KCCI: "Patent Examination Periods Must Be Shortened in New Industries Such as AI and Robotics"

KCCI Small and Medium Business Committee Holds 98th Meeting
Calls for Institutional Improvements Such as Shortening Patent Examination Periods in Emerging Industries
KIPO Commissioner: "Intellectual Property Is the Survival Strategy for SMEs"

On September 17, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korean Intellectual Property Office held the 98th Small and Medium Business Committee meeting at the Chamber of Commerce building in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme of "Intellectual Property Policy and Utilization Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises."

At the 98th Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Small and Medium Business Committee, Park Iljun, the standing vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is delivering a greeting. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

This meeting was organized to discuss institutional improvements and policy support measures that would help small and medium enterprises protect their intellectual property rights and remain competitive in technology, amid a major industrial transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

Cheon Youngseok, CEO of Twini Co., Ltd. based in Daejeon, stated, "In emerging industries such as AI and robotics, the cycle of technological change is short, so the timing of securing patents is directly linked to a company's competitiveness. There is a need to improve the system so that patents can be obtained quickly by shortening the examination period." According to the Intellectual Property Statistics Yearbook of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, as of last year, the average patent examination period exceeded one year and four months.

Lee Euijhyun, CEO of Daeil Special Steel Co., Ltd., a company specializing in special steel manufacturing, said, "There is a shortage of patent examiners in Korea. To improve the quality of patents and reduce the invalidation rate, it is necessary to increase the number of examiners and strengthen expertise in each field."

The committee members also proposed expanding the selection of outstanding inventions, strengthening support for responding to patent disputes, and reflecting industry perspectives in the newly introduced evidence investigation system and advance notice of invalidation decisions.

Yoon Seokgeun, chairman of the Small and Medium Business Committee (and chairman of Ilsung IS), said, "It is essential for the government to provide more practical and customized support so that small and medium enterprises can actively secure intellectual property and utilize it for commercialization and global expansion."

Kim Wanki, commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, stated, "In the rapidly changing economic, technological, and trade environment, intellectual property is both a survival strategy and the key to technology-driven growth for small and medium enterprises. We will strengthen our support so that innovative technologies from small and medium enterprises become profitable and are protected as high-quality patents."

Kang Myungsoo, head of the Planning and Membership Division at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "We hope that this meeting will help address the challenges faced on the ground in securing and utilizing intellectual property for small and medium enterprises. We will continue to work closely with the government to provide institutional support to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises."