November 10, 2023

KIPO and Qatar’s Commerce and Industry Ministry Agreed to Work Together for National IP Strategy

Commissioner of Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Lee Insil held a high-level meeting with Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar Mohamed Hasan Al Malki on October 25, 2023 to spur bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of intellectual property (IP).

In June, KIPO and the Ministry laid a strong foundation for comprehensive IP cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). At the meeting held in Doha, the two sides agreed to take more concrete steps under the MoU and cooperate in establishing Qatar's national IP strategy, which will also include setting a national vision and goals in terms of IP and developing strategic tasks for creation, protection and utilization of IP rights.

KIPO has already successfully worked with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) in establishing one for the nation, and cooperated with the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on providing high-quality examination services and policy-making support. With the addition of Qatar on its list of Middle Eastern partners, KIPO is gaining a better foothold in the region and is expected to be able to make the same accomplishment with Qatar drawing on its experiences and skills.

"We are pleased to have successfully launched and developed bilateral cooperation with Qatar and take pride in seeing our endeavours to expand the range of cooperation with Middle Eastern and other nations pay off," said Commissioner Lee. "We will do our best to produce tangible results with our Qatar counterpart by closely working together to establish a national IP strategy for the nation, and also to transfer our experience and knowledge in operating IP administration systems beyond the border."