Joint Review of Patents between South Korea and China is Expected

As the number of patent petitions between South Korea and China is increasing, the patent cooperation between two countries will be strengthened. Commissioner of the Korea Intellectual Patent Office (KIPO), Kim Kwang-Lim, and Administrator of Chinese Intellectual Industrial Right Bureau, Wang Jing-Chwan, are expected to agree on "joint review project" implementation in the areas of bilateral patent review during the "8th Chinese-Korean Commissioners Meeting" on April 9 in Cheju Island. The joint review is to establish patent rights rapidly and cost-efficiently to reduce the expense burden of petitioners due to the superimposed reviews on jointly petitioned invention patents to both countries.

Additionally, both countries will reduce the time and expenses of petitioners by exchanging electronically the "priority certificate papers" which recognize the rights of petitioners during patent petition. Chinese patent petition by Korean companies since the establishment of normal diplomatic relations between China and Korea since 1992 increased to 2,140 cases in 2000 from 195 cases in 1992, and its number ranked fourth following Japan, the U.S., and Germany when viewed by countries.

Ja-Ryong Koo bonhong@donga.com