According to a survey by the Korean Intellectual Property Office, 35 applications were filed this year alone, nearly doubling compared to the past five years.

Since the Go match between Google's artificial intelligence computer 'AlphaGo' and 9th Dan Lee Se-dol garnered public attention last March, trademark applications related to artificial intelligence have been gaining momentum.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO, Commissioner Choi Dong-gyu), 18 trademark applications related to artificial intelligence were filed over the past five years, with 3 in 2011, 3 in 2012, 0 in 2013, 9 in 2014, and 3 in 2015. However, it was found that 35 applications were filed this year as of July, nearly doubling the total number of applications (18) over the past five years.

In particular, the proportion of trademark applications since last March, when public awareness of 'AlphaGo' increased, reached 83% (29 out of 35 as of July 2016), and it is analyzed that AlphaGo's popularity has influenced trademark applications related to artificial intelligence.

▲ Last March, Lee Se-dol 9-dan played a match against the artificial intelligence 'AlphaGo'. On the left is his stand-in, Aja Huang.

The company with the most trademark applications related to artificial intelligence is LG Electronics, with 15 applications, while tied for second place are Wisenut Co., Ltd. and SK Corporation, with 4 applications each.

From 2011 to July 2016, a total of 53 trademark applications related to artificial intelligence were filed, and 8 of them were registered. With many cases currently undergoing trademark examination, the number of registered trademarks related to artificial intelligence is expected to increase further in the future. The surge in trademark applications this year for AI businesses, which require significant capital, is attributed to the influence of technological advancements.



This is because, along with self-driving cars that Google is accelerating the commercialization of and 100% AI-powered vehicles without steering wheels from Tesla, BMW, and Ford, technology development for artificial intelligence is also gaining momentum in Korea, leading to trademark applications.

Artificial intelligence continues to receive steady attention in various broadcasts and media reports as a next-generation growth engine. It appears that following the emergence of Google's 'AlphaGo,' Korean companies and the public have begun to take an interest in AI, leading to trademark applications.

Choi Gyu-wan, Director of the Trademark and Design Examination Bureau at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “When many companies invest large capital in the field of artificial intelligence, which AlphaGo created a boom, and plan to commercialize it, filing for a trademark to secure rights is the shortcut to protecting intellectual property rights.”