Country: DPR of Korea (North)

General Information

Due to the strict sanctions which have been imposed on trade with North Korea, we regret that we are currently unable to accept any new instructions for the filing, processing or renewal of your IP rights.

Primary Contacts
Trade Mark Registration and Recordals Dawn Richford
Trade Mark Renewals Rita Henderson
Patent Registration and Recordals Sean Paffard
Patent Annuities Sara Lloyd

Contentious Matters (Oppositions, Infringement Actions, etc.)
Trade Marks Martin Chinnery
Patents Louise Audhlam-Gardiner

Trade Mark Information
Can services be registered ? Yes
Single/Multi-Class Jurisdiction Multi-Class
Is the International Classification
followed ?		 Nice Classification
Can Convention priority be claimed Yes
Documentation required to file Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Opposition period after publication Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Renewal due Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Grace Period Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Documents required to renew Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Proof of use due Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Documents required to file proof of use Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time
Can be struck off for non-use Data is being populated - please direct queries to Lysaght & Co. at this time

Patent Information
Member of PCT Yes
Can Convention priority be claimed Yes
Deadline for filing priority document 3 months from filing date, extensible by a further 3 months upon request.
Does the priority document have to be
translated ?		 No
Required Documents Substantive Application
- Power of Attorney;
- Specification in Korean;
- Declaration of Inventorship;
- Deed of Assignment;
- Certified copy of priority document.
- Priority assignment if applicable.

PCT National Phase Application
- Power of Attorney;
- Specification in Korean;
- Declaration of Inventorship;
- Deed of Assignment;
- Copy of references cited in International Search Report.
Duration 15 years from the filing date, or the international filing date for PCT national phase applications, subject to the payment of renewal fees. The period can be extended for a further 5 years if requested 3 months prior to the expiry of the 15 year term.
Annuities Renewal fees are due annually on each anniversary of the filing date, or the international filing date for PCT national phase applications, although payment may be deferred until the Notice of Grant has issued. After the relevant accumulated annuities have been paid on grant, future annuities may be paid within 90 days before the annuity deadline, without incurring a late fine. A grace period of 180 days from the annuity deadline is available, subject to a 50% lateness fine. If the fee is not paid within 180 days of the due date, the patent will be considered to have been abandoned.

News Articles: DPR of Korea (North)

DPR of Korea (North) - Strict sanctions in force

As you may be aware, the US has for some time imposed strict sanctions on trade with North Korea, and both HM Treasury of Great Britain and the United Nations have similarly imposed such sanctions. A recent development in this regard has made these sanctions even more stringent.

The sanctions have forbidden all transactions with North Korea (including ongoing transactions), which are therefore being rejected or frozen, with the exception of certain transactions relating to food or humanitarian aid, and financial institutions are therefore refusing to process any payments destined for North Korean entities or their beneficiaries. As a result of these sanctions, it is currently impossible to send any payments to North Korea, and consequently, we are unable to pay our North Korean associates for any work which they undertake on our behalf in our clients' intellectual property matters.

By way of background, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States. OFAC acts under US Presidential national emergency powers, as well as authority granted by specific legislation, to impose controls on transactions and freeze assets under US jurisdiction. Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other international mandates, are multilateral in scope, and involve close cooperation with allied governments.

On 20 June 2011, OFAC amended the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, rendering them more stringent, and as you will appreciate, this development has left us, and other IP practitioners, in the unfortunate predicament that we are powerless to undertake any fee-incurring work in respect of any North Korean matters. We have made extensive enquiries to try and find a solution to this problem, but we have been unable to identify any legal means of paying our North Korean associates at this time.

Under the circumstances, we regret that we are currently unable to accept any new instructions for the filing, processing or renewal of your IP rights. We trust that you will appreciate this difficult situation, which is entirely beyond our control. Further developments will be reported when known.


11th July 2011


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