Weekly Korean IP Headlines 08.28. 2013

It will be blocked the act of ‘Trademark Broker’ which applies the trademark imitated foreign trademarks and famous celebrities and so on. 

According to KIPO, the number of imitated trademark application in 2012 (912 cases) has been increased 10 times more than in 2008 (90 cases).  Recently, a person applied 730 cases of imitated trademarks including foreign famous trademark imitations in a month.   

In addition, the disinterested party applied Korean famous broadcast program title as trademarks such as ‘The Rules of Jungle,’ ‘Infinite Challenge,’ and ‘The Moon incubating Sun.’

© Steve Snodgrass | Trademark
 

KIPO decided reinforce the examination process to prevent this kind of phenomena by blocking entities which had trade connection with foreign companies apply foreign companies’ trademark registration.   

For this reason, domestic trademark registration without foreign trademark right holder’s approval to preoccupy the foreign trademark will be blocked as the trade connection between applicant and right holder proved. 

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