KIPO Changes 'Design Item Classification' Standards for Masks and Others

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is changing the classification criteria for design items such as droplet-blocking masks and certain cosmetic containers.

KIPO announced on the 27th that, starting January 1 next year, the classification criteria for design items will change when filing design registration applications, requiring applicants to exercise caution.

The criteria change aligns with the official implementation of the "14th edition of the Locarno Classification," reflected in the "15th Locarno International Classification Expert Meeting," which establishes international standards for industrial design item classification, effective January 1 next year.

According to KIPO, some items will have changes in their eligibility for partial design examination registration applications, necessitating particular care during application submissions.

For example, droplet-blocking masks will be reclassified from Class 2 (partial examination) to Class 29 (examination), resulting in a prolonged examination period of approximately 7 to 8 months.

Items eligible for partial design examination registration applications belong to Classes 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, and 19, and receive a decision on rights grant within one month.

However, from next year, droplet-blocking masks will no longer be eligible for partial design examination registration applications, thereby extending the decision period for rights grant.

Conversely, lipstick tubes for packaging containers will be reclassified from Class 28 (examination) to Class 9 (partial examination), shortening the examination period to within one month. Preparations are necessary to avoid disruptions in design application strategies.

Applicants should also be cautious that failure to list items according to the revised classification in the application may result in additional procedures, such as receiving a notice to submit opinions regarding item classification corrections.

The revised classification criteria (14th edition of the Locarno Classification) and the corresponding "Item List by Class" notice will be available on the KIPO website after January 1 next year.

A separate announcement regarding the list of items with changed eligibility for partial design examination registration applications due to the criteria change will be posted in the KIPO notices.

Choi Cheol-seung, Head of the Design Examination Policy Division at KIPO, stated, "The change in item classification requires individuals and companies currently preparing applications to carefully consider their design strategies. KIPO will provide active administrative services, including publicity and system improvements, to ensure applicants do not experience inconvenience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.