MOU between USPTO, KIPO

美國專利商標局與韓國智慧財產局簽訂雙邊協議備忘錄(MOU)

在專利審查上，各國有各自訂定的審查標準，所以相同的專利申請案可能因為國情不同、資料庫差異或是審查委員的主觀判斷有不同的審定結果，雖然有各自突顯不同立場的多元性，卻也帶給專利申請人不小的困擾，當然，事務所也常常要針對這點與申請人解釋，或是聽他們訴苦、開罵...

所以，近年來，有不少專利強國(如IP5:USPTO, EPO, JPO, SIPO, KIPO)間訂定一些審查共通的協議，不僅可以讓審查的標準漸趨一致，甚至可以達到加速審查的目的，如JPO與KIPO之間、USPTO與EPO之間的審查高速公路(Patent Prosecution Highway, PPH)

台灣(TIPO)呢？年年申請量名列前矛，但是還是不被尊重，除了市場小之外，還要專利品質、政治問題的因素。本來落後的韓國，這幾年一下子就擠進世界列強！真是厲害，雖然他們也有自身的問題，比如國家負載、韓元大貶、通貨膨脹、金融危機等，但是民族性足以克服這些問題吧！

以下新聞(2008.09)顯示了美國與韓國之間針對專利審查全面合作的雙邊協議。重點是：雙邊互相可以引用對方的審查結果，包含了共通的專利資料庫、專利分類標準化、共通的審查委員訓練，甚至可以提供其他國家的專利局再使用這些資源

原文：
USPTO and KIPO sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral CooperationWashington, D.C. -The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) today announced the signing of a United States-Republic of Korea memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding comprehensive cooperation on patents.

Commissioner of KIPO Dr. Jung-Sik Koh and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas signed the MOU during a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 23.

The focus of the MOU is to promote work-sharing by harmonizing the patent examination environment of the Republic of Korea and the U.S. With work-sharing arrangements, each office can take advantage of the examination results of the other office for its own patent examinations. To create this environment, the two countries plan to move forward with various projects, including the establishment of a common search database, the development of a standardized patent classification system, common examiner training, and greater utilization of each other’s examination results. The goal of the bilateral cooperation is to allow each office to better use of each other’s resources and encourage reutilization of the work already done by the other office.

"The MOU would further strengthen the strategic alliance between KIPO and USPTO," said Dr. Koh. “By promoting work-sharing through a harmonious patent examination environment, Korean and US applicants will acquire high-quality patents more conveniently in both countries.”

“This memorandum marks the growing cooperative relationship between our two offices,” said Under Secretary Dudas. “These initiatives will enable us to leverage the work and the expertise of each office in order to avoid duplication of work and ensure the highest quality examination.”

The two patent offices plan to have several working-level meetings later this year to start planning the implementation of these the cooperative projects of the MOU.

消息來源：USPTO
Ron