The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is introducing a government certification system for K-brands to prevent counterfeit Korean food, beverage, fashion and beauty products from circulating overseas.
According to KIPO on May 31, the K-Brand government certification is a system in which the government directly registers trademarks for K-Brand certification overseas and acts as the rights holder to take enforcement action. KIPO plans to develop a certification mark by June and pursue trademark registration in 70 export countries where K-food, K-beauty and K-fashion products are widely exported and the risk of counterfeit distribution is high. Individual companies will decide which products to affix the certification mark to and apply to KIPO accordingly. Applications are set to begin in August.
Products that receive government certification will incorporate the latest authentication technologies, including QR codes and artificial intelligence (AI) watermarks. Overseas consumers will be able to scan products with their smartphone cameras to verify authenticity. The government will monitor counterfeiting in real time through a system linked to the scan data. Once counterfeit distribution is confirmed, relevant ministries — including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and Korea Customs Service — will cooperate to respond immediately, including requesting local authorities to investigate and crack down on counterfeits and asking customs authorities to halt shipments.