(Health Korea News / Changyong Lee) Following semiconductors and secondary batteries, the Korean Intellectual Property Office is introducing priority patent examination in the bio field as well. Kim Wan-ki, Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, announced the ‘Intellectual Property-based Dynamic Economy Implementation Strategy’ including these contents at the Daejeon Government Complex on the 5th.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office plans to hire a total of 35 private experts in the bio field as patent examiners in January next year. The goal is to establish a dedicated examination organization in the bio field and introduce patent priority examination to complete the ‘patent examination package’ support system in the bio field, one of the high-tech strategic industries.
This action by the Korean Intellectual Property Office appears to reflect the request from the pharmaceutical and bio industry that a patent priority examination system is needed in the bio field as well in April.
On April 25, the Korea Biotechnology Industry Association held a ‘Bio Industry Intellectual Property Meeting’ to listen to the industry’s requirements for patent examination with the Korean Intellectual Property Office and share the Patent Office’s patent examination support direction.
At the meeting, Daesang, CJ CheilJedang, SK Bioscience, Yuhan Corporation, Alteogen, Bioneer, Synteka Bio, Kangstem Biotech, Toolgen, Exocobio, RigaChem Bio, Peptron, Rokit Healthcare, Paminiti, and Brexogen Fifteen companies that had applied for multiple patents in the bio field attended.
At this event, companies emphasized the importance of quickly securing patent rights to secure a competitive edge in the global bio industry, and suggested that priority review is needed in the bio sector, just like semiconductors and secondary batteries. We also requested that institutional support measures be expanded, such as shortening the processing period and consulting with examiners.
The Korea Biotechnology Association welcomed, saying, “If the priority examination system is introduced for patent examination in the bio field, we will be able to secure patent rights through quick examination,” and added, “It will be a great help in improving the national competitiveness of our bio companies.”
Meanwhile, patent applications in the bio-healthcare field in Korea are showing an average annual increase of 9.2%. As of 2022, the number of applications was 17,404, a 42% increase compared to 12,247 in 2018.
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