Further safeguards are now available for foreign plant breeders The Korea Seed Industry Act amendments, effective since June 2020, require proof of lawful acquisition for selling propagating materials of foreign plant vari…READ MORE

Patentees may now collect more damages in Korea The Korean Patent Act amendment, effective from December10, 2020, allows patentees to claim mixed damages, combining lost profits and a reasonable royalty for patent infringe…READ MORE

Medical use claims can be patented despite disclosure of clinical protocols The Korean Patent Court's recent decision on medical use inventions emphasizes the importance of disclosing concrete pharmacological data and rais…READ MORE

How do you fast track trademark registration in Korea? In the business world, time is often crucial. Fast-track trademark examination in Korea, taking 1–2 months, offers a quicker registration alternative compared to the re…READ MORE

Fashion design registration is now available within 10 days Since December 2019, Korea allows design registration for trendy fashion items within 10 days under a fast-track system, offering quick protection for short-lived de…READ MORE

Belated patent corrections may not be effective The Korean Supreme Court, in a recent en banc decision, ruled that a final and conclusive decision granting a patent correction does not constitute a ground for retrial. This…READ MORE

Seeking IP protection for medical devices Explore the thriving landscape of the Korean medical devices market, marked by significant growth, regulatory developments, and strategic patent protection for innovative technolog…READ MORE

Patent holders can now seek punitive damages in Korea The Korean government's new law supporting the medical devices industry, coupled with a rise in patent filings, reflects the sector's growth. Strategic patent protection …READ MORE

Korea updates rules on personalised medicines Precision medicine's growth in Korea faces patent eligibility challenges. Recent legal developments, including the recognition of patient sub-groups and dose/dosage regimens, of…READ MORE

Different salt from original drug can be covered by extended patent The Supreme Court in Korea ruled that the scope of a patent extended during the patent term extension period covers a different salt form from the original…READ MORE

Korea clarifies Design Examination Guidelines concerning priority claims The revised Design Examination Guidelines in Korea, effective from January1, 2019, clarify the standards for allowing priority claims in design applic…READ MORE

South Korea: Court rules on novelty when drug is sold before filing In Korea, public sale of a product before the filing date does not count as prior art if a person skilled in the art couldn't know the composition without …READ MORE

How to take advantage of the grace period in Korea In Korea, a one-year grace period offers protection for publicly disclosed inventions and designs. Understanding its conditions and submission requirements is crucial for s…READ MORE

Supreme Court rules that dosage regime is inventive The Korean Supreme Court's recent decision clarified the patentability of dosage regimen inventions, emphasizing the requirement for quantitatively remarkable or qualitati…READ MORE

Patenting a food-related invention in Korea In Korea, patenting food-related inventions requires careful specification and claims highlighting sensory or functional effects. Safety aspects are crucial, and claims should avo…READ MORE