206-685-6344
akoop@extn.washington.edu
July 19, 2007
South Korean Firms Look for Education in Intellectual Property Management, Select University of Washington to Provide
Program fosters expanded licensing and greater innovation in the global economy
- UW and South Korean Partners Enter Education Agreement
- Need Perceived for IP Management Training in Korea
- Why the UW Program Was Selected
- Comment from UW Educational Outreach
- About the Program Partners
UW and South Korean Partners Enter Agreement to Provide Program in Korea
In an era when global business partnerships and market value are increasingly based on securing and licensing intellectual property (IP) rights, providing accessible IP education programs to our overseas partners is critical. Education will enable our partners to secure IP rights in the US market and to respect those of other companies globally—a win-win proposition. To serve this need, the University of Washington (UW), based in Seattle, has entered an education and training agreement with Seoul, Korea-based firms NAM & NAM Consulting Co., Ltd., and Maekyung Internet, Inc., to provide its Certificate Program in Intellectual Property Management in Korea. This is the second UW program presented overseas, joining a roster of business certificate programs offered in partnership with the United Arab Emirates Academy in Abu Dhabi that launch during fall, 2007.
Taught by leading US professionals, the UW Certificate Program in Intellectual Property Management provides key skills necessary to create, manage and deploy IP rights, including patents, trademarks and copyrights. A dual emphasis on IP business strategies sets the program apart from others. It is also the only stand-alone certificate program in intellectual property management in the U.S., and is designed for working professionals—all attributes attractive to NAM & NAM and Maekyung.
The South Korea program runs from August 20 to September 14, 2007, for up to 45 students. Three Seattle-based attorneys will travel to Seoul to present courses in IP Fundamentals, Strategies and Planning. Employed by K&L Gates, a prestigious global law firm with a highly-regarded intellectual property practice, the attorneys are long-time program instructors.
South Korean students will then travel to Seattle for the IP Ventures course to be held at the UW's Seattle campus. The IP Ventures course is taught by prominent Seattle-area business professionals and senior staff at UW Digital Ventures (a division of UWTechTransfer, the UW office that manages intellectual property arising from UW research, licenses IP rights to industry and catalyzes the creation of new companies based on UW technologies).
The program will include field trips and guest speakers from global corporations headquartered in the Northwest, including Microsoft and Corbis. It is administered by UW Educational Outreach, the continuing and professional education division of the University of Washington.
Need Perceived for IP Management Training in Korea
NAM & NAM Consulting—a division of NAM & NAM, a patent law firm—and Maekyung, a media company that also presents major events and professional educational offerings, have identified a growing need for IP management in an open global economy. There are many opportunities for UW-South Korea IP partnerships, if built to ensure professionalism and delivery of business value in both directions. On its (Korean-language) Web site, Maekyung notes an effective IP partnership: a patent cross-licensing deal recently announced by Microsoft and South Korea's LG Electronics. Under the agreement, as reported by Reuters, LG can use Microsoft-patented technology in its products, including Linux-based embedded devices. Microsoft has access to LG's patents that can be applied to Microsoft's Xbox game console and can license other patents developed by the South Korean firm. (See the Reuters report.)
Yet there is still need in South Korea for education in IP management. In another example cited on the Maekyung Web site, Starbucks lost a trademark dispute with a South Korean company that sells coffee from roving outlets in trucks. The Patent Court of Korea dismissed a claim by Starbucks' Korean unit that Elpreya's brand name "Starpreya" should be canceled because of confusion with the U.S. company. While the South Korean company's logo is a woman's face within a circle of green, similar to the symbol of Starbucks, the court last year rejected the claim by the Seattle-based retailer that they were too alike. (See a report by Bloomberg as published in the International Herald Tribune.)
Why the UW Program Was Selected
When evaluating educational programs, NAM & NAM looked to the U.S. as a leader in development of global IP laws. (The U.S. played an important role in drafting the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, known as GATT, and the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPS, administered by the World Trade Organization). The UW program met their needs on several fronts. First, they were assured of a high-quality educational program. The University of Washington was ranked 22nd best among universities in the world in a 2006 report by Newsweek magazine. The University of Washington also ranks in the top five US universities for research expenditures, leading to the creation of hundreds of patents and copyrights each year. UWTechTransfer, the UW office that drives IP management and licensing, helped create this certificate program.
Equally important, the UW program is unique in its blend of both IP law and IP business management strategies. One instructor is a director of business development, rights services, for Corbis Corporation. Another is a prolific inventor with more than 25 granted U.S. patents to his name. He has served as a program manager and IP manager for companies including Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. Other instructors include attorneys from K&L Gates, a global law firm specializing in IP with offices in Asia (see more).
The well-regarded Certificate Program in Intellectual Property Management has been offered every year for seven years in the U.S. Graduates have gone on to develop new IP businesses, find better ways to patent their technology, discover more productive approaches to innovation and help their organization or clients better secure and leverage their intellectual property to boost sales and secure competitive advantage.
Finally, UW Educational Outreach provides the only stand-alone certificate program in intellectual property management in the U.S. (as opposed to other programs embedded within a law or other degree program). Certificate programs are attractive to NAM & NAM and Maekyung because they are designed for working professionals and do not require admission to the university or enrollment in a degree program.
Comment from UW Educational Outreach
"The University of Washington is pleased to partner with the venerable Institutions of NAM & NAM and Maekyung," said Andrew Hoover, Director of Academic Programs, UW Educational Outreach. "As global partnerships and market value are increasingly based on securing and licensing IP rights, it is important for US institutions to support the development of IP management skills and profession with our key trade partners like South Korea. Providing accessible education programs is critical to enabling these partners to secure their own IP rights in the US market and to respect those of other companies globally."
"The mission of UW Educational Outreach is to extend UW resources into the community and share U.S. expertise with the world," said David Szatmary, Vice Provost, UW Educational Outreach. "We are honored that NAM & NAM, one of the most prestigious patent law firms in South Korea, has chosen to work with us. The UW hopes to be of such service to other international organizations around the world, with our large and varied array of programs in business, healthcare, engineering and the sciences, and more."
The UW has also entered into an agreement with the United Arab Emirates Academy (UAEA) in Abu Dhabi to present a series of certificate programs as part of the UAEA Ibdaa program, targeted at recent university graduates under 30 years of age who are currently unemployed. Funded by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Abu Dhabi Emiritization Council, this is the first government-funded co-ed program for Emiratis. Currently, UW is offering certificate programs in Business English Communications and English for Travel and Tourism; over the next year, five additional programs including project management and business for international professionals will be added.
About the Program Partners
NAM & NAM Consulting Co., Ltd., is a subsidiary of established in 1952, is the oldest patent law firm in Korea. The practice has grown to more than 160 staff and has expanded into IP consulting and other related businesses. NAM & NAM serves a range of clients including multinational companies, technical institutes, universities, and small startups.
Meekung Internet, Inc., is best known for its leading publication, Maeil Business Newspaper, circulated in Korea. Businesses include a Web news portal, news broadcasting, and continuing education. As a preeminent media company, Maekyung runs major events and educational offerings to serve the business professional. (more information at the Korean-language Web site, www.mk.co.kr)
UW Educational Outreach is the continuing and professional education division of the University of Washington, the nationally recognized public research institution based in Seattle. Helping the schools, colleges, and departments to administer evening master's degrees, certificate programs, distance and online learning, international outreach and English language programs, and more, UWEO is one of the largest and most highly regarded continuing and professional education programs in the U.S. (more information at www.outreach.washington.edu/uweo.)
Available for Interview
NAM & NAM
Freddy Lee, NAM & NAM – (206) 370-8399 | email
Program Instructors
Mark H. Wittow, K&L Gates – (206) 370-8339 | email
James O. Robarts, Excelsior Bonifico Co. – (425) 861-4659 | email
Gail Dykstra, UW Tech Transfer Digital Ventures – (206) 616-3451 | email
UW Educational Outreach
Andrew Hoover – (206) 221-7385 | email
UW Tech Transfer
James Severson – (425) 861-4659 | email