1. The heads of Samsung and LG quickly met to end the ‘display dispute’
Samsung and LG which had fought legal and emotional battles by a display patent dispute conducted their first negotiation resulting in a peaceful mood through government arbitration.
Mr. Ginam KIM, a representative of Samsung Display, and Mr. Sangbeom HAN, a representative of LG Display, had a luncheon meeting in the Seoul Palace Hotel , together with Mr. Jaehong KIM, the head of the Office of Industries of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, seeking a consensus to reasonably and smoothly settle the dispute including a patent lawsuit.
After the luncheon meeting, Mr. Jaehong KIM said, “the two companies decided to agree in a meaningful direction”. Mr. Ginam KIM of Samsung Display said, “we will properly solve disputes in a calm and orderly way”. Mr. Sangeom HAN of LG Display said, “there will be detailed negotiations between the executives of the two companies in the manner of deciding what to give and what to receive.”
A spokesperson of LG Display emphasized, “if Samsung takes a stand by withdrawing the lawsuit, LG will be able to communicate in earnest accordingly.”
2. The period for a trial to invalidate a patent of a non-rightful person is shortened by five (5) months
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Tribunal (KIPT), as a trial to invalidate a patented invention registered by a non-rightful person is designated as the subject for a prompt trial, the period of the trial is shortened by five (5) months, from nine (9) months to four (4) months.
In the meantime, since an inventor of a patented technology stolen and illegally used had to file a trial for invalidation with KIPT, to return the patent technology with the trial period taking nine (9) months, there was difficulty in promptly recovering the right.
KIPT designated a trial for invalidation or a trial for confirmation of scope which is filed by a party directly concerned with a case charged by the prosecution or police as to whether or not a patent right infringement exists.
These actions broaden the way the prosecution or police can use KIPT’s trial decision in determining whether an infringement has occurred.
3. Motors produced without rare earth elements are seen in the large increase in the relevant patent applications
- The activity of patent applications related to the non-rare earth motor technology is vigorous
As the sharp rise in rare earth prices has been raised as a global issue, the number of patent applications related to the motor technology not using rare earth elements has increased.
According to the data of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the number of the patent applications for the motor technology not using the rare earth elements increased from 6 in 2009 to 11 in 2010 and showed a rapid increase with 26 applications being filed in just the first half of 2011.
The rare earth for a motor typically includes neodimyum and dysprosium. It is known that about 1kg rare earth elements are used for a motor of one electric car.
At present, the development of the non-rare earth motor technology is conducted in two ways. One is the technology to improve the structure of a switched reluctance (SR) motor which does not need the rare earth elements. The other is a material technology to replace the rare earth elements with high characteristic ferrite.
Based on the relevant applications filed during the first half of 2011, 15 applications (58%) are related to the SR motor-related technology, 11 (42%) are related to the ferrite related technology, showing that the number of SR motor-related applications are slightly more. Based on the applicants of these applications, Samsung Electric filed the most applications, 11 (73%), in the SR motor field, and Korean companies filed 6 applications (55%) and Japanese companies filed 4 applications (36%) in the ferrite field.
4. KIPO’s patent education program for agricultural managers is popular
- The outreach education program of searching patent information and supporting electronic application filings is riding high.
KIPO and the Rural Development Administration will proceed, without cost, with the outreach education program of patent information searches and electronic application filings in twenty-one (21) agricultural technology centers all over the country.
These days, agricultural managers’ interest in intellectual property rights has increased.
This education program starting from 2007 was performed 750 times for small/medium companies, universities, local knowledge property centers and business incubator centers and about 18,500 man-days participated in the program. In the first half of this year, this education program is scheduled to be presented 118 times. Lectures specializing in the intellectual property rights directly visit those subject to the education program and educate how to search the patent information and how to file an electronic application, etc. through practice.
The director of the Information Policy Bureau of KIPO expressed, “we will positively find consumers so that the education program benefits a class who is interested in intellectual property rights but is not able to easily work with patent information and we will make every effort for the popularization of intellectual property rights by improving the education quality.
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