UAE teams up with KIPO
The Ministry of Economy (MoE) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed an agreement with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), designed to promote and develop IP.
The agreement was confirmed on February 10 after the parties signed a memorandum of understanding.
Under the agreement, a team from KIPO will visit the UAE to examine patent applications submitted to the organisation. More than 2,000 applications are expected to be processed by the end of the year.
The agreement will also facilitate the implementation of a patent unit within the MoE. The unit, which the MoE says will be in accordance with international standards, will help raise awareness about IP and patents across the region.
It will also initiate patent-related programs and courses in the UAE, the MoE said.
In a statement, Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, undersecretary at the organisation’s headquarters in Abu-Dhabi, said the purpose of the agreement “underlined” the UAE’s conviction on the “crucial role” that IP plays in the business landscape to enable innovation and attract foreign investments.
“Securing intellectual and industrial property protection is a matter of integrity for any nation,” Al Shehhi added.
Kim Young Min, commissioner of KIPO, said the UAE held a “credible reputation” for its efforts in the field of IP, which forms part of its commitment to shaping a business environment rated as one of the best worldwide for ease of doing business.
“KIPO will harness its potential and services to support the UAE through deploying prominent advisers, experts and technicians to the country to review previous industrial technologies and conduct substantive examination of patent applications submitted to the MoE,” Min added.
IP protection has been gaining momentum in the UAE as it prepares to host Expo 2020, a travelling exhibition where companies in the host country showcase their latest inventions.
The KIPO was chosen due to its “rich experience and knowledge”, according to the MoE statement.
