Korea-Saudi, Agreement Signed for Intellectual Property Cooperation Partnership

Commissioner Kim Yong-rae of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (third from the right) is taking a commemorative photo after signing an agreement with Commissioner Al-Swailem of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (fourth from the right). Photo by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] On the 17th (local time), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) signed the "Agreement for Strengthened Strategic Partnership" at the meeting between the heads of the patent offices of Korea and Saudi Arabia (hereinafter Saudi). On the following day, the agreement was exchanged at the "Korea-Saudi Smart Innovation Growth Forum," the KIPO announced on the 19th.

The agreement was made on the occasion of President Moon Jae-in's visit to Saudi Arabia. KIPO expects that the signing of the agreement in line with President Moon's visit will give greater momentum to cooperation between the two countries in the field of intellectual property.

The signing of the agreement is significant as it marks the successful conclusion of the "1st Phase Korea-Saudi Cooperation" initiated in 2019 and promises the beginning of new cooperation.

Previously, in June 2019, when Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman visited Korea, KIPO and the Saudi Intellectual Property Authority signed a cooperation agreement in four major areas, laying the groundwork for collaboration in the field of intellectual property.

The cooperation agreement at that time included mutual cooperation in ▲intellectual property strategy establishment ▲intellectual property information systems ▲examiner capacity building ▲operation of intellectual property consultation centers.

Based on this, KIPO dispatched a total of 19 public and private intellectual property experts cumulatively to the Saudi Intellectual Property Authority to develop a national intellectual property strategy tailored to Saudi local conditions and provided one-on-one customized training to patent and trademark examiners to enable high-quality examination.

It also contributed to improving the administrative system by establishing a roadmap for legal reforms in the intellectual property field and building information systems.

Going a step further, the newly signed agreement specifies 35 projects in five areas based on past achievements: ▲intellectual property ecosystem creation ▲patent examination ▲national intellectual property strategy ▲intellectual property academy (education) ▲intellectual property informatization. It also includes the dispatch of 11 Korean intellectual property experts to Saudi Arabia for two years to ensure effective implementation.

In particular, the intellectual property academy program added to the agreement focuses on operating invention classes for elementary, middle, and high school students and preparing customized intellectual property education curricula for universities, companies, and research institutes. KIPO expects this to contribute to fostering creative talents and spreading a culture of respect for intellectual property in Saudi Arabia.

KIPO Commissioner Kim Yong-rae said, "The agreement was signed with the Saudi government highly valuing the '1st Phase Korea-Saudi Intellectual Property Cooperation' that began in 2019 and aiming to realize its vision of becoming an intellectual property hub in the Middle East and North Africa region. As a member of the advanced five major patent offices (IP5), KIPO will strive to spread the experience and know-how accumulated so far to Saudi Arabia and other countries, creating a global Korean Wave in the field of intellectual property."