Korea Joins Hague Agreement; WIPO Hopes Others Will Follow

Today, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) joined the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. A ceremony was held at the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to a press release by KIPO.

© WIPO

The Hague Agreement is expected to enter into force in South Korea on 1 July 2014. According to the release, WIPO was “eagerly anticipating” the addition of South Korea to the agreement. A WIPO official welcomed the signing and said they hope it will encourage others to do the same. [corrected]

This accession is expected to inspire other major players to join, the release said, such as the United States and Japan, not yet members of the agreement. The US, Japan and China “have been preparing for accession to the Hague Agreement, and members may soon be able to enjoy the benefit of international applications through the Hague System to protect their industrial designs in the major global economies,” the release said.

Park Seong-Joon, director general of the Trademark and Design Examination Bureau at KIPO, said in the release, “Korea’s accession could serve as a catalyst for consolidating KIPO’s partnership with Francis Gurry, the recently re-elected director general of WIPO.”

Under discussion at WIPO is a new procedural treaty to complement the Hague Agreement, on international industrial design registrations.