Singapore, South Korea Ink IP Pacts
29 November 2012
The chief executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) Tan Yih San and Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) commissioner Kim Ho-Won have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on comprehensive intellectual property cooperation, as well as a MoU on a pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme between Singapore and South Korea. Both MoUs were signed at the sidelines of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assemblies held in Geneva.
According to IPOS, the MoU on cooperation in the field of IP establishes an overarching framework for bilateral cooperation between IPOS and KIPO that is aimed at improving the administration and effectiveness of IP systems in both offices through exchanges of information and best practices. The areas of cooperation include the enhancement of patent search and examination capacity between the two offices, and exchange of information on regional and international developments in IP and other IP trends.
The MoU on the PPH programme is aimed at improving work efficiency and patent quality by way of sharing search and examination results between the two IP offices. This will allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.
“Enhanced bilateral cooperation between KIPO and IPOS will open new opportunity to foster creation, protection and promotion of IP,” said Kim. “Particularly, the PPH partnership between KIPO and IPOS is an important milestone for patent cooperation between the two countries. KIPO will work closely with IPOS to enhance cooperative efforts in the patent field.”
Tan said that the Memorandum of Understanding marks a significant achievement in patent cooperation between IPOS and KIPO. “Patent applicants and stakeholders in both countries will benefit from the fast track examination provided by the PPH pilot programme. Not only will it enhance patent efficiency and quality, it will also promote technology innovation and economic development in both countries. This is a positive step towards building Singapore as an IP hub for the region,” Tan said.
The implementation of the new PPH pilot programme between Singapore and Korea will commence on January 1, 2013.
