Visit from Korea Patent Attorneys Association

CIPA has hosted a visit from the Korea Patent Attorneys Association to assist KPAA in their bid to broaden domestic rights of representation.

KPAA President Jang-Won Hong and Vice-President (International Affairs) Young-Jin Heo visited London with a journalist from Korea Economic Daily on a patent litigation fact-finding trip. KPAA are advising the new South Korean government on a proposal to reform the country’s patent litigation process to enable patent attorneys to represent parties in infringement cases.

KPAA considers the UK patent litigation system a model of best practice and met judges, the IPO and an IPEC litigation expert to learn more and consider what features might possibly be replicated in Korea.

CIPA President Alasdair Poore, International Liaison Committee (ILC) Chair Tony Rollins and ILC’s South Korea working group lead David Grainger met with Mr Hong and Mr Heo. The group attended meetings organised by CIPA with Lord Justice Birss, HH Judge Hacon, IPO’s Interim Chief Executive and former Head of International Affairs Adam Williams and litigation expert Geoff Stewart of Stobbs IA Management. They discussed the history of UK patent litigation, the creation and role of IPEC, how businesses benefit from representation by patent attorneys and the wider UK IP infrastructure.

CIPA has an excellent long-standing relationship with KPAA and we were delighted to be able to assist our Korean partners in collecting knowledge to support IP innovation in South Korea.

Date published: 18 July 2022