Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Fair Trade Commission, and Korean Intellectual Property Office Hold Roundtable to Eradicate Technology Theft from SMEs

Requests for Easing the Burden of Proof
Promise for Swift Measures to Eradicate Technology Theft

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on August 1 that it held a roundtable meeting with the Fair Trade Commission and the Korean Intellectual Property Office to discuss measures to eradicate technology theft targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This roundtable took place at the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership in Jung-gu, Seoul, with the participation of officials from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Fair Trade Commission, the Korean Intellectual Property Office, as well as SME representatives, related associations and organizations, and experts. The meeting was organized to quickly implement the government's commitment to eradicating technology theft from SMEs by listening to voices from the field and discussing improvements to government policies.

The roundtable proceeded with SME representatives sharing their direct experiences and challenges related to technology theft, policy recommendations from major associations and experts, and discussions on policy directions such as the introduction of a Korean-style discovery system to eradicate technology theft from SMEs. The SMEs attending the meeting requested: ▲ alleviation of the burden of proof for damages in technology theft lawsuits, ▲ more realistic calculation of damages for effective remedies, and ▲ stronger sanctions against acts of technology theft targeting SMEs.

In response, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office agreed to strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies to eradicate technology theft from SMEs and support recovery for affected businesses. Han Seong-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated, "Technologies that SMEs have developed over many years are directly linked not only to the survival and growth of the companies, but also to national competitiveness. We will swiftly develop measures to eradicate technology theft from SMEs by reflecting voices from the field."

Han Ki-jung, Chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission, said, "We will strengthen monitoring of technology misappropriation that undermines innovation and competitiveness of SMEs, and at the same time, actively pursue multifaceted institutional improvements to ensure sufficient remedies for SME victims with weak legal response capabilities." Kim Wan-ki, Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, emphasized, "Technologies protected by patents and trade secrets are key to the growth and survival strategies of SMEs. To eradicate technology theft, we will reinforce investigations by the KIPO Technology Police and actively promote improvements to related systems."