Cases rise from 109 in 2022 to 176 last year; 129 cases recorded in first half of this year alone

Seven Korean SMEs had eBay accounts seized over hula hoop trademark infringement

211 firms received risk assessments under export support program, but no post-support tracking in place

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Won-i calls for stronger follow-up mechanisms for SMEs

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Won-i [Provided by Rep. Kim Won-i's office]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Won-i [Provided by Rep. Kim Won-i's office]

Intellectual property disputes involving Korean companies in the United States have jumped 61.5 percent over the past four years, driven by growing global demand for K-beauty and K-food products that has pushed more small and medium-sized enterprises into overseas markets. While the government offers preventive support such as dispute risk assessments, critics say follow-up management — including monitoring whether companies continue exporting after receiving help — remains inadequate.

Rep. Kim Won-i of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, obtained the data Tuesday from the Korea Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency. IP disputes involving Korean firms in the US totaled 176 cases last year. The annual figures show a steady climb: 109 cases in 2022, 121 in 2023, 146 in 2024 and 176 last year — a 61.5 percent increase over four years. In the first half of this year alone, 129 cases were recorded, bringing the cumulative total to 681.

Of those, 430 cases involved Korean companies as defendants — about 1.7 times the 251 cases in which Korean firms were the plaintiffs — indicating that domestic companies are more often on the receiving end of IP disputes in overseas markets. In one notable example, seven Korean small and medium-sized enterprises selling hula hoops on eBay had their accounts seized after being sued for trademark infringement by the US holder of the hula hoop trademark.

The Korea Intellectual Property Office currently runs several programs aimed at preventing and responding to overseas IP disputes, including initiatives covering product design protection using national heritage assets, joint response strategies for overseas design disputes, patent dispute response strategies, IP risk capacity building for export-aspiring companies, overseas intellectual property centers, and K-brand dispute response strategies. As of August, these programs had handled a cumulative total of 896 cases, with about 9 billion won ($6.62 million) in support provided.

Critics say the support is largely one-off, with little follow-up after the initial assistance. Under the IP risk capacity building program for export-aspiring companies, launched last year, 211 firms had received risk assessments through August — but the program does not track whether those companies face additional IP disputes after support ends.

"We must strengthen post-support follow-up and subsequent assistance mechanisms so that Korean companies lacking the capacity to handle overseas IP disputes can continue to enter foreign markets stably even after support ends," Kim said. "We also need to check whether any eligible companies are being left out of the support programs."


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