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Dear distinguished guests,
I would like to first think everyone for coming to the Conference despite the sweltering weather.
Most of you probably have heard about a medicine called Remdesivir. The entire world is paying attention to this medicine as an effective treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivir is a product made by an American pharmaceutical company named Gilead Sciences. The U.S. government decided to buy the entire stock of this medicine for several months, causing an emergency in other countries.
The scramble for Remdesivir seems to forecast the future of humankind in the Post-Coronavirus Age. In May, the WHO urged countries to allow fair access to and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. The idea is to share the patent for vaccines and medicines instead of allowing a company or country to monopolize them.
However, the case of Remdesivir shows that there are still barriers to be overcome in reality. Even after the COVID-19 crisis, countries are likely to compete for intellectual property rights more intensely. Perhaps COVID-19 has actually increased the importance of patent rights.
Artificial intelligence is another hot issue in the global patent industry. AI is a close friend of innovative technologies. Innovative technologies like autonomous vehicles cannot exist without AI. In a phrase, AI can be described as the darling of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Looking at the last year’s report produced by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), AI power countries include the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea. Leaders would be Samsung among companies and Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) among research institutes. South Korea has already become a powerful country when it comes to patent rights. I desperately wish Korean companies and research institutes to take the lead with AI patents one day.
Dear respected guests,
Financial News and the Korean Intellectual Property Office are jointly hosting this Conference on the topic of ‘New Waves of Intellectual Property in Korea.’ As we celebrate the 10th anniversary this year, I would like to thank everyone for their support. Especially, I must express my sincere appreciation to Song Gab-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park Won-joo the Commissioner of KIPO, Jeong Sang-jo the Chairman of Presidential Council on Intellectual Property, and Hong Jang-won the Chairman of Korea Patent Attorneys Association.
Koreans are known to be genetically strong against crises. The COVID-19 crisis can be turned into a blessing for South Korea to become the true power of patent rights. I hope our Conference today can mark the starting point.
I deeply appreciate all guests once again, wishing for your good health and happiness. Thank you.
Jae-Ho Jeon,
Chairman of fn Media Group