Top Engineering of Korea Appoints CPA Global to Manage Patent and Trademark Renewals

HONG KONG, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Leading electronics company looks to generate greater value from expansive international IP portfolio

Leading Korean electronics company Top Engineering Co., Ltd has appointed CPA Global, the world's top intellectual property (IP) management specialist, to manage renewals of its entire patent and trademark portfolio. In addition, Top Engineering is working with CPA Global to help identify new IP assets for acquisition as well as opportunities to generate greater value from some of the company's existing IP Rights.

With factories in Gumi, Gimcheon and Paju in South Korea, Top Engineering is a major supplier of components to the semiconductor and flat panel display industries, and is a leader in a number of other technology sectors, including LED and OLED lighting. Founded in 1993, the company has over 1,400 patents and trademarks.

Under the agreement, CPA Global will be responsible for Top Engineering's existing patents and trademarks as well as those currently under application, both in South Korea and overseas. Top Engineering will also use leading edge patent search engine CPA Global Discover℠ to help refine its patent research, preparation and application processes; while, at the same time, seeking opportunities via CPA Global's worldwide network to acquire IP Rights and monetise non-core IP assets through sale or licensing.

Commenting on the agreement, Mr Kyu Yong Bang, General Manager of the Patent team at Top Engineering, said: "We are working with CPA Global to help ensure that we rigorously protect our core IP assets as well as develop a product innovation strategy that will enable us to remain one step ahead of the competition. To achieve this goal, we need to ensure that our IP management strategy is closely aligned with our overall business objectives, and that we constantly analyse the competitive landscape to monitor the development of key technologies and the activity of our competitors.

"CPA Global's worldwide experience, expertise and industry knowledge will be invaluable in helping us identify opportunities to safeguard and leverage our existing IP portfolio, while building a platform for future product development."

Steve Kim, CPA Global's Director for Korea, said: "We are delighted to be supporting Top Engineering in the delivery of their global IP strategy. They are a highly innovative company, who continue to expand their product offering through the development of new technology. In addition to their own R&D initiatives, Top Engineering are also growing through acquisition.

"By appointing CPA Global to handle their renewals and by outsourcing to us the more time-consuming IP administrative tasks associated with their acquisition activities - including recordals, data verification and title updates across multiple international jurisdictions - Top Engineering are able to free up their in-house IP team to focus on more strategic work, while ensuring that the company does not lose any legal rights to the patents and other IP assets they have acquired."

About Top Engineering

Established in 1993, Top Engineering Co., Ltd is one of the world's leading providers of components and equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductor, storehouse module, and flat panel display products. The company's products include liquid crystal dispensers, seal dispensers, in-line systems, batch line systems, and panel cleaners. Top Engineering also provides central chemical supply systems, wet system and soaping machines, die bonding equipment, and chip sorters. In addition, the company offers an organic light-emitting diode production line. Top Engineering is headquartered in Gumi, South Korea.

About CPA Global

CPA Global is the world's top intellectual property (IP) management and IP software specialist, and a leading provider of legal services outsourcing (LSO).  With offices across Europe, the United States, and Asia Pacific, CPA Global supports many of the world's best known corporations and law firms with a range of IP and broader legal services, helping them to manage risk, cost and capacity, and realise greater value for their businesses and their IP assets.  

CPA Global assists its clients in managing their IP portfolios, including patents, designs and trademarks, ensuring that IP Rights are protected, maintained and regularly reviewed in order to maximise value. Services include patent and trademark renewals; patent search; trademark watching; portfolio valuation and optimization; as well as IP management software. CPA Global is also a leading player in the emerging legal services outsourcing (LSO) sector, providing high quality and cost-efficient legal support services such as document review, transaction support, contract solutions, and legal research through delivery centres in the UK, US and India.

CPA Global was founded in 1969 in Jersey, Channel Islands, originally to manage patent renewals on behalf of numerous firms of patent attorneys. Today, the Company employs 1,500 people, serving clients' broader IP management and legal support services needs in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit: http://www.cpaglobal.com

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For further information visit: http://www.cpaglobal.com or contact:

Hong Kong: Amy Sun +852-3973-6527, asun@cpaglobal.com

United Kingdom: Steve Clark +44-(0)20-7549-5504, sclark@cpaglobal.com

Victoria Knowles +44-(0)20-7549-4585, vknowles@cpaglobal.com