The Invention Office, under the Science and Technology Committee of North Korea, takes charge of the N. Korean government’s intellectual property (IP) rights, including patents, designs, trademarks and copyright.
The Invention Office consists largely of Deliberation Department of Inventions, Invention Promotion Department, Patent Department, a library, etc. It is further subdivided into various divisions, such as Administration, Translation, Evaluation, Appellate Trial, Trademarks, Publication and Administrative Support.
The Science and Technology Committee establishes and coordinates internal and external policies on all the work related to patents and inventions while the Invention Office establishes and executes policies on patents, inventions and creative ideas. The Metage and Quality Supervision Bureau and the Trademark and Industrial Design Bureau are in charge of a range of work related to trademarks and industrial designs, from accepting applications and patent applications to registration.
As of now, the job of evaluating patent applications is carried out by the Invention Office’s Deliberation Department of Inventions. Reviewing trademarks and industrial designs applications is taken care of Metage and Quality Supervision Bureau and Trademark and Industrial Design Bureau, respectively.
Approximately 20 experts are evaluating trademarks and industrial designs while there are 60 patent examiners.
Besides, in order to crack down on counterfeit goods, public servants dedicated to counterfeit goods are stationed in major cities (e.g. Pyongyang, Ryanggang-do Pyongan-do, Chagang-do, Hamgyong-do, Hwanghae-do, the Rajin-Sonbong area), free trade zones and provincial capitals. The “Patent and Trademark Agency” is taking care of counterfeit goods clampdowns. (refer to Article 10 of the Invention Act, Article 16 of the Rule 10 and Article 25 of the bylaws).
Since March 2002, North Korea has been running the Office of ‘Choseon Junma Patent and Trademark Representatives’ in Beijing. North Korea is also hiring Donggang Science Technology Consulting Centre (a Chinese company) as its agency to take care of IP rights. Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Cabinet, the Publication Guidance Organization, the Culture Guidance Organization and the Science Technology Guidance Organization offer guidance on the IP business.
The Publication Guidance Organization, the Culture Guidance Organization and the Science Technology Guidance Organization shall rightly set up IP business systems and protect the rights of copyright holders and holders of neighboring rights (Article 42 of the Copyright Act).
The three guidance organizations can work through IP business agencies, which shall be approved by the Cabinet (Article 43 of the Copyright Act).
However, patent attorneys have yet to be available in North Korea, so general lawyers are also engaging in lawsuits concerning industrial property rights, including patent lawsuits.
Patent applications can be submitted through eight agencies, including Pyongyang Patent and Trademark Office, Moranbong Patent and Trademark Office and Rajin Patent and Trademark Office. According to a Korean American who had the trademark “Unification Shoes” registered in 2013, the entire process took approximately six months.
