Korea MOIP Upgrades Trade Secret Original Document Certificate Service

Release Time：2026-04-13 09:28Author：Views：59

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (MOIP) has enhanced the issuance process for certificates of original documents for trade secrets, with a focus on two key facilitative measures.

Under relevant legal provisions, applicants may extract a unique digital identification value—referred to as an "electronic fingerprint"—from an original electronic document that contains a company’s trade secret information, and register it with a designated original document certification agency. In the event of a legal dispute, the certificate issued based on that electronic fingerprint can serve as key evidence to establish the existence of a trade secret and the time when the right holder came into possession of that trade secret.

The two facilitative measures introduced under this improvement are as follows: First, MOIP now allows the certificate to be issued electronically, so applicants no longer need to visit the designated agency in person—greatly enhancing convenience. Second, MOIP has provided designated certification agencies with a standardized English format for certificates, and such certificates are eligible for the Apostille, allowing them to be used abroad.

The core purpose of this upgrade to the certificate issuance system is to make the service more accessible and convenient. MOIP encourages more companies to make active use of this service to strengthen their trade secret protection and reduce the risks associated with enforcement.

Source：https://www.moip.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?c=1003&board_id=kiponews&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1836

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