1. "Over the past 10 years, the number of patent applications for the 4th industrial revolution has increased by 3.7 times and convergence technology has increased by 22 times."

The Korean Intellectual Property Office has analyzed and published information on applications and registrations in the field of 4th industrial revolution technology for the past 10 years. From 6,710 in 2012 to 24,732 in 2021, a 3.7-fold increase over 10 years.

Among the major technologies in the 4th Industrial Revolution, the increase in applications in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital healthcare is notable. The artificial intelligence field increased by an annual average of 41% (384 in 2012 → 8,416 cases in 2021), and the increase in digital healthcare was also high at 16%. Applications in the field of convergence technology increased 22 times during the same period, far exceeding the growth rate of the entire technology field of the 4th Industrial Revolution. In particular, there was a clear tendency for artificial intelligence technology to converge with other technologies.

Among the 11 convergence and convergence technologies, applications for technologies combined with artificial intelligence all grew at an average annual rate of more than 40%, and applications for convergence with artificial intelligence increased 41 times over 10 years.

2. Fierce R&D competition for about 55 blockbuster drugs whose patents are due to expire within the next 10 years

According to a report on global health industry trends recently published by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, there are 55 high-tech drugs whose patents are about to expire by 2032. Immuno-oncology drugs Keytruda and Opdivo, which generated $14.3 billion and $7 billion in sales in 2020, respectively, are set to expire in 2028. It is predicted that by 2025, monopoly rights for 19 blockbuster pharmaceutical drugs will expire, and that between 2026 and 2031, the number of monopoly rights for biosimilars will increase to 39 cases.

By 2030, the global biosimilar market is expected to reach $74 billion, more than three times the current level. The report predicted that global biosimilar R&D research would become active as regulatory changes for phase 3 clinical trials and 'interchangeability studies' became active. This is because if there is pharmacokinetic (PK) or pharmacodynamic (PD) data for the biosimilar, it is possible to request an exemption from the phase 3 clinical trial through the submission of these data.

In July 2021, the US FDA approved the first cross-prescription for Semgli, a biosimilar product of Beatris.

3. Establishment of the Fair Trade Commission’s Technology Utilization Monitoring Division to strengthen responses to technology theft from SMEs

In order to strengthen the response, such as law enforcement against technology theft of SMEs, the Fair Trade Commission establishes a regular position in the Technology Utilization Monitoring Division and reinforces dedicated personnel. It will be promulgated and implemented on the 27th.

The Technology Utilization Monitoring Division is composed of 11 experts, including patent attorneys, lawyers, accountants, science and engineering majors, and personnel exchange staff at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. In addition, it plans to actively utilize external expertise through the 'Technology Review Advisory Committee', which is composed of technology experts in each field, to handle cases of technology misappropriation by SMEs.

The Fair Trade Commission will also increase construction service subcontracting improvement and manpower from 9 to 11 to improve unfair subcontracting in new industries and future fields such as software, advertising, and cultural contents.

Such measures by the Fair Trade Commission appear to have reflected the steady requests from industry and academia to actively respond to SME technology misappropriation.

"We will lay the groundwork for small and medium-sized enterprises to receive a fair price for innovative technologies and continue technology development, thereby supporting sustainable growth of our economy in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," said the Fair Trade Commissioner.

4. Expansion of designs and utility models subject to SME technology protection policy insurance and overseas coverage areas

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups held the 12th meeting of the Co-prosperity Coordination Committee on the 20th, and will expand the target and guaranteed areas of SME technology protection policy insurance from patents and trade secrets to design and utility models, and guaranteed areas from domestic to overseas.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups decided to work with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Fair Trade Commission to establish a fair trade order in the software (SW) industry.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office expands the intellectual property mix (IP-MIX) strategy by improving trade secret protection support projects and preferentially supports SMEs with national core technologies.

The National Police Agency is strengthening its economic security investigation capabilities by establishing and expanding dedicated organizations such as industrial technology protection investigation units in major cities and provinces.

It is a policy to create an environment in which fair compensation is received by improving unfair trade practices such as non-payment of compensation for adding or changing tasks by department and unreasonable demand for repair of defects. In addition, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups shared the results of last year's survey on consignment and consignment transactions and plans for this year.

It is planned that large corporations will use the win-win fund to support subcontractors' technology protection policy insurance premiums, and use the budget of local governments to induce local SMEs to subscribe to policy insurance.