Can AI be recognized as an inventor in Korea?
Patent offices and judicial bodies around the world are gradually settling on the validity of patent applications listing artificial intelligence (AI) as the inventor. Currently, both the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Administrative Court in Korea maintain a stance consistent with other jurisdictions, asserting that a patent application must designate a natural person as the inventor.
Read More
IP High Court’s evolving stance on dissimilarity of combined trademarks
The recent decision by the IP High Court, in which Lee International successfully represented a client, marks a significant departure from past precedent set by KIPO and the IPTAB. In IP High Court Decision No. 2023 heo 11425 issued on December 6, 2023, the court ruled that, despite sharing a common element, two trademarks are dissimilar when considering their overall impressions, including actual usage in trade channels.
Read More
Expedited examination for secondary battery technology applications at KIPO
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) introduced an expert examiner system in 2022 to prioritize high-tech applications for expedited examination, with expert examiners handling the cases. This initiative aims to bolster the global competitiveness of companies with significant high-tech production operations in Korea.
Read More
KIPO 2023 Statistics
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) reported that the number of intellectual property (IP) applications filed in 2023 totaled 556,600, marking an upward trajectory compared to the previous year. Breaking down the types of IP rights, there were 243,310 patent applications, which is a 2.4% increase from the previous year. However, 255,209 trademark applications were filed, representing a 1.5% decrease, and design applications decreased by 2.3%, totaling 55,335 filings. Despite
Read More
Expanding the Role of KIPO’s IP Dispute Resolution Committee in Addressing IP-Related Disputes
Alternative dispute resolution methods including arbitration, mediation and settlement offer avenues for resolving IP-related disputes outside of traditional court proceedings. Mediation, for instance, employs a neutral third party, a mediator, who independently proposes compromise solutions to the involved parties, encouraging them to reach agreements. Unlike arbitration, these proposed compromises in mediation lack legal enforceability, and unlike settlement, mediation involves the active participation of the mediator. Civil mediation, a specific form, involves court intervention. Once a dispute is resolved through civil mediation and a mediation protocol is drafted, it holds equivalent legal weight to a court’s final decision.
Read MoreLEE NEWS
Lee International 2024 Opening Ceremony
On January 3, 2024, Lee International employees gathered for the first time in four years to kick off an auspicious new year. It was the first occasion since the onset of COVID-19 that all the employees assembled, reminiscent of the gathering atop Namsan Mountain in the heart of Seoul, where we convened in 2020, just before the pandemic.
Read More
Lee International recognized as a leading law firm in the 2024 Legal 500 - Asia-Pacific Guide in South Korea
Lee International has been selected in the 2024 Legal 500 – Asia-Pacific Guide in South Korea Ranking as below. In the PATMA (Patent attorney and Trademark attorney) table, Lee International was ranked in Band 1, and in the Hall Of Fame: PATMA, the head patent attorney, Mr. Terry Taehong Kim, and in Leading Individuals: PATMA, associated Ms. Yoon Suk Shin, were recognized.
Read More
Lee International’s Contributions
The article ‘South Korea: IP Office’s DABUS Nullification Highlights Stance Towards AI Inventors’ co-authored by Lee International’s patent attorney, Young-Bo Shim and attorney at law, Dong-Hwan Kim, was published in the Asia-Pacific Patent Prosecution Review 2024 issued by the IP medium IAM (Intellectual Asset Management) of the global legal media, Law Business Research.
Read More