KIPO to Strengthen Anti-Counterfeiting Activities.

From the perspective of strengthening the protection of industrial property rights, KIPO will conduct a large-scale crackdown on so-called 'Jjaktung' (counterfeit goods). For this, KIPO has decided to make a strong push for control of forged goods jointly with local autonomous governments by dividing the nation into 20 red zones and 21 yellow zones according to the seriousness of their distribution.

Judging that the effort by local governments is a prerequisite to root out the distribution of counterfeit goods spreading nationwide, KIPO plans to conduct specialized training for related government officials, while providing them with distribution information. Starting this year, the office also plans to encourage reinforced crackdowns in the field by reflecting a priority of crackdown achievements such as lodging of complaints rather than guidance/publicity results in its appraisal of counterfeit-goods distribution-prevention performances mandated of local autonomous governments.

Also in 2003, KIPO checked 548 stores jointly with local governments and found 10,160 counterfeit goods. It issued rectification notices to 332 stores and filed criminal suits against 216.

Meanwhile, according to the Unfair Competition Protection and Trade Secrets Protection Act, sale of forged goods with famous trademarks shall incur imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding 30 million won. KIPO is also utilizing reports by citizens in its crackdown through its Counterfeit-Goods Report Center (Tel: 042-472-0121, Internet: www.kipo.go.kr/ippc).    

Publicizing KIPOnet Knowhow to the World.

KIPO plans to exhibit its KIPOnet, which is being praised as a world-class information system, at '2004 International Exposition on Government Innovation' to be held July 14-18 (five days) at COEX, Seoul, to showcase Korea's e-government model to the world.

The patent office also will present a thesis 'Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Realizing e-Government Vision for Intellectual Property Administration,' as one of 'Best Practices in e-Governance,' at a workshop of the academic forum to be held jointly with IIAS (International Institute of Administrative Sciences) and IASIA (International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration) on July 15.

At this year s expo, about 70 domestic and overseas organizations (44 domestic government, 20 foreign government and 10 corporate pavilions) are scheduled to feature innovation practices in the realization of e-government. Among these, KIPOnet is a world-renowned patent information system that is attracting benchmarking demands from abroad as well as domestically.

KIPOnet (www.kipo.go.kr) is the world' s first and most advanced Internet-based information system, which offers online all patent administration processes from filing of an application to examination, registration, trial, notification, payment of fees, etc.

With establishment of the patent information system, Korea is saving about 230 billion won in administrative and civil petition expenses annually. In July last year, the nation also recorded the one-millionth e-application via the Internet for the first time in the world.

To transfer KIPOnet' s development experience and knowknow, Korea also received US$400,000 in support funds from APEC and carried out technical consultancy for Thailand, Peru, Vietnam, etc., as word of the excellence of the system spreads within and outside of the nation. As a result, KIPO was awarded the Presidential Prize in the 2002 Public Sector Innovation Contest participated in by 203 organizations, including central government agencies, local autonomous bodies, public enterprises, subordinate organizations, etc.

KIPO plans to prepare a 'Patent.net Experience Corner' for the exposition so that visitors can experience directly all the patent administration processes from filing of patent applications to receipt of registration certificates. The patent office also plans to display KIPRIS (www.kipris.or.kr), which offers search of 29 million cases of patent technology information worldwide free of charge, as well as its online IPR education-specialized site, Cyber International Patent Academy (www.ipacademy.net).

In addition, KIPO is also preparing a surprise event, a musical to highlight the innovation of its KIPOnet, and a wide variety of other online and offline events, including an information search contest and a patent net puzzle game.      

At the International Expo on e-Government Innovation, domestic and foreign visitors consisting of the general public and some 1,000 IIAS members will be able to experience directly the e-government model, which harmonizes Korea's IT infrastructure, people's Internet utilization ability and superiority of the e-application system together through KIPOnet's innovation practices.