Date: May 26, 2006
Source: KIPO
Display design applications are drastically increasing on convergence information products, the main topic of Korean industry these days.
KIPO (Commissioner: JUN, Sang Woo) had approved display design as a design right starting July 1st, 2003, and ever since, the number of applications has increased drastically.
Looking at the trend of applications;
- 184 applications were filed in 2003. In 2004, the number increased 124% (412 applications) compared to the previous year, and in 2005, the number increased again by 24% (511 applications). As of this April, 218 applications were filed.
- Such an increasing trend suggests that about 650 applications may be filed by the end of this year, showing a growth of about 27% compared to the previous year.
- As of this April, a total of 1,325 display design applications were filed. Among these applications, 1,191 are related to convergence products.
Such drastic increase of applications is related to the rapid growth of the information & communication industry. Thanks to the rapid development of information & communication technology and the ubiquitous environment, today’s IT industry has naturally invited the era of convergence, the keyword of the digital revolution. Display design plays the role of increasing the beauty and efficiency of convergence products.
Examiner PARK, Shi Deuk of KIPO’s Trademark and Design Examination Bureau forecasted, “Display design not only includes the screen area where the display is actually expressed, but also the overall beauty of the product with the screen, as well as the efficiency of controlling and communicating. Being so important, display design is expected to continuously lead the development of convergence products.”
Looking at the items of display design applications related to convergence products;
- Most applications were focused on information/communication devices such as mobile phones in the initial year 2003. Recently, applications are covering various fields, including home appliances and AV devices such as game consoles, car navigation, cookware, and home network systems. Also, new products with electric display devices are continuously released.
- 20 items, including mobile phones and computer monitors, were filed in 2003. In 2004, 55 items, including television sets and PDAs, were filed. In 2005, 58 items, including controllers or monitors for networking and indoor golf game consoles, were filed. In 2006, 31 items have been already filed. These items include car navigation systems, Korean-type express train detectors, and automatic banking devices.