Saudi Arabia, South Korea: Joint IP Strategy Program Between The Two Countries

In a bid to strengthen the historical relations between the two countries, the IPOs of Saudi Arabia and South Korea have executed a new agreement, for joint examination of patent applications, starting from July 1, 2021.

The agreement enables concurrent examinations of patent applications filed for the same invention in the two countries, with results being shared between offices, leading to a more efficient examination process. Therefore, applicants will now be able to receive the examination result within six months from the date of the request for examination, which would generally take more than a year.

This process will facilitate increased entries of South Korean companies in the Saudi market, by securing their patent rights and allowing them to expand their commercial interests across the Middle East.