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South Korea

“Leveraging the law is not the whole solution”: interview with Philip Morris’ Herman Cheung

In an exclusive interview, the tobacco giant's Manager of Illicit Trade Prevention talks to WTR about the importance of anti-counterfeiting efforts as the company transitions to a smoke-free future.

8 Oct 2018

Korean brands under scrutiny as antitrust watchdog turns attention to trademark revenues

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has revealed that the “trademark usage fees” of the country’s largest chaebols (conglomerates) exceeded W1 trillion ($884.5 million) last year – the first time that monetary barrier has been broken.

14 Sep 2018

Saudi Arabia to adopt plain packaging, T-ara resolve trademark dispute, and ICANN needs your feedback on RPMs: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at the US brands with the most loyal customers, 7-Eleven taking a menswear brand to court for alleged trademark infringement, and much more.

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12 Mar 2019

KIPO amends trademark examination guidelines – key changes highlighted

The Korean Intellectual Property Office has amended its trademark examination guidelines, effective as of 1 January 2019. This update reviews the main points of interest for trademark owners and applicants. Read more

14 Jan 2019

Korea Customs Service announces amendments to IP rights protection guidelines

Late last year the Korea Customs Service issued an announcement regarding important proposed amendments to the IP rights protection guidelines. This update reviews the amendments which may have the greatest impact on brand owners. Read more

30 Nov 2018

Korea Customs Service's 2017 report on IP rights seizures: significant decrease compared to previous year

According to a report recently published by the Korea Customs Service, there were 7,263 customs seizures of counterfeit goods in 2017 – a 26% decrease compared to 2016. Read more

16 Oct 2018

Significant increase in non-use cancellation actions - what mark owners should know

Owners of marks not currently active in South Korea should take note of data recently published by the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which showed that the number of non-use cancellation actions has significantly increased in recent years. Read more

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Brand management

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23 Jan 2018

K-pop superstars T-ara vow to fight for rights to their name; experts predict bitter legal battle ahead

Members from one of the most popular Korean bands in the world, T-ara, are taking legal action for rights to use the group name following a trademark application by their former management agency. Read more

Enforcement and litigation

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14 Jan 2019

Korea Customs Service announces amendments to IP rights protection guidelines

30 Nov 2018

Korea Customs Service's 2017 report on IP rights seizures: significant decrease compared to previous year

According to a report recently published by the Korea Customs Service, there were 7,263 customs seizures of counterfeit goods in 2017 – a 26% decrease compared to 2016. Read more

10 Aug 2018

Trademark "reveals" Star Trek series name, T-ARA denied, and PewDiePie responds to “fake” sponsorship: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at a call to boycott a Hawaiian food chain over trademark enforcement, an analysis of cutting-edge technologies being developed in the fight against counterfeit food, and much more. Read more

8 Jun 2018

South Korea rockets to top of customs ranking; illicit trade report reveals countries that need to do more

The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index scores 84 economies on the extent that they enable or prevent illicit trade. The report contains useful insights on the anti-counterfeiting landscape. Read more

Goverment/policy

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8 Jan 2018

New international panels to be established in South Korean courts

The Korean National Assembly has approved an amendment to the Court Organisation Act which stipulates that the district courts in the five statutory venues for IP rights disputes. Read more

11 May 2016

Comprehensive new amendments to the Trademark Act

The National Assembly has recently approved major amendments to the Trademark Act which will come into effect on September 1 2016. These are the first comprehensive amendments to the act in 26 years. Read more

IP offices

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9 Jan 2018

Chinese brands rise, app store warning and K-pop fans furious over T-ARA trademark: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at a brand protection company closing a $12m investment round, an author seeking registered protection for a steamy National Hockey League team name, and much more. Read more

27 Oct 2017

KIPO calls out Chinese plagiarism, USPTO rule making, reality show trademark protection and pugs in Prada: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at the fallout from Kid Rock’s latest tour announcement, how the Korean IP Office is speaking out on behalf of domestic brands, and much more. Read more

6 Oct 2017

KIPO’s expenditure set to surpass income as filings drop reported: exclusive data analysis

In the first of a new series of country data reports from World Trademark Review, we identify the key trademark trends in the Korean market, consider where filing business is emanating from and highlight the performance of leading domestic brands. Read more

12 May 2016

Unregistered handbag designs protected under ‘catch-all’ provision

The Seoul High Court has rendered a significant decision that further clarifies the meaning of the ‘catch-all’ provision of the Unfair Competition and Trade Secret Protection Prevention Act. Read more

Portfolio management

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23 Jan 2018

K-pop superstars T-ara vow to fight for rights to their name; experts predict bitter legal battle ahead

Trademark law

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5 Sep 2018

Twitter

18 Mar 2019

@WTRmagazine Trademark budgets take continued battering as cybersquatting actions hit record high. https://t.co/5tsXDJVFZP https://t.co/wViHFBfz3w Read more

18 Mar 2019

@WTRmagazine EUIPO calls for action as study finds fakes make up 3.3% of global trade. https://t.co/EM3AaCLbIk https://t.co/C9VBtnN399 Read more

18 Mar 2019

@WTRmagazine LegalForce founder takes aim at USPTO as attorneys come out in support of proposed change to representation rules.… https://t.co/MRbxnxUWlW Read more

18 Mar 2019

@WTRmagazine What Turkey’s domestic economic difficulties mean for brands and their advisers. https://t.co/YGBePv20YQ https://t.co/2Ef13jkH8O Read more