Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2024 submitted by KR
Please provide links to your website where the requested information can be found in English, French, or Spanish. Alternately, you may provide text responses instead of URLs if desired. If the information is not available on your website in an ATR language, then please provide text.
URLs in responses should meet the following requirements:
I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Information on the following topics is desired:
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has articulated its vision of “Advancing to a Global Leading Nation through Intellectual Property” and formulated five strategic initiatives spanning three core domains — “Examination and Trial,” “Domestic Intellectual Property Ecosystem,” and “Global Environment” — as part of its policy direction for 2024.
The five priority initiatives are:
Providing high-quality examination and trial services to support technological innovation;
Strengthening technological competitiveness through the utilization of intellectual property;
Establishing a fair order for the protection of intellectual property;
Advancing the business growth ecosystem based on intellectual property; and
Expanding the innovation infrastructure for intellectual property
Recently, in August 2024, the Act on the Management and Promotion of Utilization of Industrial Property Information was newly enacted and came into full effect. The main provisions of the Act are as follows: First, to enhance R&D efficiency and support industrial technology strategies, it allows for the collection, processing, and provision of disclosed industrial property information. Second, to prevent the leakage and ensure the protection of technologies related to national security, it permits the use of industrial property information under application and its sharing with relevant government agencies. In addition, it establishes the institutional foundation for building databases and systems, fostering professional personnel, and supporting the development of information services to meet data demands from the private sector.
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Information on the following topics is desired:
○ Operation of KIPRIS
Since 2000, the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) has provided the general public with free access to domestic and international intellectual property information.
In 2024, the KIPRIS website’s interface and functions were completely overhauled for the first time in 12 years. As of 2024, KIPRIS offers industrial property rights information from 29 countries, as well as non-patent literature.
Through various communication channels, such as user forums and supporter programs, KIPRIS collects feedback for service improvement. In 2024, the user satisfaction score for KIPRIS reached 89 points, an increase of 2.15 points compared to the previous year.
○ Expansion of Public Data Access
Through KIPRIS Plus, KIPO provides patent information to the private sector via Open APIs, bulk data downloads, and online download services.
The range of IP data made available includes patents, utility models, trademarks, designs, intermediate file packages, trial information, and foreign patents — totaling approximately 126 types of open data products. As of now, these IP data products are utilized in about 5,072 cases.
○ Expansion of Patent Document Machine Translation Services
To enhance examination quality, shorten examination periods, and improve work efficiency, KIPO is promoting the advancement of translation services for foreign patent documents. KIPRIS’s public translation service for foreign literature now provides translations of the same quality as those used by examiners.
III. SOURCES OF PATENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
Information on the following topics is desired:
○ Development of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Databases
Since 1999, KIPO has been building search databases for domestic and overseas intellectual property rights. Currently, it acquires IPR data from 56 foreign countries, including the IP5 offices such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
In 2008, Korean patent literature was included in the PCT minimum documentation, which must be mandatorily consulted by patent offices worldwide during international patent examinations. This inclusion highlighted the importance of maintaining the quality of KIPO’s search databases. To this end, KIPO has established systems to systematically refine and process acquired domestic and foreign data for errors before incorporating them into the search databases.
○ Publication of Intellectual Property Gazettes
Since 1948, KIPO has published industrial property gazettes. In May 1998, the format was changed to CD-ROM, and since July 2001, gazettes have also been available through an online service.
On a monthly basis, gazettes are distributed via DVD and FTP to 17 countries and organizations.
In 2023, approximately 775,000 gazettes were published, contributing to the protection of applicants’ rights and safeguarding Korea’s intellectual property rights abroad.
○ Korean Patent Abstracts (KPA)
The KPA is an English-language abstract of the main contents of inventions published in the Korean Patent Gazette, designed to enable foreign examiners and users to understand them quickly and accurately. Each abstract consists of bibliographic data, a summary, and a representative drawing.
Including the 149,345 abstracts published in 2024, a total of 3,511,994 English abstracts have been issued to date.
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Information on the following topics is desired:
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION
Information on the following topics is desired:
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION
Information on the following topics is desired:
VII. ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIPO STANDARDS CONCERNING PATENT INFORMATION
Note: For each Standard listed below, please enter one of the following values:
- "Implemented";
- "On implementation phase";
- "Planning to implement"; and
- "No plan to implement"
WIPO Standard ST.3: Two-letter codes for the representation of states, other entities and organizations
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.6: Numbering of published patent documents
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.9: Bibliographic data on and relating to patents and SPCs
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.10/C: Presentation of bibliographic data components
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.13: Numbering of applications for IPRs
No plan to implement
WIPO Standard ST.14: References cited in patent documents
Partially Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.16: Identification of different kinds of patent documents
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.18: Patent gazettes and other patent announcement journals
No plan to implement
WIPO Standard ST.26: Presentation of nucleotide and amino acid sequence listings using XML
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.27: Recommendation for the Exchange of Patent Legal Status Data
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.36: Processing of patent information using XML
Partially Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.37: Recommendation for an Authority File of Published Patent Documents
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.50: Corrections, alterations and supplements relating to patent information
Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.90: Recommendation for processing and communicating Intellectual Property data using Web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)
Partially Implemented
API service on KIPRISplus
WIPO Standard ST.91: Recommendations on digital three-dimensional (3D) models and 3D images
Partially Implemented
WIPO Standard ST.92: Recommendations on the Data Package Format for the Electronic Exchange of Priority Documents
Planning to implement
WIPO Standard ST.96: Processing of Industrial Property information using XML
Implemented
Other WIPO Standards Related to Patents
Note: Please list any other WIPO Standards related to patents (not mentioned above) that your Office or Organization has implemented, is currently in the process of implementing, or plans to implement in the future. For each Standard, please indicate the implementation status with an option: Implemented, On implementation Phase or Planning to Implement.
VIII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS
Please include any other relevant information here.
1.Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search and examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application.
2. Preclassification is allotting an initial broad classification symbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent application, using human or automated means for internal administrative purposes (e.g., routing an application to the appropriate examiner). Usually preclassification is applied by the administration of an office.
3. Reclassification is the reconsideration and usually the replacement of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent document, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of the Classification system (e.g., the IPC). The new symbols are available on patent databases.