Patent System and Process
outcomes through patents and helps convert research value into economic value through licensing, transfer, and revenue
distribution.
Economic Value
Economic returns can be generated through licensing/
assignment (technology transfer), among other means.
POSTECH distributes 60% of the revenue to the inventor(s).
Project Performance
Can be counted as research project output.
Research Protection
Protects the University’s outstanding research through patents.
Patents and Employee Inventions
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Employee Invention
An invention (development) made by a University member (including faculty and researchers) in connection with their duties (research) is considered an employee’s invention of the POSTECH Research and Business Development Foundation (R&BD Foundation). (↔ free invention)
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Handling of Employee Inventions
Employee’s inventions are owned by the R&BD Foundation, and once an employee’s invention is completed, an invention disclosure must be submitted to the R&BD Foundation.
※ Filing an employee invention under the inventor’s personal name violates the Invention Promotion Act and POSTECH’s regulations.
General Patent PROCESS
- 특허 Point 확인 (발명자)
- 발명 신고 (발명자)
- 특허 출원 결정 (산학협력단 - 산학협력단)
- 변리사 지정 (산학협력단)
- 특허 작성 (변리사 + 발명자)
- 특허 출원 (변리사)
- 심사/거절 이유 대응 (변리사)
- 등록 (완료)
POSTECH Patent Application Framework
Basic Framework
Researchers (faculty members) may independently proceed with patent filing using the “Researcher Patent Budget.”
What is the Researcher Patent Budget?
When a government-funded research project is awarded, 7% of the indirect costs is allocated to the project’s principal investigator as the Researcher Patent Budget. The Researcher Patent Budget can be checked via POPS (Patent Management System) or through the Technology Commercialization Team (Researcher Hyejeong Kim).
Scope
Korean Patents
Korean Patents
Filing/Examination /
Grant(Registration) / Maintenance
Korea filing cost: KRW 2-2.5 million
Foreign Patents
Foreign Patents
Filing/Examination /
Grant(Registration) / Maintenance
U.S. filing cost: KRW 5-6 million
Process
STEP 1: Researcher request (to R&BD Foundation).
STEP 2: Check the “Researcher Patent Budget” (to R&BD Foundation).
STEP 3: Patent Proceed/ Hold(Stop)
Related
- ➊Loan program: If a researcher with insufficient “Researcher Patent Budget” submits a loan application, the R&BD Foundation reviews the feasibility of repayment and provides a patent cost loan (up to KRW 5 million).
- ➋Even for patents under the Basic Framework, the R&BD Foundation covers grant (registration) fees and maintenance fees for a certain period.
- ➌Newly appointed faculty members are provided with a separate patent budget.
- ➍‘Provisional specification filing’ is also supported by R&BD Foundation under certain conditions.
Supplementary Framework
The R&BD Foundation supports university patents that meet certain criteria.
Korean Patent Selection Procedure [Korean Patent Support]
Inventions intended for Korean patent filing
Monthly
Patentability, insufficient “Researcher Patent Budget,” newly appointed faculty members (bonus points)
This image displays a 4-step vertical flowchart.
- STEP 1: Application submission (by Inventor)
- STEP 2: External patentability assessment request (by R&BD Foundation)
- STEP 3: Final selection (by R&BD Foundation)
- STEP 4: Korean filing
Costs covered by R&BD Foundation
Foreign Patent Review Committee [Foreign Patent Support]
Korean patents eligible for foreign filing and PCT applications
Held 11 times per year (excluding December) and conducted every other month by technology field
Odd-numbered months: Electronics/Computer Engineering/Telecommunications
Even-numbered months: Life Sciences/Chemistry/Materials/Mechanical Engineering
Patentability + market potential (technology transfer potential)
This image illustrates the 7-step Selection procedure flowchart.
- STEP 1: Confirm eligibility for foreign filing (by R&BD Foundation)
- STEP 2: First confirmation of inventor participation (by R&BD Foundation + inventor)
- STEP 3: Evaluate candidate patents (patentability /market potential) (by an external organization)
- STEP 4: Second confirmation of inventor participation (by R&BD Foundation + inventor)
- STEP 5: Finalize committee agenda (by R&BD Foundation)
- STEP 6: Conduct committee review (by inventor (presentation) + committee members (evaluation))
- STEP 7: Foreign filing (by R&BD Foundation)
Costs covered by R&BD Foundation
R&BD Foundation Coverage of Patent Maintenance Fees [Coverage of Patent Grant (Registration) Fees &
Maintenance Fees]
Granted university patents
- ➊The R&BD Foundation covers the patent grant (registration) fees for university
- ➋The R&BD Foundation covers maintenance fees for university patents through the 8th year after grant (registration).
Patent Training/Consultation Framework
Lab-based Patent Training/Consulting Program
A R&BD Foundation-designated patent attorney provides patent training/consulting for each lab.
Research labs or university-affiliated units
This image illustrates a diagram divided into Program section:
This section shows that the overall program consists of "Patent Training" combined with (indicated by a plus sign) "Patent Consulting".
The Patent Consulting box contains two sub-items:
- Patent Q&A
- Identifying patentable points
This image illustrates a diagram divided into Process section:
This section displays a 3-step linear flowchart connected by downward arrows:
- Step 1: Lab request
- Step 2: The R&BD Foundation matches a patent attorney
- Step 3: Program delivery
Patent Day
Once per quarter, the R&BD Foundation invites patent experts to provide patent training/consulting for university members.
Held in June, September, and November
Detailed schedules are announced in the campus bulletin.
Patent Training (morning) + Patent Consulting (afternoon)
High-quality Patent Prosecution Framework
To encourage high-quality patents, the R&BD Foundation provides premium fees so that highly capable patent attorneys can focus exclusively on university patents.
Up to KRW 3.5 million (↔ up to KRW 2 million under the standard process)
This image details the cost and a 9-step process for high-quality patent filing.
Cost:
Up to KRW 3.5 million (↔ up to KRW 2 million under the standard process)
Process:
- STEP 1: Invention disclosure + high-quality request (by Inventor)
- STEP 2: Filing request (by R&BD Foundation)
- STEP 3: 1st patent meeting (by Inventor + Patent Attorney)
- STEP 4: Prior art search (by Patent Attorney)
- STEP 5: 2nd patent meeting (by Inventor)
- STEP 6: Draft patent specification (by Patent Attorney)
- STEP 7: 3rd patent meeting (by Inventor + Patent Attorney)
- STEP 8: Review patent specification (by Inventor)
- STEP 9: Foreign filing (by R&BD Foundation)
Note at the bottom:
(↔ Standard process: one meeting)
Contacts for Inquiries
This section provides key websites and contact information where related information can be found.
Bae Young-hoon, Team Leader (Patent Attorney)
Overall coordination of the Technology Commercialization Team
Song Young-hyun, Patent Attorney
Patent portfolio management for Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Mechanical Engineering/Physics/Semiconductors/Industrial & Management Engineering/Mathematics
Hong Hyejeong, Senior Researcher
Patent portfolio management for Life Sciences/Chemistry/Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering/Environment/Eco-friendly/Batteries
Kim Hyejeong, Researcher
Invention disclosure/patent training/POPS/patent funding/other intellectual property management
Choi Hyunju, Researcher
Foreign Patent Review Committee/patent cost management