New KIPO commissioner appointed

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

New KIPO commissioner appointed

kipo-45.jpg

Newly elected Korean President Park Geun-hye has picked Kim Young-min to lead the Korea IP Office

KIPO commissioned KIm

Kim, whose term begins today, had served as the deputy commissioner of KIPO under former commissioner Kim Ho-won.

The new commissioner also previously served as director-general of KIPO's Intellectual Property Policy Bureau, and was director-general of the Trade and Industrial Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. As head of the IP Policy Bureau, he worked to promote the role of IP in the Korean economy and helped to devise and execute the country's long term IP strategies. Kim also worked to enact the IP Framework Act, which established the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property and the formulation of a five-year IP master plan.

The export-heavy Korean economy has been focusing on IP as a way for Korean firms to stay competitive in international markets. Headline-grabbing cases, such as the Apple/Samsung disputes, appear to emphasise this point. In an interview with Managing IP last year, the previous commissioner explained: “Advanced global companies are pursuing active IP strategies and using IP as a weapon to dominate markets and attack competing companies to create revenue. In the future, only companies armed with strong IP rights will survive in global competition.

Check back next week for an interview with the new head of KIPO.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Attorneys explain why there are early signs that the US Supreme Court could rule in favour of ISP Cox in a copyright dispute
A swathe of UPC-related hires suggests firms are taking the forum seriously, as questions over the transitional stage begin
A win for Nintendo in China and King & Spalding hiring a prominent patent litigator were also among the top talking points
Rebecca Newman at Addleshaw Goddard, who live-reported on the seminal dispute, unpicks the trials and tribulations of the case and considers its impact
Attorneys predict how Lululemon’s trade dress and design patent suit against Costco could play out
Lawyers at Linklaters analyse some of the key UPC trends so far, and look ahead to life beyond the transition period
David Rodrigues, who previously worked at an IP boutique, said he may become more involved in transactional work at his new firm
Indian smartphone maker Lava must pay $2.3 million as a security deposit for past sales, as its dispute with Dolby over audio coding SEPs plays out
Powell Gilbert’s opening in Düsseldorf, complete with a new partner hire, continues this summer’s trend of UPC-related lateral movement
IP leaders at Brandsmiths and Bird & Bird, who were on opposing sides at the UK Supreme Court in Iconix v Dream Pairs, unpick the landmark case and its ramifications
Gift this article