Korea: KIPO Launches Comprehensive Anti-Counterfeit Plan to Safeguard Public Health and K-Brands
On 30 Jul 2025, the Commissioner Kim Wan-ki of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) presented the “Comprehensive Measures to Combat Counterfeit Distribution” at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Current Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.
These measures focus on three major policy shifts:
1. Expanding the scope from protecting primarily well-known fashion brands to safeguarding public health and K-brands;
2. Moving from post-incident crackdowns to AI-driven preemptive prevention;
3. Shifting from government-led policies to a collaborative system involving online platforms, trademark holders, and consumers.
The current AI-based monitoring and blocking system, covering 160 brands, will be expanded to 500 brands by 2027 using image-and-text AI that detects altered logos and composite images. Counterfeit goods detected through AI in cross-border e-commerce will be intercepted at customs clearance. Access to infringing websites will be blocked and infringing posts hosted overseas will be removed. Industry collaboration will also be strengthened to apply advanced counterfeit prevention technologies to high-risk sectors.
Evidence collection techniques for covert distribution channels will be enhanced and linked to planned investigations. Accounts of habitual infringers will be suspended, and information on counterfeit sellers will be shared among authorities. Furthermore, punitive damages for trademark infringement will be increased up to five times (effective July 22, 2025). For large-scale counterfeit sales venues, penalties will be strengthened, including the deployment of dedicated investigation teams and the authority for local governments to revoke stall permits.
Amendments of the Trademark Act will be pursued to eliminate the distribution of counterfeits on online platforms. Once trademark holders report counterfeit items, platforms will be required to block their sale. Foreign platforms will be subject to the same obligations through a mandatory domestic representative designation system. Platforms that fail to comply with takedown requests will be subject to fines and public disclosure. KIPO will also implement an on-site survey, with the findings made available to the public, to monitor platform responses systematically.
Vietnam: Announcement on the Priority Acceptance and Processing of Online Applications in the Field of Industrial Property
In order to enhance the efficiency of online public services to promote digital transformation and maximize convenience for organizations, individuals, and businesses when conducting APs in the field of industrial property, IP Viet Nam announces the following:
From August 10, 2025, IP Viet Nam will implement a priority mechanism for accepting and processing online applications for APs in the field of industrial property. Simultaneously, the Office is researching a roadmap toward exclusively accepting online applications, fully replacing paper submissions.
Accordingly, applications submitted via the Online Public Service System will be automatically routed, digitized, and entered into the official processing workflow, reducing resolution time, improving management efficiency, and qualifying for a 50% fee reduction as stipulated.
For applications submitted through other methods (in-person, postal), the Office will still accept and process them under current regulations. However, due to the additional steps of manual verification, data entry, and digitization, processing times may be longer compared to online submissions. These applications will be handled based on actual conditions and legal provisions.
India: Deepening IP Ties with UK via Work Plan Signed to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation
Marking a key milestone in enhancing bilateral ties in the field of Intellectual Property (IP), the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (O/o CGPDTM), India, and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) formally signed a Work Plan on July 30, 2025. The documents were exchanged virtually in the presence of Prof. (Dr.) Unnat P. Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, and Mr. Adam Williams, Chief Executive and Comptroller General, UKIPO. The Work Plan builds upon the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, and UKIPO, which was originally signed on November 7, 2016. The Work Plan outlines the specific collaborative activities for the upcoming biennium and ensures continuity of successful engagements under the previous Work Plan, which concluded on July 6, 2025. Building on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), renewed IP cooperation may foster stronger bilateral trade through periodic mutually-agreed stakeholder consultations. This partnership will also boost the efficiency of IP application prosecution and enable crucial knowledge exchange in emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing, improving examiners’ expertise in these evolving fields.
The Philippines: Concluding Participation in 2025 WIPO General Assembly with Leadership Milestone
The Philippines concluded its participation in the 66th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), held from 8 to 17 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The meetings convened 194 WIPO Member States and addressed a wide range of institutional, legal and developmental issues in the intellectual property (IP) system.
The meetings concluded with a key leadership milestone for the country as Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Carlos Sorreta, was elected as Chair of the WIPO General Assembly for its 67th and 68th sessions. Meanwhile, Director General Brigitte da Costa-Villaluz of IPOPHL was elected Vice-Chair of the Assembly of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.
On the sidelines of the 66th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies, IPOPHL held bilateral meetings with several IP offices to strengthen collaborations.
Discussions covered a wide range of topics such as capacity building, patent analytics, technology transfer, geographical indications, and strategies for expanding IP awareness and improving efficiency in IP services.
