Design Application
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Design · Guide

A product's look, in a single set of drawings.

Drawing preparation, KIPO filing, and registration — the four-step flow for a Korean design application, plus partial-design and unexamined-registration nuances written down by Korean attorneys.

The process

From drawing upload to KIPO filing, in four steps.

You bring the article's drawings and name. iphere automates everything else after attorney review.

  1. 01~30 min – a few hours

    Prepare drawings or a 3D model

    Drawings are the heart of a design application. Either provide a perspective view + six orthographic views (front / back / left / right / top / bottom), or upload a 3D model and iphere will generate the six views for you.

    • 1 perspective view that shows overall form
    • 6 orthographic views — front, back, left, right, top, bottom
    • Optional cross-sections, exploded views or reference views
    • No extra cost: IGES, OBJ, STEP, STL
    • Conversion fee: FBX, 3DS, DAE, BLEND, GLB, GLTF, 3MF and similar
    You do

    Either prepare a perspective + six orthographic views as PDF/images, or upload a 3D model file.

    iphere handles

    When you upload a 3D model we automatically extract and align the six orthographic views, and review drawing clarity.

  2. 02~5 minutes

    Enter filing details

    Article name, applicant and creator information, and design description. Korean specifics like partial design, set-of-articles design and secret design are also chosen here.

    • Article name (e.g. smartwatch, chair, sneaker)
    • Applicant name, address, contact (Korean + English)
    • Creator name, nationality, address
    • Design description (optional, recommended)
    • Partial design / set-of-articles / secret design choice
    You do

    Enter article name, applicant and creator (Korean + English), design description, and select any special-system options.

    iphere handles

    Auto-suggest the Locarno classification, and prepare partial-design or set-of-articles forms automatically.

  3. 03~1 minute

    Pay & sign the POA

    Pay via Toss Payments and your case enters attorney review. The Power of Attorney is emailed to the applicant. SME / individual reductions and multi-design discounts apply automatically.

    • Toss Payments checkout (card, easy-pay, transfer)
    • KIPO official fee + attorney service fee combined
    • SME / individual reductions auto-applied (up to 70%)
    • POA PDF auto-generated and emailed
    • Multi-design discount applied automatically
    You do

    Pick a payment method; e-sign the POA email when it arrives.

    iphere handles

    Move case into review queue, generate and email the POA PDF, apply reductions automatically.

  4. 042–4 business days

    Attorney review + KIPO filing

    An iphere Korean attorney does a final review of drawing clarity, view consistency and article classification, then files officially through KIPOnet.

    • Final clarity and consistency check on the six views
    • Finalize Locarno classification (KIPO system)
    • Electronic filing through KIPOnet
    • Application number, filing date, official receipt
    • Examination-result alert auto-scheduled
    You do

    Approve any drawing or classification adjustments suggested by the attorney.

    iphere handles

    Six-view consistency check, finalize Locarno classification, KIPOnet electronic filing, automatic application-number ingestion.

Documents

Drawings are the core deliverable.

The drawings define the scope of protection. Article name, design description and applicant/creator information complement them. Format validation and KIPO conversion are handled by iphere.

Required

Drawings or 3D model

Format
Perspective + 6 views / or IGES · OBJ · STEP · STL
Note
Standard: 1 perspective + front/back/left/right/top/bottom. Upload a 3D model and iphere extracts the six views. Hand sketches discouraged.
Required

Article name

Format
Text (Korean, common name)
Note
e.g. "smartwatch", "chair", "sneaker". Use a common name aligned with Locarno classification — iphere suggests one automatically.
Optional

Design description

Format
Text (≤200 characters recommended)
Note
Brief notes on the design's key features, materials, or use state. Helps interpret the protection scope. Filing is fine without it.
Required

Applicant information

Format
Name, address, contact (Korean + English)
Note
Individual or entity. Business registration ID for entities. Multi-applicant supported with ownership shares.
Required

Creator information

Format
Name, nationality, address
Note
Natural person(s) who created the design. A company can be the applicant if rights are assigned from an external designer.
Automated

Power of Attorney (POA)

Format
PDF — auto-generated by iphere
Note
Emailed to applicant right after payment. E-sign only — no print or post.
Cautions

In a design, the drawings are the right.

Protection cannot extend beyond what the drawings depict, so filing-time decisions are critical. The four points our attorneys emphasize most.

Must

File before any public disclosure as a rule.

Designs require novelty too — exhibitions, public reveals or social-media posts can break novelty even when self-published. Korea grants a 12-month grace period after self-disclosure, but other jurisdictions accept it less broadly. File before disclosure when you can.

Must

Drawing clarity = strength of the right.

Anything not depicted is not protected. Inconsistent six-views or ambiguous 3D form can lead to refusal or narrowed scope. Use clean line art or CAD output rather than hand sketches.

Watch

Decide partial / set-of-articles design at filing.

Partial design (protecting only part of an article) and set-of-articles design (protecting a coordinated set in one filing) must be requested at filing time. Post-filing changes are generally not permitted — discuss with an attorney before filing.

Note

Trend-driven articles register faster via unexamined registration.

Apparel, fabrics, stationery and other fashion-driven categories qualify for unexamined registration (partial-examination): only formal review, registration typically in 1–3 months — perfect for short product cycles. iphere flags eligible categories automatically.

Key dates

Examined: 6–12 months. Unexamined: 1–3 months.

The track depends on the article category. iphere classifies and tells you at filing time.

  1. Day 0

    Filing date secured

    After attorney review, the case is filed electronically through KIPOnet with application number, filing date and receipt.

  2. Day +1–3 months

    Unexamined registration completed (when applicable)

    Trend-driven categories (apparel, fabrics, stationery, etc.) typically register in 1–3 months after a formal-only review.

  3. Day +6–12 months

    Examination result (allowance or office action)

    For examined applications, the first decision typically arrives in 6–12 months. Office actions are handled by attorney response drafts.

  4. Within 3 months of grant

    Registration fee deadline

    After a grant decision, the registration fee must be paid within 3 months for the design to register — iphere prompts payment automatically.

  5. Registration + 20 years

    Term expiration

    A Korean design right lasts 20 years from the registration date with annual annuity payments — tracked automatically in iphere's annuity management.