1. As a revised version of a trial manual (12th edition) has been published, the trial quality is expected to improve
- Changed legislation (such as the system of requesting cancellation of a patent), practices and precedents are reflected in the revised manual.
The Korea Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (KIPTAB) published the revised manual reflecting the changes in the legislation (such as the system of requesting cancellation of a patent), precedents, etc.
The trial manual is a reference book of trial practices for the staff in charge of trial work and a guide book to inform the person directly involved and an agent of the progression and handling standards of the trial procedures.
This trial manual is the 12th revised edition, containing the revised matters and trial practices of the Patent Law and Trademark Law since July 2014 and the main precedents to be reflected in trial.
Specially, according to KIPTAB, this trial manual is focused on the point that the system of requesting the cancellation of a patent which has been enforced since March this year is smoothly operated, by regulating the procedures of the system and the formality and substantial trial methods.
Under the system of requesting cancellation of a patent, anyone may request cancellation of registration of a patent within 6 months after the registration is published, on the ground that the patent can be easily invented by a publication published prior to the filing date thereof.
Download of the revised trial manual is available at the homepage of KIPTAB (www.kipo.go.kr/ipt).
2. Trend of patent applications for water industry-related technologies
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the number of patent applications for water industry-related technologies, which were filed for the last ten years (2007~2016), was 7,592 in 2007~2011 and 8,354 in 2012~2016 with an increase of about 2% annually. The increase tendency seemed to have somewhat stopped since 2014. This is considered as resulting from external factors, i.e., the industrial influences and the changes in strategies of filing patent applications by companies and research institutes.
By applicants, 87% applications were filed by Korean applicants and 13% by foreign applicants. Of the Korean applicants, since 9.6% were big companies, 48.8% were small and medium companies and 6.9% were research institutes, mainly Korean small and medium companies were active in developing technologies and filing patent applications.
An advanced treatment process technology {membrane (separation) and advanced oxidation process} and a seawater desalination process technology, which are selected among the water industry-related technologies as the core technology development fields increased by about 6.7% annually and therefore the filing of the patent applications in the core technology development fields was more active in comparison with the total water industry-related technology fields.
Specifically, the membrane technology field, where the filing of patent application was the most active, showed an increase of about 13.5% annually. The number of the patent applications in this field steadily increased from 101 in 2007 to 351 in 2014.
3. KIPO will open a 「2017 D2B Design Fair」
KIPO and Korea International Trade Association (KITA) announced to hold the ‘2017 D2B (Design-to-Business) Design Fair’, to provide young designers with an opportunity to obtain a right of a design and commercialize the design and to supply creative designs to Korean small and medium companies.
Anyone who is at least 18 years of age can submit a piece, individually or as a team, to the Fair which is in its twelfth year.
An individual or team which wishes to participate may register in advance through the homepage of the Fair (www.d2bfair.or.kr) and then submit a design during the period from May 1 to June 9, 2017.
A contestant with a design piece which passes the first examination will participate in a D2B Summer School to be held in July, which includes education of the intellectual property system, design application filing know-how, companies’ mentoring, etc. such that the submitted design can be protected as a property right.
4. A ‘competitive exhibition for IP information use’ and a ‘start-up assistance program in IP information field’
To increase people’s interest in intellectual property (IP) information and to create a boom in establishing a business, KIPO announced it will hold a ‘competitive exhibition for IP information use ideas’ and carry forward a ‘start-up assistance program in IP information fields’.
In its third year, the idea competitive exhibition will proceed with a creative ‘idea plan’ and a ‘service commercialization development’, both using the IP information. Anyone that is a citizen of the Republic of Korea can apply.
The period for entering the exhibition is from March 10 to April 30, 2017 and entering is possible in the IP information use service homepage (http://plus.kipris.or.kr).
The winner(s) gets a prize of the commissioner of KIPO, a prize of the CEO of the Korea Institute of Patent Information and a reward. The winner(s) receives benefits of exemption or discount from the fees of IP information education conducted by the Korean Association for Intellectual Property Services (KAIPS).
The prize winning piece is given to an opportunity to participate in the final of the ‘5th startup competition for establishing a business using public data’ (scheduled in July), which is held by the Ministry of the Interior.
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