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ニュ-ス
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| Recent Developments of KIPOs Examination Capability |
2007-02-08 |
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Recent Developments of KIPOs Examination Capability
According to 2006 WIPO statistics, Korea is ranked No. 4 in the number of patent filings with KIPO, and No. 5 in the number of PCT application filings. On January 10, 2007, KIPO announced that they achieved the fastest examination period in the world: ten months from the filing date for the first office action. KIPO has over 1,000 members including about 700 patent examiners. Among the patent examiners, nearly 40% of the examiners have doctorate degrees and the others are well qualified as they passed a high standard national examination.
KIPO has been serving as both an international search authority and an international preliminary examination authority for international applications under the PCT since January 1, 2006. The USPTO, which files the largest number of PCT applications in the world, has designated KIPO as a competent international searching and examination authority for international applications filed at the USPTO under the PCT. The USPTO decision can be interpreted as recognition that KIPOs examination capabilities meet world standards. According to KIPO, their fees are much less than those of the USPTO and the EPO.
Applicants can compare the quality of examination, costs and conveniences of each patent office to conduct international searches and preliminary examinations of PCT applications. According to KIPO, Microsoft Corporation recently announced that it has designated KIPO as its international agency for conducting searches on all of their PCT applications, which may reach approximately 500 PCT applications per year.
Under the circumstances, an American applicant may obtain a search or examination report within ten months after filing a patent application in Korea. We believe that the applicant, like Microsoft Corporation, will benefit from KIPOs highly qualified and speedy examination capabilities.
** February 2007 **
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