On 10 January 2019 at 12.30 – 13.30h, Mr. Deokwon Han will present his research results of a comparative analysis of the patent systems between Europe and Korea: Policy suggestions for Korea’s patent quality. Mr. Han is currently a guest researcher at the IGIR Institute. In Korea, he is the Senior Deputy Director and a Judge of the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Feel warmly invited to join the discussion in room D1.225 in the Faculty of Law.

Generally, there is no agreed concept of patent quality, and it is dependent upon the person who you ask about it. However, from the viewpoint of the patent life cycle (conducting R&D → preparing patent applications from the R&D results → examining the patent applications)   and the purpose of patent system (promotion of technology development; disclosure of technology or inventions; and an exclusive right as property), the concept of ‘patent quality’ in his research is defined as a mixed indicator of (1) "technological and economic value of patented inventions", (2) "the degree to which patent applications are well written", and (3) "legal certainty of the patented inventions".

In addition, experts and stakeholders in Korea have raised several issues about the quality of patents granted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). These issues have led to the following research questions about each above aspect of the concept of patent quality: (1) What should the KIPO do to reinforce the R&D capacities of universities, public research organizations (PROs), and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to spread the best practices of patent-based R&D activities? (2) What should the KIPO do so that applicants and patent attorneys can prepare well-written patent applications? (3) What kinds of actions should the KIPO take to examine the patent applications precisely and efficiently? (4) What else should the KIPO improve in the Korean patent system in comparison with the European one?

To find out answers to these issues, Mr. Han has investigated the patent system, policies, and practices of Europe on all four aspects mentioned in the above. Also, he has performed a like-for-like comparison between Europe and Korea with rules, policies, organizations and practice. In the end, this comparison has led to some policy suggestions for Korea's patent quality. Although it is focused on the comparative study of the patent systems between Europe and Korea and policy suggestions for Korea, you might get some insights or ideas about the patent quality and how to improve the quality of patents.

Please register here if you want to join.