KIPO  Launches  Online  Exchange  of  Documents  with  WIPO.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced that it will begin exchange of documents online with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) for the first time among all intellectual property offices in the world beginning Sept. 16.

WIPO launched a system in April this year in which it can exchange documents online with national intellectual property offices after having undertaken an informationization project for several years to effectively handle documents related to the rapidly increasing volume of international patent affairs. As it hoped to have the first online exchange of documents with KIPO and having completed tests successfully between the two offices in August this year, they agreed to begin online exchanges in September.

The reason that WIPO chose KIPO as its partner in the informationization sector is believed to be KIPO's high level of and enthusiasm for informationization. As a result, WIPO expects to successfully establish the online exchange system through KIPO.

In the meantime, WIPO was quite impressed with KIPO's success in operating its e-application system for PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) and reaching the highest level in the world (60%). It continues working-level consultation among computerization specialists with KIPO on cooperation in the computerization sector.

WIPO has said that to expand the online link from KIPO to all national IPOs it would include the content of documents exchanged online between WIPO and KIPO in material to be presented at its regular general meeting at the end of September, which will be attended by all member countries.

The PCT system provides the effect of patent applications to all the countries in the world that have signed the treaty with one single application. The number of PCT applications is used as an important index indicating the technology capability of each country.

In 2003, there were about 110,000 PCT international patent applications in the world. KIPO, with about 3,000, ranked seventh following the U.S., Japan, Germany, UK, France and the Netherlands.

Korea Recorded 6th Most PCT Applications.

The KIPO announced that the number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications filed in Korea in the first half of the year reached 1,341 cases, the sixth largest number of PCT applications filed in the world.

The number of PCT applications filed in Korea has continuously grown from recording the 14th largest in the world in 1999, to 11th in 2000, and seventh in 2003.

By country, the U.S. has recorded the largest with 12,463 cases, followed by Japan with 8,703 cases, Germany with 5,588 cases, the UK with 2,363 cases, and the Netherlands with 1,697 cases.

International Patent Application Software to be Developed.

The KIPO announced that it will develop (in a joint effort with the WIPO) international electronic patent application software to be distributed to government patent offices of other countries.

The software, which will facilitate the management of patent applications and is called PCT-ROAD, is expected to be deployed in the first half of 2005.

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