With an average 10 months for the patent examination period for the first action as of the end of 2006, KIPO (Commissioner: Sang-Woo Jun) has succeeded in reducing the first examination period of a patent down to
10 months.
In 2002, the average examination period for a patent in Korea was 22months . Within only four years, the office succeeded in providing the fastest patent examination service. According to KIPO, improvement was possible thanks to changes such as the following:
- recruitment of additional patent examiners;
- policies to reduce the burden on examiners, such as expanding outside orders on preceding technology search;
- maximization of examining performance by adapting performance-based management (Monthly achievement on patent examination for each examiner: 54.1 points in 2002, 79.5 points in 2006);
- upgrade of the patent administration system, such as the establishment of an automatic search system;
- internal innovation, such as the introduction of 6Sigma management to advance the examination process;
and
- continuous self-improvement efforts.
Upon KIPO’s achievement of a 10-month patent examination period, loss by domestic companies caused by an extended examination period (estimated to be about 1.6 billion USD per year) will be reduced drastically.
In addition, the reduction of the examination period will accelerate the rate of patent applications and commercialization of inventions. By improving the efficiency of domestic R&D investment, it will also contribute greatly to reinforcing national competitiveness.
Last year, KIPO also started a full-scale export of its patent examination service. Since KIPO has been appointed an international searching authority and preliminary examining authority for PCT applications from 8 countries (including America, New Zealand, and Singapore), global companies such as American Microsoft, 3M, and French Thompson have requested KIPO, instead of their own patent offices, to examine more than 597 of their applications filed under PCT.
KIPO is committed to reinforce its performance-based management ,enabling KIPO to continue providing more faster patent examination service.
To mark an important milestone in KIPO’s history-the 10-month patent examination period, KIPO held a ceremony to commemorate the achievement on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 at the Daejeon Government Complex.
More than 1,000 employees and families of KIPO have been participated in the ceremony. The event included a variety of programs, such as the congratulatory messages from the Prime Minister and the deputy Prime Minister, recognition and awards for meritorious employees who have contributed to reducing the examination period, and a congratulatory performance by B-Boy dancers.
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