security with open innovation, ensuring that only trusted entities have controlled access to critical technological information.
Keywords: Patents, Invention Secrecy, Intellectual Property, Sanctions, Patent Disclosure.