The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has announced that 2009 saw a 5.2% decline in filing activity from 2008 (covering patents, utility models, trademarks and designs). This was the first time an annual decline was recorded in over a decade.
KIPO attributed the decline to the global economic crisis, and in particular a change in focus by large corporations towards the quality of their filings, as opposed to a high-volume defensive filing strategy. No further explanation of this quality focus was provided in the announcement.
Patent filing applications showed the largest fall, dropping Analysis of a sample of patent filings showed that individual filings were the largest single category in 2009, followed by large corporations, foreigners, SME¡¯s and universities.
Conversely, applications by SME¡¯s, individuals, universities and research institutes showed strong growth from 2008, which KIPO explain by the introduction of simplified filing processes (including upgraded online systems and tools that highlight errors on application forms).
KIPO also highlighted measures they are taking to promote continued filing growth going forward. These include assistance measures for companies involved in R&D and technology acquisition, application fee ¡°mileage¡± schemes and discounts on advanced payment of annual fees.
The EUCCK IP Centre continues to watch filing trends in Korea with interest, and is interested to note that among the measures listed by KIPO to promote growth in filing numbers, there were no measures introduced to ensure quality of applications is maintained.
Given the high growth in the volume of filing applications over the past decade, we shall continue to work with domestic partners to track volume against measures of quality, such as levels of payments for the use of patented technology.
For further information see KIPO website:
http://www.kipo.go.kr/kpo/index.html
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