Last November, we organized a seminar jointly with the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Korea.

South Korea is the 12th largest economy by volume of GDP, and one of the leading countries in the microeconomics field. Due to its commitment to innovation, there have been major advances in different areas such as electric vehicles, robotics, energy, new materials, bio-sanitary industry, and semiconductors, among many others.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2019 (Cornell University, INSEAD, WIPO), it is ranked 11 maintaining, its good performance in addition to being among the 5 countries in the world with the highest R&D investment from both the private and public sectors.

An outstanding group of companies, universities, and leading innovation firms in the country were invited to discuss the keys to Intellectual Property in Europe.

From the department of International Relations, our colleague Patricia Garcia acted as guiding force of the event, with her words welcoming the attendees and presenting the lectures and subsequent colloquium. Gabriel Castilla, head of the engineering and software area of the patents department at PONS IP, dealt with opposition proceedings in the European Patent Office, including casuistic aspects of the oral hearing, in which he has extensive experience, and up to possible appeals.

In the following lecture, our Of Counsel, José Carlos Erdozain, highlighted the legislation news on copyright in the European Union, and the impact that the directive on the digital single market is having on our lives.

Following a short break, Isabel Cortés, Head of the International Relations Department, talked about the trends in the registration of non-traditional trademarks in EUIPO (European Union Trademarks Office) after the implementation of the “new directive”.

After the debate that had been generated, Gabriel Castilla intervened exposing the community designs from the practical point of view demonstrating the need for this figure of protection.

To close this exchange of ideas, José Carlos Erdozain focused on the legal aspects of artificial intelligence from the perspective of patents and copyright, making us participants in a future that is already present.

Later, during the cocktail that was served after the seminar, experiences were shared and exchanged, enabling the members of the PONS IP group to enjoy a stimulating afternoon both for the academic work and for the possibility of sharing the practice with colleagues and managers of innovative Korean companies.

Our knowledge and quality of service are recognized and shared among our clients, which enable us to benefit from this exchange of synergies.