ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION
How leading foaming agent manufacturer Dongjin Semichem leverages CPA Global’s resources to lower its patent renewals costs, manage its trademark assets and align its IP portfolio with its business strategy.
When a company’s mission
statement is: “Conquer the
world through new technology
development,” you can
safely assume that it takes IP
management very seriously. As
the world’s largest producer of
organic chemistry foaming agents
and a leading manufacturer of
energy-related materials with
more than 2,000 patents/patent
applications in progress, Dongjin
Semichem requires a global
approach to innovation and
protection of its IP assets as well
as cutting-edge portfolio analysis
and decision support tools.
Operating in a particularly
competitive industry, Dongjin
Semichem also felt it needed to
develop a clearer picture of where
it stands in comparison with its
competitors, identify potential
threats of infringement of its key
designs and assets, and highlight
opportunities to develop existing
and future technologies. And with
Europe earmarked as a key market
for its semiconductor and fuel cell
products, the company wanted to
develop a broader understanding
of the patent landscape in order to
develop a more comprehensive and
educated IP strategy in the region.
PROJECT SUMMARY
About Dongjin Semichem
Established in 1967 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Dongjin Semichem is a pioneer in the domestic and international fi ne chemistry field, specializing in the development of semiconductors and electronic materials for the Flat Panel Displays industry. The company is also the world’s largest manufacturer of foaming agents, holding a 35 percent share of the international market. Since 1995, the company has applied for 1,622 domestic and international patents and 24 trademarks.
Partnership Goals
• Strengthen protection of company’s key IP assets and portfolio
• Mitigate risk with a more efficient and cost-e�ective patent renewals system
• Utilize CPA Global’s Insight analysis tool to develop deeper understanding of competitor-related IP activity
Key Benefits
• Significant savings in patent renewals fees
• Enhanced decision support and patent landscaping
• Accurate reporting of trademark issues on key products
Software/Products Used
• Patent Renewals• Insight
CONNECTION INTEGRATION
COLLABORATION
PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS
©CPA Global 2016
THE SOLUTIONA combination of global resources and specialist local knowledge
To mitigate the risk involved in managing Dongjin Semichem’s substantial patent portfolio, the responsibility for processing the company’s annuity payments was assigned to a team of highly experienced administrators at CPA Global’s UK headquarters.
Instead of having to oversee the entire renewals process, Dongjin’s in-house IP team is now relieved of many of the time-consuming administrative tasks and is involved only in double-checking the output to ensure there are no lapses. If any issues are identified, a team of local experts is available to the client on a real-time basis.
One of the key challenges in the early stages of the relationship was to work through some administrative issues unique to the Asia market, including the implementation of a local currency payment system. With the goal of making the billing and payment
processes for Dongjin as simple as possible, CPA Global leveraged its international agent network and assigned a team of local specialists to negotiate with local banks, process the necessary paperwork and set up the accounts.
In addition to patent renewals, Dongjin also uses CPA Global’s trademark search tools to identify potential mark issues with key products, as well as the company’s new decision support tool, Insight, to provide comprehensive patent landscaping data. Insight’s set of custom analysis tools help Dongjin senior management make more informed renewals decisions by identifying new competitors in the market, comparing the strength of the firm’s IP assets with all patents within its industry/sector, and highlighting activity and technological innovation in key industry sectors and geographical markets.
THE BENEFITSImproved efficiencies and enhanced decision support
Substantial Savings in IP Management
CPA Global’s competitive price structure enabled Dongjin to streamline its annuity payment process and realize significant savings in its IP management budget. The all-inclusive renewals service also relieved the administrative burden on the in-house IP team, enabling them to focus on higher value work.
Accurate reporting of trademark issues on key products
Global legal services highlight potential trademark issues with key products, while comprehensive trademark management services o�er enhanced search capabilities.
Availability of Global and Local Resources
Dongjin benefits from CPA Global’s international resources and legal capabilities as well as a local team of patent and trademark paralegals with specialist knowledge of the Korean and Asian IP market.
Enhanced Decision Support
Using Insight’s set of unique custom analysis tools, Dongjin is able to gain a competitive edge in the industry and make more strategic portfolio management decisions. The analysis tools review what major competitors are doing and highlight key technological developments taking place within specific industry sectors.
For further information please contact us at [email protected]
As we continue to develop new technologies and expand our operations around the world, it is increasingly important that we are able to secure, maintain and e�ectively manage our IP rights. As a world leader in our field, it’s natural that we should choose the world’s leading IP management services provider to support us in this e�ort.
MR. JIHUM BAIK
IP Manager
www.cpaglobal.com©CPA Global 2016