1. Internet of Things (IOT) turned over the matrix of technological innovation
- The number of IOT-related patent applications has rapidly increased
Since IOT, which is a super-connected infrastructure ,has received attention as a leader of the IT converging technology, the number of the relevant patent applications has rapidly increased.
Upon looking at the technologies which have been filed in applications, things that you would only see in movies have been realized, such as the technology of extracting information of missing people, wanted vehicles or sex offenders by analyzing a video on high-definition surveillance camera and providing a police or related agency with the extracted information by a smart phone, the technology of operating lighting, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a TV, an air-conditioner, a vacuum, an oven, etc. by simply touching their respective screens on a smart phone.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the number of the relevant patent applications had rapidly increased every year, from 33 in 2009 to 229 in 2013. This is considered as a result of engaging the active international standardization of IOT which had progressed from 2008 and the IOT developing policy carried forwarded by the government.
Among the technological fields, the technology of controlling and managing a network between IOT devices has the highest rate in filing the relevant applications with 68.0%. This shows that the technological development to identify multiple devices and to solve an overload of the network traffic caused by concurrent connection has actively progressed. Many of those applications are related to the following detailed techniques: a connection control technique, a source assignment technique, a power saving technique, a device call technique, etc.
2. KIPO passes on the intellectual property (IP) strategies for a national development to developing countries
- ¡°2014 WIPO Asia-Pacific Area IP Seminar¡± which 15 countries attended was held
KIPO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) jointly held the ¡°2014 WIP Asia-Pacific Area IP Seminar¡± with the subject on IP as policy means for national development during the period, October 21~23.
This seminar was attended by 16 IP-related officials and experts from 15 countries from the Asia-Pacific area, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia. They had an in-depth discussion on the national IP strategies and enforcement and the IP functions to contribute to the national development.
The 15 attending countries were Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongo, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippine, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tonga.
In this seminar, the participants presented IP strategies and excellent cases by countries and proceeded with the analysis on the effects that the IP strategies had on the national development and economical growth.
This seminar is regarded as not only a field of opportunity to review the IP policies in consideration of the directions and goals of the national development but also an informative opportunity to pass on know-how of IP development on the nationwide level to developing countries by sharing the policies and experiences of the advanced countries including the Republic of Korea in IP fields.
3. Concerning graphene patents, the Republic of Korea is fighting for first place with the US in the global market
While the number of patent applications for graphene receiving a spotlight as a ¡®dreamy new material¡¯ has rapidly increased globally, the number of the relevant Korean patent applications has passed the number of the relevant US patent applications.
According to KIPO, the number of the Korean applications related to graphene was 57 in 2008. However, it explosively increased by 2~4 times every year, reaching a total of 4,255 applications at present. The Republic of Korea with this number is definitely holding the first place, passing the US with 3,559 applications and Japan with 1,583 applications.
Korean companies, universities and laboratories are also actively filing the relevant application in foreign countries. Among 1,262 graphene-related US patent applications filed by countries other than the US, the Republic of Korea is reported as filing the most applications with 603. The Republic of Korea is leading as a front-runner in the graphene field just, unlike the other material fields where it is still a second mover.
4. Chinese IP-related officials experienced Korean industrial fields
- KIPO invited Chinese officials in charge of IP to the Republic of Korea to do IP field training.
KIPO and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) jointly invited 27 central and local officials in charge of IP protection work in China to the Republic of Korea for 5 days (October 20~24), to do IP field training.
Those who attended the training included the officials, judges and professors handling the IP-related services in each of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the People¡¯s Republic of China (both in charge of the Chinese governmental IP rights), courts, customs, universities, etc.
Through the training, the invited participants visited KIPO, the Korean Patent Court and Seoul Main Customs under Korea Customs Service to share the pending issues. KIPO held an IP presentation so that the participants might widen their understanding of Korean IP protection system.
In addition, Chinese officials visited Korean industrial fields, such as LG Electronics, KBS, Korea Ginseng Corporation and Amore Pacific, and listened the relevant companies¡¯ IP protection current status and difficulties in China.
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