Korea’s patent examination cases having a 10-month period that is considered to be the fastest in the world, and legal precedents on patents disputes in Korea were provided to foreign universities. Therefore, these cases and precedents will play an important role in promoting Korea’s excellent patent system, and serve as reference to Korean companies when they encounter patent disputes.
According to the Patent Court of Korea on the 2nd of this month, last year the court signed an MOU with Universities such as Columbia, Washington, Harvard, and since then, it has been offering them related materials in English, including Korea’s patent law and casebooks on patent disputes.
The Patent Court of Korea started to implement the so-called “hub library” policy when it signed an MOU with Harvard back in 2010. With this policy, the court intends to provide up-to-date reference books about domestic patent litigations and legal materials to the Korean libraries set up in American universities. Since last year, the court has been increasing the number of universities to which it offers these materials, becoming the first non-English-speaking country to engage in this effort.
The court also signed an MOU with WesternLaw, a global legal search website, which allows people to find Korean legal precedents and papers, when global patent disputes arise. If the materials are provided in English, Korean SMEs can use them as references, which would help them hold the upper hand in legal disputes. The scope of services the court provides in partnership with WesternLaw is scheduled to expand this year.
In addition, the Patent Court of Korea plans to hold an IP conference, inviting major judges from the IP5 countries and opinion leaders.
Kang Youngho, the head of the Patent Court of Korea, said, “As the number of global patent litigations has been on the rise, foreign people’s demand for Korea’s legal system has also increased. However, we couldn’t meet the demand in the absence of English material. Therefore, we saw this as a good opportunity to promote Korea’s fast patent examination service and advanced patent system around the world.”
Presently, Korea boasts a 10-month patent examination period, the fastest service in the world. In order to boost a company’s competitive edge and patent efficiency, Korea introduced a customized patent system such as integrated, preliminary, and expert examination systems. Mr. Kang added, “A rapid process is the most crucial for patents, and Korea is the sixth fastest country in examining patents. On top of that, we will continue to advance our patent system based on an accurate and rapid examination system, which is also trustworthy.”
Reported by Jung Mina
Source http://www.etnews.com/20150602000327
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