Opinion: Don’t Let China Oversee the World’s Patents

Among the many United Nations agencies, there is one that actually delivers practical value to U.S. businesses. The World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva is a one-stop shop for filing patents, saving companies from having to register in multiple countries. The system takes in over 250,000 patent applications every year, including more than 50,000 from U.S. inventors, more than any other country. Critically, all applications have to be kept secret until they are published 18 months later.

So the U.S. has a strong interest in a well-run WIPO. The trouble is, the agency covers its own budget through user fees; ...