Intellectual Property Office Reports Record-High January IP Filings

Last month, the number of intellectual property applications filed in Korea was compiled as the highest ever for the month of January. The activation of one-person start-ups appears to have contributed to the increase in intellectual property filings.

The Intellectual Property Office announced on the 24th that 56,458 intellectual property rights were filed last month, an increase of about 39% from January last year (40,679 cases). In terms of January figures, this year’s number of intellectual property applications is an all-time high.

By type of intellectual property, there were 23,365 patent applications (up 45.2% year-on-year), 28,085 trademark applications (up 39.5%), 4,773 design applications (up 10.9%), and 235 utility model applications (up 50.6%), with the number of filings increasing across all types compared with last year.

This is analyzed as being due not only to major high-volume filers continuously increasing their number of applications, but also to a marked rise in filings by individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises in recent months.

In the breakdown of applicants, patent applications showed strong growth mainly among individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular, individual patent applications last month numbered 5,478, more than 210% higher than in January last year (1,766 cases), while SME patent applications totaled 5,758, up 50% from January last year (3,850 cases).

According to the Intellectual Property Office, trademark applications increased sharply as small business owners and startups actively sought to secure trademark rights with a view to business promotion and attracting investment.

The increase in individuals’ intellectual property filings is largely attributed to the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT, which has spurred one-person start-ups in fields such as ICT and information services.

Jeong Jaehwan, Director General of the Intellectual Property Information Bureau at the Intellectual Property Office, said, “The increase in intellectual property applications reflects the efforts of companies and individuals to commercialize product ideas through intellectual property rights,” adding, “In line with this trend, the Intellectual Property Office will spare no effort to support the transformation of citizens’ creative ideas into start-ups.”