Patent applications filed by Korean nationals to major intellectual property countries (Korea, the United States, China, Japan, and Europe, hereinafter IP5) have increased. A notable trend is the prominent patent applications in fields such as semiconductors, led by large corporations. This reflects an analysis that more domestic companies are seeking to gain a competitive edge by acquiring patent rights overseas in the era of technological hegemony.
According to the analysis of the 'IP5 Core Statistical Indicators' by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on the 15th, last year, the number of patent applications filed by Koreans to the IP5 (excluding Korea) reached 83,821, marking a 9.4% increase compared to the previous year.
During the same period, a total of 3.02 million patent applications were filed to the IP5 (including domestic applications), showing a 2.9% growth compared to the previous year. Compared to this, the growth rate of Korean patent applications to major countries was 6.5 percentage points higher than the overall IP5 growth rate.
Among the countries applied to, the United States accounted for the largest share at 51.7% (43,310 cases). This was followed by China at 23.9%, Europe at 15%, and Japan at 9.4%.
2023 IP5 Patent Office Patent Application Status by Applicant Nationality. Provided by the Patent Office
In the issuance status of priority claim certificates, which serve as an indicator of overseas patent application trends by Koreans, large corporations accounted for the largest share at 79.3%. In terms of technology fields, semiconductors (26.4%) and computer technology (13.8%) held significant shares.
A priority claim certificate is a document submitted to overseas intellectual property authorities when an applicant files a patent application abroad based on a domestic application, allowing the overseas application to be treated as if it were filed on the same date as the domestic application for the purpose of assessing patent requirements.
The high issuance of priority claim certificates in semiconductors and computer technology is considered to be linked to the rapidly growing market driven by increasing interest in artificial intelligence. In fact, the market size related to artificial intelligence increased from $86.9 billion in 2022 to $150.2 billion last year (source: MarketsandMarkets, 2024).
Based on this, KIPO forecasts that research and development and patent applications in semiconductors and computer technology by domestic large corporations will continue to be active.
Besides semiconductors and computer technology, Korean applicants have also primarily filed patents in the IP5 for fields including electrical machinery and energy sectors involving battery technology, as well as audio and video technology, ranking among the top positions.
Among Korean applications examined last year in the IP5, the patent grant rates were 85% in the United States (China 79%, Europe 78.2%, Japan 77.1%), 78.1% in Europe (China and Japan 69.7%, United States 65.0%), and 77.7% in Japan (Japan 78.7%, Korea 77.7%, China 74.6%), showing relatively higher rates compared to other countries in the IP5 patent application registration rates by country.
Korea ranked first based on the patent grant rates recognized in the United States and Europe, showing a 5 percentage point gap over China, which ranked second.
KIPO explains that this indicates the increase in overseas patent applications by Korean nationals is not merely quantitative expansion but reflects a strategic targeting of major markets by selecting technologies with a high likelihood of patent registration, which is encouraging.
Lee In-su, Director of the Industrial Property Information Bureau at KIPO, stated, “In the current situation where technological competition between countries is intensifying, securing exclusive rights overseas through patents is an essential requirement for companies to survive. KIPO will continue to develop various support measures to help domestic companies build a more comprehensive patent network overseas.”
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