Source: KIPO
Date: 2011. 5. 17

The Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) held the Eighth Korea-Japan Trademark Experts Meeting in Tokyo, Japan, for two days from April 21 to 22. During the meeting, participants mainly discussed global cooperation between the three trademark offices of the United States, Europe and Japan along with Korea's participation in it, as well as how to protect Korea's traditional food names and geographical marks.

The expanded global cooperation between the three trademark offices allows Korea to participate in the cooperation projects between the United States, Japan and Europe. Japan responded it would actively support the new partnership. In addition, participants discussed including Korea's traditional food names in the list of products and services shared by the three offices in order to avoid other countries from taking advance trademarks.

These two agenda are the same as the ones discussed in the experts meeting of the Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM) of Europe in March during which Europe also positively responded to Korea's participation. In the United States, the same agenda is expected to be discussed in May. The results are expected to be confirmed during the meeting of the three trademark offices during the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) to be held in San Francisco in May.

Further, agreed upon lists of a total of 205 geographical marks of Korea and Japan's 465 regional group trademarks were exchanged. The exchanged lists will be used to evaluate trademarks and if a third party applies for a trademark already registered in the two countries, the two countries can deny its registration.

This meeting was held at a time when many meetings related to intellectual property have been cancelled in the aftermath of the earthquake and nuclear accident in Japan; it provided the opportunity for the two countries to make their mutual friendship public.

Japan explained the nuclear radiation figures as being normal in Tokyo and expressed special thanks for Korea's visit. The next meeting is expected to be held next April in Korea.