The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced that it has received a new request from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to protect 72 public emblems under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention*. The related information has been made available on their website (www.kipo.go.kr).

The Paris Convention signed in March 1883 in Paris aims to protect industrial property rights internationally with 180 member countries as of June 2024.
Public emblems include national emblems of member countries of the Paris Convention public seals and emblems of intergovernmental organizations. Trademarks that are identical or similar to these public emblems are subject to registration refusal invalidation or restriction of unauthorized use. Therefore applicants should exercise caution.

Of the cumulative 4384 public emblems currently disclosed 72 are newly requested for protection in the first half of 2024 along with one request for content modification.

Nam Young-taek Director of the Trademark Examination Policy Division at KIPO stated Protecting public emblems is crucial for maintaining the credibility and status of nations and international organizations as well as for protecting the public interest. We plan to promptly disclose information following protection requests to maintain a cooperative system.

Public emblems related to the Paris Convention can be viewed and searched on the KIPO website (www.kipo.go.kr)*.

KIPO website  Intellectual Property System  Trademark/Design  Public Emblems Related to the Paris Convention