MOIP Held Bilateral Meetings on the Sidelines of the IP5 Heads of Office Meeting
07-Jul-2026
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Source : The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)
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Visits : 45
DAEJEON - The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, headed by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced that it held a series of bilateral meetings on June 10 with its key cooperation partner offices attending the IP5 Heads of Office Meeting* held in Tokyo, Japan, according to the official website of MOIP.
* The IP5 is a cooperative framework among the world's five largest intellectual property offices: the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and the European Patent Office (EPO), which together account for approximately 85 percent of global patent applications. The heads of the IP5 Offices meet annually.
At a meeting with the USPTO, which marked MOIP's first bilateral meeting with the USPTO since its launch, Minister Kim and John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO exchanged views on the changes in the global intellectual property landscape, WIPO-related issues, the operation of the Inter Partes Review (IPR) system, and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The heads agreed to continue close communication on major issues and to further expand and strengthen cooperation on emerging areas, including responses to the AI transformation and IP finance and commercialization.
In his bilateral meeting with Kasai Yasuyuki, Commissioner of the JPO, Minister Kim agreed to launch an "Experts Meeting on Intellectual Property Protection," a follow-up action after the discussion between the summits of Korea and Japan in January on the need for cooperation in the field of IP protection. The new cooperative mechanism is expected to contribute to the enhancement of mutual understanding and cooperation by facilitating the exchange of information on relevant systems and practices.
Minister Kim also held a meeting with Antonio Campinos, President of the EPO. The two sides agreed to maintain close communication on the latest developments in AI-based patent search and examination systems, conduct joint research on description requirements for AI-related inventions, and hold a joint seminar for Korean users on European patent examination practices and systems. In addition, the heads agreed to launch a pilot project that allows the EPO to be designated as an International Searching Authority (ISA) for Korea. The decision is expected to help Korean applicants enjoy more diverse and efficient international patent application services.
Minister Kim also met with Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The two sides agreed to continue cooperation on the realization of an international assignment system,* which has attracted strong interest from industry, as well as on enhancing Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) services so that inventions by Korean innovators can be more easily and securely protected in global markets.
* An international system that would allow applicants to file a single request for the assignment of intellectual property rights, including patents, instead of filing separate requests in each country where the rights are registered.
Minister Kim stated, "MOIP will continue to work closely with international partners to jointly respond to key issues, including strengthening global IP protection and adapting to the AI transformation."