Commissioner KIM Wan Ki of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) held a high-level meeting with H.E. Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Malki, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, on July 6 at the Ministry's headquarters in Lusail, Qatar. During the meeting, the two sides signed a Strategic Partnership Program on the Establishment of a National Intellectual Property Strategy and the Enhancement of Capacity Building.

In an effort to transition from an oil-dependent economy toward a knowledge-based economy, Qatar has been accelerating structural reforms under its national development blueprint, Qatar National Vision 2030. As part of this transformation, Qatar selected Korea - a leading IP5 member* with an advanced intellectual property system - as a key partner to help establish a robust IP infrastructure.

* The IP5 comprises Korea, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China, accounting for approximately 85% of global patent filings.

The signed document outlines cooperation in the following areas:

▲ an assessment of Qatar's current IP legal, institutional, and systemic environment,

▲ formulation of a National Intellectual Property Strategy encompassing goals for IP creation, utilization, and protection, and

▲ implementation of customized IP training programs aimed at strengthening institutional capacity.

Notably, the agreement also includes provisions for dispatching experts and consulting services by specialized institutions to support Qatar's IP policy development.

The two sides agreed to swiftly take follow-up actions based on the Program to begin developing Qatar's National IP Strategy.

Commissioner Kim stated, "By establishing a strategic partnership in intellectual property with Qatar - a long-standing partner for our nation in energy and construction - we have laid the groundwork for broadening the scope of bilateral cooperation between our two nations."

Source: https://www.kipo.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?board_id=kiponews&cp=1&pg=1&npp=10&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1798