To help private inventors and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Korean Intellectual Property Office is planning to reduce the registration fees for patents and utility model rights from January 1st, 2009. In addition, the office is planning to expand the reduction rate for SMEs to 70%.
The modification of the fee system aims to reduce the cost-burden of patent holders in maintaining their rights, to support private inventors and SME`s, and to improve the quality of examinations for promoting the invention of patents more actively.
KIPO will reduce the registration fees for patents and utility model rights by an average of 9%, thereby addressing the view held by many private inventors, SMEs and other middle-standing companies that the fees paid to KIPO for maintaining their rights are burdensome.
Concurrently, following a cost analysis which indicated that the current patent fee is below prime cost, the office will raise the fee for requesting examinations. The increase is expected to improve the quality of examinations and expedite the system for examination requests as it will encourage applicants to carefully choose their patents and seek examinations for only those that require protection.
KIPO is also planning to expand the reduction rate of fees to mitigate the effects of the current economic crisis on private inventors and SMEs. The current reduction rate of 50% for medium enterprises and 70% for small enterprises will be expanded to 70% for all SMEs.
To improve the quality of international searches under PCT, KIPO raised its current international search fee, currently the lowest among the 13 international search authorities. To further reduce the burden on applicants, KIPO is granting a 50% pre-discount on the international search fee for searches applied in the Korean language, and another 75% refund on the paid fee if the examination results of prior domestic applications are used when the examiner writes the international search report.
An official of KIPO commented, "The modification of the fee system will not only reduce the cost-burden for patent holders such as private inventors and SMEs, but also the work-burden of KIPO by encouraging customers to seek examinations only for patents that need to be protected." The official also added that KIPO will continuously listen to the voice of customers regarding patent fees to establish an efficient and economical fee system that can reduce the burden for customers during the commercialization of their rights.
<Obtained from the website of KIPO (http://www.kipo.go.kr/kpo/eng); posted on January 14, 2009>
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