Most Popular
-
1
Heavy snow alerts issued in greater Seoul area, Gangwon Province; over 20 cm of snow seen in Seoul
-
2
Seoul blanketed by heaviest Nov. snow, with more expected
-
3
Seoul snowfall now third heaviest on record
-
4
NewJeans to terminate contract with Ador
-
5
Samsung shakes up management, commits to reviving chip business
-
6
Heavy snow of up to 40 cm blankets Seoul for 2nd day
-
7
How $70 funeral wreaths became symbol of protest in S. Korea
-
8
Hybe consolidates chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s regime with leadership changes
-
9
Why cynical, 'memeified' makeovers of kids' characters are so appealing
-
10
BOK makes surprise 2nd rate cut to boost growth
S. Korean brands vulnerable to trademark infringement overseas: KIPO
By Bae HyunjungPublished : Oct. 28, 2019 - 16:45
South Korean brands are increasingly suffering from trademark infringement overseas, especially in Southeast Asia, according to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Monday.
As of July this year, 279 trademarks of Korean firms were acquired by a foreign party, KIPO said, citing data from the Global Brand Database of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The total number of suspected cases came to 1,140 in 62 countries worldwide.
Of the total, 594 cases, or 52.1 percent, was in the Southeast Asian region, with 17.9 percent in Indonesia, 10.2 percent in Thailand and 7.3 percent in Singapore. European states followed suit with 189 suspected cases of trademark infringement of Korean brands.
By industry, electronics and electricity products were the most vulnerable to trademark piracy with 31.7 percent, followed by cosmetics, food, franchise and apparel.
As a trademark is territorial, the right holder has to register in each country for legal protection. Such a system, however, leaves room for brokers or potential rivals to use their trademarks in overseas markets.
KIPO will disclose the information to all affected companies and hold a briefing session in November to raise awareness and improve how they respond, official said.
The agency will also issue a set of guidelines, instructing companies how to look up trademarks overseas and to respond to potential damages.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
As of July this year, 279 trademarks of Korean firms were acquired by a foreign party, KIPO said, citing data from the Global Brand Database of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The total number of suspected cases came to 1,140 in 62 countries worldwide.
Of the total, 594 cases, or 52.1 percent, was in the Southeast Asian region, with 17.9 percent in Indonesia, 10.2 percent in Thailand and 7.3 percent in Singapore. European states followed suit with 189 suspected cases of trademark infringement of Korean brands.
By industry, electronics and electricity products were the most vulnerable to trademark piracy with 31.7 percent, followed by cosmetics, food, franchise and apparel.
As a trademark is territorial, the right holder has to register in each country for legal protection. Such a system, however, leaves room for brokers or potential rivals to use their trademarks in overseas markets.
KIPO will disclose the information to all affected companies and hold a briefing session in November to raise awareness and improve how they respond, official said.
The agency will also issue a set of guidelines, instructing companies how to look up trademarks overseas and to respond to potential damages.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
