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Newsletter/October 25, 1999 No. 57

The Examination Period for Semiconductor related patents has been shortened by three months.

The examination period for semiconductor related patents was shortened from an average of 33 months at the end of last year to 29.3 months as of the end of August, KIPO announced.
In the semiconductor field, the number of patent applications has increased to approximately 11,000 cases annually; however, only about 5,000 cases are being settled each year.
In the semiconductor field, patent applications have increased the most, in spite of the short life-cycle of the technology.
Therefore, KIPO increased the labor force conducting examinations in the semiconductor field by three fold beginning in the latter half of 1997, and is planning to limit the examination period to 24 months by the end next year.

In the industrial property rights, industrial property rights in the Electrical and Communication Fields are becoming important.

In respect to industrial property rights issues such as newly registered patents and utility models, the electrical, communication and mechanical fields occupied many parts of the industrial property rights registrations, compared with the other industrial fields.
In the first half of this year, registration applications for the electrical and communication fields totalled 22,441 cases, which amounted to 44.6% of the total registration cases.
Applications in the mechanical field totalled 14,118 cases, representing 28.1% of total cases.
The industrial property rights of these fields occupied the majority of the total industrial property rights, compared with the other industrial fields.
New industrial property rights registrations in the first half of this year increased to 78%, compared to the total number during the same period last year, KIPO reported.
Meanwhile, the number of registrations for the establishment of patent rights and utility models rights reached 65.6%.

Deposition of Fertilized Animal Eggs in Korea will be Accepted Beginning October, 1999.

According to KIPO's report, as of October, 1999, the gene bank of the Life Science Research Institute was officially authorized as a depository for fertilized animal eggs by WIPO.
The gene bank at the Life Science Research Institute is only the third to be authorized globally; following ATCC of U.S.A. and DSM of Germany.
Life science research institute's gene bank had the required facilities and the technicians needed to properly support the deposition of fertilized animal eggs, as of April, 1999. The research institute was recognised after KIPO's request to the WIPO was made last June.
The WIPO published a public notice in the Official Gazette, reporting Life Sciences's gene bank admittance as an official depository for fertilized animal eggs.
In addition, it is possible to deposit fertilized animal eggs when applying for a patent in Korea.
KIPO Declared Y2K Compliant.
In order to become Y2K compliant, KIPO performed two tests on its main computer system, its personal computers, its network system, and all its related software related to the patent administration system from May 1997, when KIPO organized a special Y2K team.
KIPO is planning to complete an emergency measure program to insure the continuous exchange of information with affiliated organizations during the height of the Y2K period, and will establish its own early warning system.
Incidentally, KIPO is planning to perform an emergency trains session in order to swiftly and systematically cope with the possible problems that may arise as a result of Y2K, KIPO will set up a real<
 
 
 
 
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