KIPO's Activity

• Application by IPR type

500,000 in Annual IPR Filings:
In 2019, the total volume of IPR filings for a one-year period increased 6.1% from the previous year. For the first time, there were almost half a million IPR annual fillings.

 

A breakdown of IP rights shows that: the total preliminary number of IPR applications, including patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks, submitted to KIPO in 2019 amounted to 493,531; this was a 6.1% increase from 2018. In 2019, patent applications totaled 218,975, showing a 4.3% increase since 2018; Utility model applications decreased by 12.6% as compared to 2018, totaling 5,447, and this was the highest decline rate among all IPRs; Design applications increased 2.1% for a total of 64,111 and Trademark applications for 2019 totaled 204,998, a 10.2% increasee from 2018.

< Industrial property applications by type >

Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Patents 213,694 208,830 204,775 209,992 218,975
Utility Models 8,711 7,767 6,811 6,232 5,447
Subtotal 222,405 216,597 211,586 216,224 224,422
Designs 67,954
(70,190)
64,678
(66,728)
62,528
(64,986)
62,823
(65,434)
64,111
(66,637)
Trademarks 185,443
(239,334)
170,347
(204,012)
168,556
(202,539)
185,968
(232,109)
204,998
(252,309)
Total 475,802
(533,929)
451,622
(696,167)
442,670
(485,922)
465,015
(513,767)
493,531
(543,368)

[Note: Figures in parentheses include multiple applications.]

• The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

KIPO's yearly PCT applications reached 20,000 after a 5.2% year-on-year increase. KIPO secured ranked 4th with the most PCT International Applications under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Furthermore, the number of yearly PCT applications from South Korea surpassed 20,000 for the first time, having doubled within a decade (10,357 applications in 2011, 19,073 applications in 2019 and 20,060 applications in 2020).
In 2020, use of the PCT continued to grow despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and reached an estimated 275,900 applications1
– the highest number ever – representing a 4% increase over 2019.

< PCT international applications: top 5 origins >

Rank Country 2018 2019 2020 Estimate Share 2020(%) Change from 2019(%)
1 China 53,445 59,193 68,720 24.9% 16.1%
2 United States of America 56,172 57,499 59,230 21.5% 3.0%
3 Japan 49,703 52,693 50,520 18.3% -4.1%
4 Republic of Korea 16,919 19,073 20,060 7.3% 5.2%
5 Germany 19,754 19,358 18,643 6.8% -3.7%

[Source: WIPO Statistics Database, March 2021 / PCT Yearly review 2021]

• Maintaining the fast examination pendency

In 2019, KIPO's 's annual average first office action pendency period was recorded at 10.8 months for patent and utility model rights, 6.8 months for trademarks and 5.4 months for design rights.

< Average first office action pendency >

(unit: months)

Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Patents & Utility Models 10.0 10.6 10.4 10.3 10.8
Trademarks 4.7 4.8 5 5.5 6.8
Designs 4.4 4.7 4.9 4.9 5.4

• PCT international search reports and preliminary examinations undertaken by KIPO

The number of PCT international searches undertaken by KIPO totaled 27,167 in 2019, this was a 12.6% increase from 2018 which was 24,123. The number of international preliminary examinations undertaken by KIPO in 2019 was 131.

(unit: cases)

Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
International Search Reports 28,468 28,176 25,955 24,123 27,167
International Preliminary Examinations 208 209 169 131 131

• Registrations by IPR type

The total number of registrations for intellectual property rights in 2019 reached 306,522, a 6.9% increase from 286,659 in 2018.

A breakdown of IP rights shows that: patent registrations reached 125,661, a 5.6% increase from 2018; utility models decreased by 11.0% to 2,417; and designs increased by 5.9% to 52,850. Further, trademark registrations increased by 9.2%, totaling 125,594.

(unit: cases)

Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Patents 101,873 108,875 120,662 119,014 125,661
Utility Models 3,253 2,854 2,993 2,715 2,417
Subtotal 105,126 111,729 123,655 121,729 128,078
designs 54,551 55,602 49,293 49,905 52,850
Trademarks 114,746 119,255 116,704 115,025 125,594
Total 274,423 286,586 289,652 286,659 306,522

[Note: Trademark registration renewals are excluded.]

• Trials and appeals requested

The number of trial requests decreased by 11.3% to 9,008, from 10,151 in 2018. A look at IP statistics shows that: patents decreased by 19.1% to total 3,947; utility models decreased by 19.3% to total 167; trademarks decreased by 2.4% for a total of 4,482; and designs decreased by 13.8% to total 412.

(unit: cases)

Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Patents 9,112 6,796 5,689 4,876 3,947
Utility Models 252 306 240 207 167
designs 477(486) 512 421 478 412
Trademarks 4,145
(5,395)
4,346
(5,544)
4,216
(5,357)
4,590
(5,791)
4,482
(5,728)
Total 13,986
(15,245)
11,960
(13,158)
10,566
(11,565)
10,151
(11,352)
9,008
(10,254)

[Note1: Figures in parentheses include multiple applications.]

[Note2: Opposition of patents / Utility model has been enforced from March, 2019]