Intellectual property law is, in general, a complex discipline; it becomes doubly so when you consider the variance in international IP law and in each jurisdiction (i.e., country) where you need to secure and enforce your IP rights. We've provided this section and the Resources pages as a helpful guide to get you up-to-speed on the basics of the Korean intellectual property law and system.

This section outlines the primary IP areas most relevant for commercial organizations - patents, utility models, trademarks, and designs - what they are, what is required to obtain them, description of the application and registration processes, how long the process usually takes, etc. The final section deals with the litigation options you have to protect your IP assets, how to request a trial, and description of the process.

We have highlighted the key pieces here to help you get started, but if you are interested in an in-depth discussion and article-by-article enumeration of Korean IP law, please, visit the KIPO website.