S. Korean brands vulnerable to trademark infringement overseas: KIPO

South Korean brands are increasingly suffering from trademark infringement overseas, especially in Southeast Asia, according to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Monday.

As of July this year, 279 trademarks of Korean firms were acquired by a foreign party, KIPO said, citing data from the Global Brand Database of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The total number of suspected cases came to 1,140 in 62 countries worldwide.

Of the total, 594 cases, or 52.1 percent, was in the Southeast Asian region, with 17.9 percent in Indonesia, 10.2 percent in Thailand and 7.3 percent in Singapore. European states followed suit with 189 suspected cases of trademark infringement of Korean brands.

By industry, electronics and electricity products were the most vulnerable to trademark piracy with 31.7 percent, followed by cosmetics, food, franchise and apparel.

As a trademark is territorial, the right holder has to register in each country for legal protection. Such a system, however, leaves room for brokers or potential rivals to use their trademarks in overseas markets.

KIPO will disclose the information to all affected companies and hold a briefing session in November to raise awareness and improve how they respond, official said.

The agency will also issue a set of guidelines, instructing companies how to look up trademarks overseas and to respond to potential damages.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)