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South Korea leads with IP system use

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British patent attorneys hail Republic of Korea as ‘one of most innovative nations, leading the world in its use of the international IP system.’
The attorneys visiting Seoul on 27 November 2008 hope to find out what makes South Korean companies among the most active in the world, in terms of patenting new inventions in Europe and the USA.

‘The Republic of Korea now has the second fastest growth rate in the world for filing patent applications outside its own market,’ says Dave Bradley, President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys. ‘This represents a massive change, a country that used to be seen as a low cost centre for manufacturing goods that had been designed in Europe, the USA or Japan is now innovating, designing new products and using the world’s intellectual property system to protect its inventions. We look forward to meeting Korean industry representatives and IP specialists to find out more about this huge surge in new technology.’

Mr Bradley is leading a delegation from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) who are attending a UK-EU IP Day at Seoul National University on 27 November. The event is being organised by the Korean Patent Attorneys Association, with support from the University and from the British Embassy in Seoul.

During seminars in the University’s Centre for Law and Technology, CIPA specialists will explain some of the recent changes to the European patent system that make it easier and lower cost for Korean companies to register their patents. Patent Attorney Jonathan Jackson will run one of the seminar sessions on the European patent system and the recent implementation of the London Agreement.

‘Now that the London Agreement has been ratified and implemented,’ says Mr Jackson, ‘it’s no longer necessary to have everything translated into the local language of every European country where patent protection is sought. For example, Korean companies can now submit patent applications in one language, English, and get patent protection in Europe’s three biggest markets: the UK, Germany and France.’

Korean companies have strong links with the UK. ‘Korea’s top two electronics companies, Samsung and LG, both have substantial operations in the UK and are major employers here,’ explains Dave Bradley. ‘Korean companies’ patent applications in Europe have more than doubled in the past five years and many of them use UK patent attorneys. For example, Samsung has used CIPA members to file most of its applications to the European Patent Office.’

Following the meetings in Seoul, CIPA’s president looks forward to more companies there appreciating the benefits of using the UK as a gateway to Europe. ‘UK patent attorneys already have a good international reputation,’ says Dave Bradley. ‘We look forward to that reputation being enhanced following this visit to Seoul, as British patent attorneys will gain a better understanding of the needs of Korean high technology companies and they, we hope, will have a deeper appreciation of the benefits of using the UK, the main European country to have English as its official language, as their entry point into Europe.’
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