Revised Accelerated Examination System: Expanded Pathway for Rapid Rights Acquisition for Venture companies and SMEs

(Notice on the Revision of the Notification on Applications for Accelerated Examination of Patents and Utility Models)

1. Key Revisions

The Notification on Applications for Accelerated Examination of Patents and Utility Models has been partially amended and came into effect on February 19, 2025. The Key Revisions are as follows:

a. The requirement for applicants to conduct their own prior art search when applying for accelerated examination has been removed. However, the forms have been revised to allow applicants to include search results voluntarily if they wish to do so. (Art. 4(2))

b. The regulations have been updated to allow for the determination of "advanced technology" by referring to other applicable laws. (Art. 4(2)(xviii))

(2) Clarification and Expansion of Accelerated Examination Eligibility for Advanced Technologies

Applications related to technologies in strategic national high-tech industries—such as semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, biotechnology, healthcare, and artificial intelligence—may now apply for accelerated examination within the period designated by the Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

Given these amendments to the notification, now is an opportune time to actively consider applying for accelerated examination, especially for applications requiring urgent rights acquisition or in fields where technological competitiveness is critical.

We recommend that you review your pending or upcoming applications to determine whether any of your technologies qualify for accelerated examination.