Patent Office Holds K-Fashion Industry Field Communication Meeting

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO, Commissioner Wan-ki Kim) will visit Musinsa Co., Ltd. (Seongdong-gu, Seoul), a fashion platform company, at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 21, and hold an on-site communication meeting with Musinsa Co., Ltd. and fashion companies that have entered the ^company  .

 * Riaad Co., Ltd., Seven Tree Co., Ltd., Big Tree Corporation Co., Ltd.

 The meeting was held to examine the issue of unfair competition in the mixing ratio that has recently spread in the fashion industry and to seek ways to support overseas expansion of K-fashion companies that have entered the platform. The Korean Intellectual Property Office plans to introduce its support policies for eradicating K-brand counterfeit products and unfair competition and for overseas expansion, and listen to difficulties in the field related to intellectual property rights.

	< Patent Office Key Systems and Policies >
◇ (Administrative investigation of unfair competition acts) Administrative investigation and corrective measures (recommendations/orders) for unfair competition acts (confusion of products/business entities, etc.) in accordance with Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act * As of December 2017 to December 2024, 917 cases were received and 765 cases were processed (84%) ◇ (Support for K-brand dispute response) Monitoring and response strategies provided for distribution of counterfeit K-brand products and unauthorized trademark preemption damage occurring overseas * (Support target) Domestic companies expanding (or planning to expand) overseas

 Musinsa Co., Ltd. started as an online fashion community in 2001 and has grown into a representative fashion platform with approximately 8,000 fashion companies. Recently, it has been making various efforts to strengthen the platform’s safe transaction policy and support the protection of intellectual property rights of companies that have entered the platform in order to help K-fashion brands advance overseas.

 Shin Sang-gon, Director of the Industrial Property Protection Cooperation Bureau at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “Unfair competition acts can damage the credibility and image of the entire domestic fashion industry, which can have a negative impact not only on consumers but also on the overseas expansion of K-fashion.” He added, “The Korean Intellectual Property Office will also play an active role in eradicating unfair competition acts and helping small and medium-sized K-fashion brands establish themselves in overseas markets.”