Enhancing Integrity in Patent Office Examination and Trial... Blocking Conflicts of Interest Between Officials and Patent Attorneys

Deputy Commissioner Cheon Se-chang of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (second from the left in the front row) is taking a commemorative photo after holding a meeting with the Patent Attorneys Association last month. Photo by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is taking steps to enhance integrity in the examination and trial sectors. The core of this initiative is to revise related laws and the Code of Conduct for public officials to block conflicts of interest between KIPO officials and patent attorneys.

On the 30th, KIPO announced that it will implement measures to improve integrity in the intellectual property examination and trial fields.

The improvement measures include pushing for amendments to the Patent Attorney Act to enable patent attorneys handling intellectual property examination and trial cases to disclose any connections with KIPO officials to patent clients or to prevent business activities exploiting such relationships in advance.

Additionally, KIPO will revise the Code of Conduct for public officials to prohibit officials from recommending or introducing specific patent attorneys or patent law firms in relation to their duties.

Other plans include ▲strengthening ethical regulations for examiners, trial officers, and patent attorneys ▲expanding the recusal system currently used in the trial system to the examination sector ▲expanding the online video consultation system considering the increase in non-face-to-face meetings amid the spread of infectious diseases ▲introducing an online broadcasting system for oral trials and explanatory meetings ▲allowing public observation of major trial cases of high public interest, thereby providing services that meet the expectations of patent clients.

Cheon Se-chang, Deputy Commissioner of KIPO, stated, "We will boldly innovate the existing framework to expand public participation throughout the entire examination and trial administration process and strengthen transparency in patent examination and trial procedures."