Patent Deals Undercut Tech Decoupling

Cross‑border patent sales and broad FRAND cross‑licenses can keep technical ecosystems interoperable even when export controls and political tensions push toward decoupling. Such deals — including purchases of national patents and first‑time inclusion of 5G in a US‑China licensing pact — create legal and commercial levers that preserve technology linkages and revenue flows across rivals. — If patent commerce routinely bridges sanctioned supply chains, policymakers must rethink how IP transactions interact with export controls, national security reviews, and industrial policy.