1. KIPO expands and reorganizes a support organization in response to the export restrictions of Japan
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has a starting ceremony of an ‘intellectual property (IP) support group in response to the export restrictions’ by expanding and reorganizing the existing export restriction TF, to systematically support the counterstrategy on IP to the export restrictions of Japan.
Since July 4, 2019 when the export restriction action was published, KIPO has operated the export restriction TF’ to support companies related to the core items of the export restrictions.
KIPO will expand and reorganize the support group in response to the export restrictions, including the related organization, and will receive, through 23 local IP-DESKs of the country, difficulties and suggestions regarding IP in relation to the export restrictions of Japan.
If the difficulties and suggestions are received on the spot, the support group in response to the export restrictions will prepare a solution plan to solve the difficulties of the related companies.
Above all, with respect to the companies which request patent analysis and strategy support for the rapid research and development of alternate techniques, KIPO will provide these companies with basic IP consulting and patent counterstrategy and give preference to them when selecting the support programs, such as IP-R&D strategy support, etc.
2. Disputes relating to patents, trademarks, designs and trade secrets are solved by the KIPO’s dispute mediation system
The KIPO’s IP Dispute Mediation Committee has taken center stage as a new dispute solution means to replace litigation, based on the rapid and economic merits. The annual average number of requests for mediation filed by 2013 was only 5 but rapidly increased to 47 in 2016, 57 in 2017 and 53 in 2018. The rate of establishing mediation was 40% in 2017 and 43% in 2018, settling as an effective dispute solution means.
Since the IP Dispute Mediation Committee was formed in 1995, KIPO mediated a total of 292 disputes including 97 trademarks (33%), 80 patents (27%), 45 designs (15%), 38 utility models (13%), 25 inventions by employees (9%) and 7 trade secrets (2%) and an average rate of establishing mediation was 31%.
The IP dispute mediation system has no special cost for application and the mediation procedures are completed within 2~3 months. Therefore, this system is helpful, especially, to an individual or a small/medium company that is weak in responding to an IP dispute. Further, 40 experts in each field are appointed as mediators, to early settle a dispute by proposing a reasonable solution plan through conversation with both concerned parties and
3. Security loans on intellectual properties (IP) are like rain in a drought
After the business agreement to activate IP financing was made among the Financial Services Commission, KIPO and commercial bank in April 2019, the IP security loan performance increased in the first half of 2019, and even small/medium companies and venture companies with weak credit got the IP security loans from commercial banks.
The balance of the IP security loans as of the end of June 2019 was 404.4 billion Korea Won, which increased by 29% compared to 313.3 billion Korea Won as of the end of March 2019. The increase in the performance of the first half of the year resulted from the active participation of private banks, and the IP security loan balance of private banks by the end of March was only about 1.4 billion Korea Won but rapidly increased to 79.3 billion Korea Won as of the end of June.
To grasp the real state of the IP security loans in the first half of 2019, KIPO conducted a cable survey with 54 companies which got the IP security loans through the cost support based on IP valuation. As the result, it was learned that many companies with not so high credit got the loans and the IP security loans were helpful in financing of small/medium companies and venture companies by getting the loans with prime rate which is lower than credit loan.
4. The front glass of a car develops as navigation
According to KIPO, the number of patent applications related to augmented reality navigation which realistically displays a navigation screen of a car on the front glass of the car.
An augmented reality navigation device, which is a heads up display (HUD) or transparent display, indicates on the front glass of a car, driving information, an external object information (signal lights, lanes, another car’s driving information, surrounding buildings and area information, etc.), to suppress a driver’s visual field from dispersing so that the driver can focus on driving.
According to KIPO, the number of the Korean applications related to the augmented reality navigation device of a car (based on the dates of filing applications) was 14 during 2009~2012 and 113 during 2013~2018.
The trends of these applications filed over the last ten years by applicants are as follows: 120 applications (94%) were filed by Korean applicants and 7 applications (6%) were filed by foreign applicants. Major applicants were Hyundai Autron with 26 applications (20%), followed by Hyundai Motor with 33 (18%), THINKWARE with 15 (12%) and LG Electronics with 12 (9%).
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