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Korea, Mexico Ink PPH Deal
24 August 2012
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) have agreed to execute a Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) beginning July 1.
Through the PPH, patent applications submitted in both countries and granted at either on office may be quickly examined in the other office.
The PPH agreement was signed by KIPO commissioner Soo-won Lee and IMPI director general Rodrigo Roque on March 23 at the signing of a comprehensive memorandum of understanding on IPR cooperation between both countries at the IMPI office in Mexico City.
With the execution of the PPH, close cooperation on IP rights between Korea and Mexico is expected to increase following the expansion of economic and cultural exchanges, a KIPO statement said. South Korea is has filed the 11th largest amount of patent applications in Mexico.
KIPO said that South Korea’s execution of a PPH with North America linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico is expected to greatly expand Korea’s global business through IP strategies. South Korea also has PPH agreements with the United States (since 2008) and with Canada (since 2009).
“Mexico is a fast growing export destination and a bridge to the rest of the Latin American countries. The highway of convenience we formed with Mexico will greatly expedite acquisition of intellectual property rights by Korean businesses,” Lee told the Korea Herald.
