Korean Companies Shorten International Patent Examination in Mexico from 4 Years to 10.6 Months

The examination period for international patent applications by Korean companies conducted locally in Mexico will be shortened from 4 years to 10.6 months.

On the 10th, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced that it has signed a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)-Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreement with Mexico, which will be implemented starting this month.

Conceptual Diagram of International Patent Application (PCT) - Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Operation. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

The PCT allows simultaneous patent applications to multiple member countries of the Patent Cooperation Treaty with a single PCT application.

Additionally, the PPH helps applicants who file the same invention in two or more patent offices to receive prioritized examination in another country by submitting the patent allowance result obtained in one country.

The PCT-PPH agreement signed between KIPO and Mexico is significant in that Korean companies can apply for PPH in Mexico based on the PCT international search and examination results received domestically (at KIPO) to receive prioritized examination locally.

Over the past five years, Korean companies have filed an average of 260 patent applications annually in Mexico, which is the second highest number among Latin American countries after Brazil.

During the same period, the number of patent applications has shown a growth rate in the 20% range. This indicates the increasing importance of protecting and utilizing intellectual property of Korean companies in Mexico, highlighting the significance of the recent agreement, according to KIPO.

Kim Ji-su, Director of the Patent Examination Planning Bureau at KIPO, stated, “We expect that strengthening patent examination cooperation with Mexico will lead to enhanced protection of innovative ideas (patents) of Korean companies,” and added, “KIPO plans to continue expanding support for securing overseas intellectual property rights to enhance the global competitiveness of Korean companies.”

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