EU and US Patent Rules Tighten as Governments Target IP Control

On 18 March 2026, patent policy in Europe and the United States came under renewed pressure as reporting highlighted two major moves: an EU sanctions framework that restricts new IP filings from Russian applicants, and a proposed USPTO rule that would make mass patent invalidation easier in the U.S.[2]

The European measure is part of the EU’s 14th sanctions package, which requires European intellectual property offices to stop accepting new patent, trademark, industrial design, utility model, and geographical indication filings from Russian individuals and companies.[2]

In the U.S., the proposed patent rule would streamline proceedings for cancelling patents without a full merits review, a change that could significantly reshape enforcement and challenge strategies in the American patent system.[2]

Together, the developments point to a sharper geopolitical role for patent law, where invention protection is increasingly tied to sanctions policy, administrative power, and competition among major economies.[2]