- Launching English service for patent examination information -


Patents registered in Korea will acquire corresponding foreign patents more easily.


Starting from November 25th, KIPO (Commissioner: JUN, Sang Woo) is planning to provide an English version of patent examination information to examiners in foreign patent offices. Using the internet, the service includes documents related to the examination process.

When a domestic company has a patent registered in Korea and plans to file an identical patent in foreign areas, the company will have a better opportunity of acquiring the foreign patent swiftly since the examiner in foreign patent offices can refer to the examination results of domestic patent examiners.


KIPO has succeeded in shortening the examination period to 10 months as of the end of this year, becoming the world’s fastest examining office. This rapid examination process will provide more opportunity to foreign examiners who refer to KIPO’s examination information during their examination for an identical patent.


This service is expected to contribute greatly in allowing domestic applicants to acquire foreign patents, identical to the ones registered in Korea, faster.


The ‘trilateral patent offices’ (patent offices of America, Japan and Europe) have established an exclusive network named ‘Trilateral Document Access’ (TDA) to exchange examination information. They are promoting a ‘mutual recognition system for examination results.’ Under this system, if a patent is registered in one of these three offices, the patent will be registered quickly in the other two offices automatically, or through a very simply process.



KIPO’s English service for patent examination information is an initial step to enter a mutual recognition system for examination results.


Korea is already electronically exchanging documents claiming priorities with Japan. Also, the two countries are continuously discussing a way to exchange and use examination information with each other. The launch of this English service is expected to be a positive action for these discussions.


This examination information service is a reinforced version of K-PION (Korean Patent Information Online Network) that has provided a mechanical Korean/English translation service for patent information since November 2005. The service provides round the clock automatic English translations for documents related to examination, such as examination history, received documents, notices, and reports on preceding technology search.


Currently, K-PION is used by patent offices in 22 countries around the world, including America, Japan and European countries.