IPR Conference 2025 in Seoul: IP Strategies in the Age of AI
On 9 September, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) under the EU-RoK IP Action, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) jointly organised the ‘IPR Conference 2025: IP Strategies in the Age of AI’.
The event opened with addresses by Mr Wan Ki Kim, Commissioner of KIPO; Mr Philippe VAN HOOF, Chairperson of the ECCK; and by Mr Walter van Hattum, Minister Counsellor and Head of the Trade and Economic Section of the EU Delegation to Korea.
The conference featured presentations from businesses, professionals and academia from Europe and Korea, with the active involvement of the Korean Intellectual Property Association (KINPA) and the Korean Patent Attorneys Association (KPAA).
The conference brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, rightsholders and intermediaries, to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. This comes amid rapid technological advancements and digitalisation. The conference focused on leveraging emerging technologies to safeguard IP and address the related challenges. Attendees also discussed the legal provisions regulating the digital world and how these are evolving.
The discussions unfolded in three key sessions. The first explored how the EU and Korean public sectors are deploying cutting-edge technologies—such as AI, blockchain, and big data—to enhance IP enforcement and address digital-era challenges. This was followed by insights from private sector, who shared strategies for integrating technology into IP management, including combating counterfeiting and mitigating brand dilution through innovative tools.
A final panel discussion emphasised the importance of cross-sector and cross-border collaboration. Participants highlighted the potential for EU-Korea partnerships to increase the benefits of technological innovation in IP protection and addressing online infringement and enforcement gaps in digital spaces.
This conference co-organised by the ECCK and the KIPO, with the support of the EU-RoK IP Action since its inception in 2024, is part of a yearly tradition, which building on the legacy of previous editions, continues to serve as a flagship platform for EU-Korea cooperation on intellectual property rights in the digital age.
This year’s edition of the IPR Conference is particularly timely, taking place just weeks after the conclusion of the EU-ROK Digital Trade Agreement in March 2025. The agreement marks a significant milestone in bilateral cooperation, introducing legally binding provisions on digital IPRs, including enforcement mechanisms for online infringement, copyright in the age of generative AI, and protections for trade secrets and source code. Against this backdrop, the conference served as a strategic forum to explore how Korean and EU stakeholders can align their approaches to digital IPR governance.