Korea launches government certification program to protect K-brands overseas

South Korea is launching a government certification program to block the overseas distribution of counterfeit products from Korean exporters.

The Korea Intellectual Property Office said Monday it will accept applications from companies for the first round of its "K-Brand Government Certification Program" through Sept. 11. Selected companies will be authorized to use a national certification trademark and will receive up to 200 million won ($145,000) to cover the cost of introducing product authentication technology.

Under the program, the government will file for and register the national certification trademark — for which it holds the rights — in 73 countries worldwide. The trademark incorporates authentication technology that allows overseas consumers to verify a product's authenticity using a smartphone camera.

The office will monitor authentication data in real time. If counterfeiting or other infringement of the national certification trademark is suspected, it will gather evidence of counterfeit distribution through on-site investigations by overseas intellectual property centers. The office, along with the Korea Customs Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related ministries, will then directly request that local governments launch investigations and crackdowns and that customs authorities suspend clearance of suspect goods.

Companies wishing to participate must meet two conditions: their trademark must already be filed or registered in the overseas country where they intend to use the national certification trademark, and their products must satisfy domestic quality certification standards such as KC or HACCP.

"The introduction of the K-Brand Government Certification Program marks a shift from a system in which individual companies tackled the distribution of counterfeit goods overseas on their own, to one where the government works together with companies as a single team," Korea Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Yong-seon said. "Protecting the value of K-brands means protecting South Korea's competitiveness, and we will track and block the distribution of K-brand counterfeits to the very end."

Further details about the K-Brand Government Certification Program are available through the project announcement posted on the Intellectual Property Protection Portal and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency website.