Despite only having been appointed as KIPO's commissioner in May, Insil Lee has hit the ground running.
In July, the KIPO chief signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with her French counterpart, Pascal Faure, during the 63rd WIPO General Assembly in Geneva.
Under the deal, France and South Korea established a Patent Prosecution Highway. Patent filers in both countries can now use positive examination results received from one office to fast-track the processing of corresponding applications before the other one.
The MOU also included cooperation schemes to strengthen both countries’ patent screening processes and a know-how-sharing provision.
July was a busy month for Lee.
In the same month, KIPO signed an MOU with the UKIPO, which allowed both offices to engage in a wide range of cooperative activities.
The offices committed to work together on IP awareness activities, exchange information about developments in relevant laws, policies, and regulations, and share best practices.
Lee also launched the IP Panorama 2.0 course in July, following a two-year review by WIPO.
The course was launched with the intention to help SMEs, entrepreneurs, students, and young professionals use and manage IP for business success.
Her numerous achievements during her short tenure earned her a place on this year’s list.
