"Increased Risk of Overseas Patent Disputes... Companies Must Enhance Response Capabilities"

KCCI and KIPO Hold 'Intellectual Property Rights Protection Seminar'
"Low Overseas Patent Applications by Domestic Companies Pose Risks"

Recently, as overseas patent disputes have been increasing, there is a growing call for our companies to strengthen their capabilities to protect intellectual property rights and respond to disputes.

On the 10th, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a "Briefing Session for the Protection of Our Companies' Intellectual Property Rights" at the Chamber of Commerce building in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, from 2017 to 2023, a total of 140 cases of industrial technology leakage overseas were detected, with damages amounting to approximately 33 trillion won. The number of patent lawsuits filed by our companies in the United States has steadily increased from 97 cases in 2020 to 103 cases in 2022, and 117 cases last year. This is largely due to the intensification of global protectionism in trade and the competition for technological supremacy among countries. Consequently, there is an analysis that attempts by foreign companies to leak the core technologies of our companies are increasing.

In particular, our companies with advanced industrial technology are becoming targets of technology leakage, infringement, and brand counterfeiting in the global market, coinciding with the Korean Wave (Hallyu) phenomenon. However, our companies' overseas patent applications are low compared to major countries, and companies preparing for exports have insufficient capabilities to respond to intellectual property disputes.

Accordingly, the Korean Intellectual Property Office urged companies to actively utilize the government's intellectual property protection and response policies to prepare for the risks of overseas patent disputes. The Office monitors and shares in real-time the patent acquisitions and latest litigation trends of major patent management specialized companies (NPEs) that frequently file patent lawsuits. Additionally, the patent dispute strategy consulting support project has been expanded from small and medium-sized enterprises to universities and public research institutes. Furthermore, the Office operates a patent dispute risk alert system that provides information on high-risk patent technologies, patents with frequent disputes, and a list of foreign companies involved in many disputes.

Shin Sang-gon, Director of the Industrial Property Protection Cooperation Bureau at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, "Intellectual property is the core driving force for innovation and growth of companies," and added, "The Korean Intellectual Property Office will continue to strengthen support to protect our companies' intellectual property." Lee Jong-myung, Head of the Industrial Innovation Headquarters at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also stated, "We will expand various corporate support projects together with the government to ensure that our export momentum and competitiveness in advanced industries are not damaged by global intellectual property issues."