Patent law very basic knowledge: I. patent law = territorial principle. Of course there is a Chinese PTO and you can get a Chinese patent there. US patents have no value in the rest of the world unless you apply for the same patent worldwide. II. US patents <> patents for Americans Us patents = patents for the US market. Chinese inventors may get US patents. III. Once the US imports Chinese goods US patents apply. IV. Patents are bad for a free market as Hayek told us. V. You cannot use them as a non-tarific trade barrier.