From May 13 to 16, 2025, 35 experienced intellectual property (IP) judges from 23 jurisdictions gathered in Seoul, Republic of Korea to discuss common issues and share comparative approaches at the 2025 WIPO Master Class on Intellectual Property Adjudication.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Intellectual Property High Court of Korea (IP High Court), led by Chief Justice Han Kyu-Hyun, jointly organized the Master Class, which was held at the held at the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea.
Senior judges from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the Unified Patent Court served as Faculty and guided rigorous and dynamic discussions on substantive and procedural matters. Participants considered patent and copyright issues related to AI technologies, patentability requirements for pharmaceutical and biotechnology inventions, and nuanced aspects of trade secret litigation. They also shared approaches and experiences with respect to evidentiary matters and case management, including practices pertaining to small claims, different language regimes, and mediation [program]. Recent court decisions from around the world informed the discussions and generated insights.
Participants also developed their professional networks through rich cultural activities sponsored by the IP High Court, including visits to Dondaemun Design Plaza and Changdeokgung Palace. High-level Government officials, including Justice Chun Daeyup, the Minister of National Court Administration, Supreme Court Justice Rho Tae-ak, and Judge Kim Si Cheol, President of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, delivered special addresses to the participants and shared their reflections over traditional Korean meals.
The Republic of Korea plays a significant role in the global IP system. In 2023, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) received the fourth highest number of patent application filings, while residents of the Republic of Korea filed the highest number of patent applications relative to GDP in the world. The IP High Court, established in 1998 to consolidate appeals of most intellectual property cases, shapes the interpretation and implementation of domestic IP law and has enabled innovation and creative ecosystems to flourish in the Republic of Korea.
About the WIPO Judicial Institute and Master Class
The WIPO Judicial Institute (WJI) collaborates with member States to empower their judiciaries to fulfill their role in ensuring that IP, innovation and creative ecosystems are balanced and effective. As part of this work, WJI offers a number of platforms designed to promote peer-to-peer dialogue and exchange of experiences and jurisprudential developments, including the Master Class.
The first WIPO Master Class was held in 2018, in conjunction with the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China. The 2025 Master Class in Seoul represented the fifth such collaboration with a national court, following editions held in the United States of America (2019), Germany (2023), and India (2024). Each Master Class offers approximately 30 experienced IP judges from around the world the opportunity to expand their professional networks and engage in immersive discussions of global trends in IP adjudication, recent jurisprudence, and procedural frameworks.