John Harris

s one of the world’s most vibrant markets, the number of patents granted in South Korea by the Korean Industrial Property Office (KIPO) has been steadily rising. In just a single year, 2018, patent filings increased by nearly 5% over the previous year – and 3.6% of these (47,410 applications) were filed by international claimants. As with any country, South Korea has its own intellectual property standards and requirements. Here’s what you need to know to extend protection of your IP to South Korea. 

This year, Germany shot to the top of Bloomberg’s rankings for the most innovative nation worldwide, breaking South Korea’s six-year winning streak. Germany is a thriving European center for innovation where patent activity, high-tech density, and value-added manufacturing are on the rise. The country is particularly renowned for its modern car technology. It has designed award-winning high-speed roadways, digitally networked mobility, and some of the most advanced driverless vehicles. In fact, German patents for driverless cars have doubled in the last five years, and its top three patent areas in 2017 were Transport (11,000+ patents), Electrical Machinery (7,000+ patents), and Mechanical Elements (6,000+ patents). If you wish to join the trend and patent your innovation in Germany, here is a walk-through of the German patent application process.