The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced on May 24 that it is recruiting participants for the first round of its "K-Brand Government Certification System." The recruitment period will last three weeks, concluding on June 11. This initiative is part of a broader government effort to curb the rapidly increasing distribution of counterfeit K-brand products overseas.
Selected companies will be granted rights to use the National Certification Trademark, which the South Korean government has filed and registered in 73 countries worldwide. Alongside trademark rights, companies will receive up to 200 million won (approximately $140,000) in funding to implement genuine-product authentication technologies.
The National Certification Trademark integrates authentication technology that enables overseas consumers to verify product authenticity instantly by scanning the product with a smartphone camera. This real-time verification aims to enhance consumer confidence and deter counterfeit sales.
KIPO plans to actively monitor authentication data and, upon detecting suspected infringements such as counterfeit use of the National Certification Trademark, will gather evidence through investigations conducted by Overseas Intellectual Property Centers and related entities.
Following evidence collection, KIPO will coordinate with the Korea Customs Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant agencies to request investigations and enforcement actions from local governments. The agencies may also pursue customs clearance holds at border checkpoints to prevent counterfeit products from entering markets.
To qualify for participation, companies must have trademark applications filed or registrations secured in the overseas countries where they intend to use the National Certification Trademark. Additionally, their products must comply with domestic quality certification standards, including the Korea Certification Mark (KC) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
Applications can be submitted through the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency’s website.
Kim Yong-sun, Commissioner of KIPO, emphasized the shift in approach: "With the introduction of the K-Brand Government Certification System, we are transitioning from a framework where individual companies responded to overseas counterfeit product distribution on their own to a system where the South Korean government works as one team with businesses."
South Korea Launches National Certification Trademark Program to Combat Overseas Counterfeit K-Brand Products In response to rising counterfeit K-brand products abroad, South Korea’s Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has initiated the K-Brand Government Certification System. The program grants participating companies r... Read the full IIPLA article: https://iipla.org/news/south-korea-launches-national-certification-trademark-program-to-combat-overseas-counterfeit-k-brand-products