The number of global semiconductor companies requesting PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) international searches in Korea is steadily increasing. Among the top five companies submitting PCT international search requests in Korea, three are global semiconductor companies, and U.S. companies account for 25% of the total submissions.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on the 21st, last year Korea received a total of 30,023 PCT international search requests from domestic and foreign applicants. This ranks fourth after Europe (83,125 cases), China (72,923 cases), and Japan (47,342 cases). The United States ranked fifth with 22,919 cases, following Korea.
Status data of PCT international search applications received by country (international searching authority). Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.
The annual number of PCT international search requests received by KIPO was 28,291 in 2019, 28,650 in 2020, 29,282 in 2021, and 30,596 in 2022, showing an average annual growth rate of 1.5%. During the same period, Europe increased by 0.2%, China by 4.4%, while Japan and the United States recorded negative growth rates of -2.2% and -0.2%, respectively.
It is noteworthy that among the top five companies submitting PCT international search requests in Korea, three are global semiconductor companies.
The PCT international search is a procedure in which the applicant selects an international searching authority (patent office) to receive a preliminary assessment of whether the invention is patentable, which requires trust in the requested institution. The PCT system grants the effect of a single patent application across all 157 member countries that have signed the PCT treaty upon submitting one application.
Status of the top 5 companies in PCT international search filings at the Korean Intellectual Property Office as of last year. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.
The global semiconductor companies among the top five are Applied Materials (AMAT), Intel, and Lam Research. Among them, Applied Materials has maintained the undisputed first place for several years in terms of the number of PCT international search requests. This company requested most of its PCT applications filed with the U.S. Patent Office (an average of 99.6% over the past five years) to KIPO. Similarly, Intel (90.9%) and Lam Research (99.9%) showed comparable trends.
It is analyzed that the main destinations for requesting PCT international searches outside their home countries are primarily Korea and Europe, which differs from the patterns seen with China, Japan, and the United States. The background for entrusting PCT international searches to the Korean and European patent offices is attributed to their relatively high competitiveness in terms of search quality and search fees.
In particular, KIPO is recognized for its competitiveness in PCT international searches in advanced industries such as semiconductors by global companies based in the United States. As evidence, 7,155 cases (24%) of PCT international searches filed with KIPO last year were requested from the United States. This accounts for 14% of the total 52,576 PCT international search requests originating from the U.S.
The main technical fields of PCT international searches requested to KIPO were computer (813 cases), semiconductor (811 cases), civil engineering (704 cases), battery (electrical machinery and energy, 584 cases), and measurement (475 cases).
PCT International Search Application Status Data of the Korean Intellectual Property Office as of Last Year. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office
The top five domestic companies requesting PCT international searches last year were Samsung Electronics (4,314 cases), LG Electronics (1,922 cases), LG Energy Solution (1,502 cases), LG Chem (439 cases), and KT&G (290 cases). The major technical fields included digital communication (2,620 cases), battery (2,498 cases), computer (1,929 cases), medical technology (1,560 cases), and audio-visual technology (1,094 cases).
According to KIPO’s PCT international search reception status (as of 2023), domestic companies accounted for 73.8% (22,164 cases) of the total submissions, U.S. companies accounted for 23.8% (7,155 cases), and others accounted for 2.3% (704 cases).
Shin Sang-gon, Director of the Patent Examination Planning Bureau at KIPO, said, "The number of PCT international searches requested by domestic and global companies to KIPO is expected to continue to increase steadily. Since the results of PCT international searches are used as important information in patent examinations in all countries in the future, the Patent Office will make every effort to ensure quality management."
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