Small and Medium Business Technology Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Committee Signs Coordination Agreement with District Courts Nationwide

by Lee Seungjin

Published 21 Apr.2024 12:00(KST)

Support for Resolving Technology Disputes of SMEs at 18 District Courts and the Patent Court, Total 19 Courts

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 21st that the Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Committee has completed business cooperation agreements related to mediation with 19 courts, including the Patent Court and 18 district courts nationwide.

Starting with a business cooperation agreement with the Seoul Central District Court in 2015, the committee has continuously signed agreements with district courts. By signing an agreement with the Gwangju District Court on the 22nd, the committee has completed business cooperation agreements with the Patent Court and all district courts.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The "Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Committee" is a committee established under the Minister of SMEs and Startups pursuant to Article 23 of the Act on the Protection of Technology of Small and Medium Enterprises, operating a mediation and arbitration system for parties involved in SME technology disputes with the support of the Foundation for Cooperation between Large, Small Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries.

SME technology dispute mediation is a system that induces agreement between disputing parties, and if mediation is established, it has the effect of a court settlement (Article 25, Paragraph 6 of the Act on the Protection of Technology of Small and Medium Enterprises). Compared to litigation, it requires a shorter period and is relatively inexpensive, making it a suitable dispute resolution method for SMEs that lack time and funds.

Through the mediation-related business cooperation agreements, courts can assign civil cases related to SME technology disputes to the committee, which then proceeds with the mediation process for those cases. From 2015 to recently, cases referred from courts to the committee have shown a higher mediation success rate compared to cases filed through other methods.

Yoo Seung-nam, Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Committee, said, "We will strive to contribute to reducing the court's workload in handling SME technology disputes and to the development of SMEs through the prompt processing of court-linked mediation cases."

Kim Woo-soon, Director of Technology Innovation Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "Through the signing of business cooperation agreements with courts, we expect that more SMEs will be able to utilize the mediation system to resolve technology disputes quickly and amicably."