BY ALEX C. H. TSUNG

Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) for the Mutual Cooperation in the Field of Deposit of Biological Material signed in August, from September 1, 2020, the TIPO will recognize deposits at a South Korean depositary designated by the KIPO and the KIPO will recognize deposits at the Taiwan depositary designated by the TIPO. Therefore, a Taiwanese patent applicant filing an application with the KIPO may deposit the relevant biological material in the Taiwan depositary designated by the TIPO and a South Korean patent applicant filing an application with the TIPO may deposit the relevant biological material in a South Korean depositary designated by the KIPO.

Currently, the Taiwan depositary designated by the TIPO is the Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI) and the South Korean depositaries designated by the KIPO are the Korean Collection for Type Cultures (KCTC), the Korean Culture Center of Microorganisms (KCCM), the Korean Cell Line Research Foundation (KCLRF) and the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC).
 

In addition, if a Taiwanese patent applicant deposits a biological material at the Taiwan depositary designated by the TIPO before September 1, 2020 and files a relevant application with the KIPO on or after September 1, 2020, the KIPO will also recognize the deposit if the deposit certificate is submitted before the corresponding deadline. Similarly, if a South Korean patent applicant deposits a biological material at a South Korean depositary designated by the KIPO before September 1, 2020 and files a relevant application with the TIPO on or after September 1, 2020, the TIPO will recognize the deposit if the deposit certificate is submitted before the corresponding deadline.
 

If you need more details, please contact Tai E at ipdept@taie.com.tw
 

(Summarized from the News announced on the website of the TIPO)