Reviewed 12 June 2009

New UK-Korea agreement to speed up patent granting process

The UK and Korea signed a new agreement PDF document(135Kb) on Friday 5 June 2009 as part of the Intellectual Property Office’s ongoing drive to make the patent system cheaper and more efficient for businesses. The agreement is the third for the UK under the “Patent Prosecution Highway PDF document(114Kb)” initiative.

The Patent Prosecution Highway procedure is free in the UK and reduces the time it takes businesses to obtain patent protection in the UK and abroad.

Notes to editors

  • The Intellectual Property Office is within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and is responsible for the national framework of Intellectual Property rights, comprising patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
  • Intellectual Property plays a central role in translating innovation and creativity into economic growth and social benefit.
  • Previous Patent Prosecution Highway agreements have been signed with the Japan Patent Office and with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
  • For enquiries about the Intellectual Property Office press or media activities please contact James Thomson on +44 (0) 20 7596 6547 or Katie Phillips on +44 (0) 1633 814326.

Date of release: 12 June 2009