Korea’s Patent Agency Aims for Global Expansion in Intellectual Properties

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is intensifying its efforts to play a leading role in the global intellectual property landscape by expanding strategic partnerships worldwide. This initiative comes as South Korea experiences a growing number of patented properties globally and an increased presence in the international intellectual property (IP) market.

South Korea has achieved the fourth position in the number of International Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, a system allowing a single patent application filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization to have the same impact as applying in multiple countries.

To further its global expansion, KIPO Commissioner Lee Insil participated in the 64th WIPO General Assembly in July, aiming to strengthen partnerships with patent agencies globally. During the event in Geneva, Switzerland, Lee engaged in bilateral meetings with 12 international patent offices and signed individual memorandums of understanding with Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden.

In collaboration with Australia, KIPO will expand cooperation in talent development and IP protection, sharing information on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. With Saudi Arabia, KIPO agreed to jointly provide Korean textbooks with WIPO to educate Saudi Arabian students on intellectual property.

The agreement aligns with Lee’s commitment to exporting Korea’s advanced patent administration system globally. KIPO has been sending patent officers to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for years, contributing to enhancing patent examiners’ capacity and streamlining patent review processes.

With Sweden, KIPO is committed to supporting Swedish researchers and patent officers through information services related to the Asian patent administration system.

Apart from these memorandums, KIPO reached a consensus to establish a Patent Prosecution Highway with Indonesia in the second half of the year. This system allows Korean companies to use the results of Korean IP reviews to expedite the patent examination process in Indonesia, facilitating patent registration for Korean firms entering the Indonesian market.

As of June, South Korea has established Patent Prosecution Highways in 37 countries. Moreover, with Mexico, KIPO has implemented a system enabling domestic companies to use WIPO’s patent application results to accelerate the screening process in Mexico, reducing the average period for patent registration for Korean companies in Mexico.

KIPO has also seen significant developments in intellectual property cooperation with the US and Japan this year. In June, Lee participated in IP5 talks in Hawaii, resulting in memorandums signed with the US Patent and Trademark Office to enhance comprehensive cooperation in intellectual property protection and the patent review process. Talks between Korean and Japanese Patent Commissioners resumed in Tokyo in May, focusing on cooperation in trademark and design examination and restarting examiner exchange initiatives.

Commissioner Lee emphasized KIPO’s commitment to sharing Korea’s knowledge and experience in intellectual property globally, aiming to foster a patent-friendly ecosystem for Korean companies overseas through ongoing strategic partnerships.

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