The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) gathered with fashion companies to enhance the competitiveness of the K-fashion industry. On the 21st, a communication meeting was held at the headquarters of Musinsa in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, where KIPO and fashion industry representatives discussed solutions to tackle issues related to overseas expansion of domestic fashion brands and unfair competition.
The meeting was attended by Shin Sang-gon, Director of the Industrial Property Protection Cooperation Bureau at KIPO, alongside representatives from major fashion companies like Musinsa, Riyad, SevenTree, and BigTree Corporation. KIPO explained major policies aimed at eradicating unfair competition acts, addressing the recent controversial issue of mixed fiber rates. Specifically, they committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of domestic fashion brands through monitoring and strategic responses to counterfeit products of K-brands distributed overseas, aiming to assist stable entry into the global market.
Through administrative investigations under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, from December 2017 to December 2024, KIPO received a total of 917 cases, collecting and handling 765 cases. These policies play a crucial role in preventing consumer harm and enhancing the credibility of the Korean fashion industry. Musinsa also announced its efforts to protect the intellectual property rights of its partner enterprises by strengthening its secure transaction policies.
Director Shin stated, “Unfair competition acts not only damage the image and credibility of the entire domestic fashion industry but also could negatively impact the global spread of K-fashion. KIPO will actively support small and medium-sized fashion enterprises to help them settle in overseas markets stably.”
This meeting became a foundation for cooperation between the government and the industry to secure the sustainability of K-fashion. KIPO plans to continue pushing various policies to protect domestic fashion brands, thereby expanding the presence of K-fashion in the global market.
