Trademark Application
OverviewPricingFAQGuide
Trademark · Guide

From similarity search to KIPO filing.

Mark upload, self-serve KIPRIS similarity search, designated goods, KIPO filing — the five-step flow of a Korean trademark application, written down by Korean attorneys.

The process

From search to registration in five steps.

You decide the mark and the goods. iphere handles everything else — KIPRIS search, classification, filing and prosecution.

  1. 01~5 minutes

    Upload mark + self-serve similarity search

    Upload the mark you want to protect (word, logo, figure, 3D and so on). iphere's self-serve KIPRIS similarity search lets you check, for free before checkout, whether identical or similar marks are already registered.

    • Word mark — text only (most common)
    • Figure / logo — image (JPG · PNG · SVG)
    • Combined mark — text + figure
    • Non-traditional: 3D, color, sound, hologram
    • Self-search results are free — visible before checkout
    You do

    Upload your mark image or text and run the KIPRIS similarity search; review the results.

    iphere handles

    Live KIPRIS connection, syllable / phonetic / appearance similarity scoring, refusal-risk visualization before you pay.

  2. 02~5 minutes

    Pick designated goods & classes

    A trademark right covers only the goods or services you designate. Type a few business keywords and iphere recommends suitable goods across the 45 NICE classes.

    • Pick classes from the 45-class NICE system
    • Pick specific goods within each class
    • Custom entries possible beyond recommendations
    • KIPO official fee added per additional class
    • Too narrow = weak right; too broad = refusal risk
    You do

    Enter business keywords and pick the goods you need from the recommendations.

    iphere handles

    Auto-suggest NICE classification, recalculate KIPO fees per class, surface refusal-risk changes as you add classes.

  3. 03~3 minutes

    Enter applicant details

    Capture the applicant who will hold the right, in both Korean and English. Individual or entity supported, with ownership shares for multi-applicant cases.

    • Applicant name, address, contact (Korean + English)
    • Business registration ID for entities, ID for individuals
    • Ownership share notation for multi-applicant
    • Postal address handling for non-Korean residents
    • Foreign applicants automatically routed through Korean attorney representation
    You do

    Enter applicant name, address, contact (Korean + English); business registration ID for entities.

    iphere handles

    Real-time validation, automatic mapping into KIPO format.

  4. 04~1 minute

    Pay & sign the POA

    Pay through Toss Payments and your case enters attorney review. The Power of Attorney is emailed to the applicant. Multi-case discounts apply automatically.

    • Toss Payments checkout (card, easy-pay, transfer)
    • KIPO per-class official fee + attorney service fee combined
    • Multi-case discount auto-applied
    • POA PDF auto-generated and emailed
    • Auto-collected after e-signature
    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 multi-case discount.

  5. 052–3 business days

    Attorney review + KIPO filing

    An iphere Korean attorney does a final review on the mark's distinctiveness, the goods wording and refusal risk, then files officially through KIPOnet.

    • Final distinctiveness and registrability review
    • Goods wording refined into KIPO standard expressions
    • Electronic filing through KIPOnet
    • Application number, filing date, official receipt
    • Examination-progress alerts auto-scheduled
    You do

    Approve any goods refinements or mark adjustments suggested by the attorney.

    iphere handles

    Distinctiveness review, refine goods wording into KIPO standard expressions, KIPOnet filing, automatic application-number ingestion.

Documents

The mark and the goods are the entire filing.

Trademarks need the simplest set of inputs of any IP filing. The mark, the designated goods, the applicant — iphere handles everything else.

Required

The mark

Format
Text / JPG · PNG · SVG (300dpi+ recommended)
Note
Word marks need only text. Figure or combined marks need an image. Non-traditional (3D / color / sound / hologram) gets a separate auto-generated form.
Required

Designated goods & services

Format
Text (per NICE class)
Note
Auto-fillable from iphere's keyword recommender; custom entries also fine. Each additional class adds KIPO official fees.
Required

Applicant information

Format
Name, address, contact (Korean + English)
Note
Individual or entity. Foreign applicants need a Korean-resident representative — handled automatically by iphere attorneys.
Optional

Foreign priority document

Format
PDF (issued by foreign IP office)
Note
Only when claiming priority from a foreign filing within 6 months. Note that trademark priority is 6 months — shorter than the 12 months for patents.
Optional

Use evidence

Format
Use photos, sales data, advertising materials
Note
Only when claiming acquired distinctiveness for a normally non-distinctive mark (generic / descriptive). Standard cases don't need this.
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

Check registrability before you pay.

Trademarks must clear KIPO's substantive examination to register. The four points our attorneys emphasize most to keep refusal rates low.

Must

Always run the KIPRIS similarity search before paying.

An identical or similar mark already registered in the same class causes a refusal. iphere's self-serve KIPRIS similarity search is free pre-checkout and analyzes syllable, phonetic and appearance similarity. If risk is high, modify the mark or adjust the goods before filing.

Must

Pick a goods scope that fits — not too narrow, not too broad.

A scope that is too narrow leaves you with a weak right against copycats; too broad triggers refusals or post-registration cancellation petitions for unused goods. Plan for your business plus the next 3–5 years of expansion. iphere recommends a fitting scope automatically.

Watch

Marks lacking distinctiveness are refused.

Generic terms (e.g. "Coffee" for coffee), descriptive terms (e.g. "Fresh" for food), common surnames or simple shapes lack distinctiveness and get refused. Coined words, combinations or added figures help; or prepare evidence of acquired distinctiveness.

Note

A 2-month opposition window follows examination.

After examination passes, the application is published for 2 months — third parties may file oppositions. Most oppositions are resolved by attorney response, and iphere handles the drafting on request.

Key dates

Filing to registration: 12–16 months on average.

Procedural exam → substantive exam → publication → grant decision → registration fee → registered. iphere sends staged reminders.

  1. Day 0

    Filing date secured

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

  2. Day +2–3 weeks

    Procedural examination complete

    KIPO checks formal requirements (form, fees, mark format). Any formal amendment requests trigger automatic alerts.

  3. Day +10–14 months

    Substantive examination result

    First decision typically arrives in 10–14 months: allowance or office action. Office actions are handled by attorney response drafts.

  4. Day +14–16 months

    Publication (2 months)

    On passing examination, KIPO publishes the application. Third parties may file oppositions during this 2-month window.

  5. After publication

    Grant → registration fee → registered

    If no opposition (or if oppositions resolve), a grant decision issues. Pay the registration fee within 2 months and the mark is registered for 10 years from registration.