By Yoon Sung-won
Samsung said Sunday that it will open about 38,000 technology patents for startups and small firms.
It will share patent rights registered by Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electro-Mechanics with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups.
Samsung said it will offer 3,400 among 38,000 patents in mobile devices, display, telecom, semiconductor and energy free of charge.
The company will work with the Creative Economy Innovation Center in Daegu, southeast of Seoul, and the North Gyeongsang Province. Besides, it will expand cooperation to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Korean Intellectual Property Office soon.
Samsung also plans to operate a matching service for the patents.
It will send its own employees to the center. They will be dispatched to about 120 SMEs in the region, provide consultation for new business and product development and suggest required patent rights.
Patent experts from Samsung and other outside firms will provide mentoring services for the ventures.
“Samsung said it will not just open its patent rights but also provide them through a proper matching service,” said Kim Seon-il, head of the Daegu Creative Economy Innovation Center. “This is expected to help local SMEs and ventures, which have suffered from dealing with intellectual properties.”
Samsung Electronics will additionally open publicized patents, which have not yet registered for patent rights, once they are fully registered. The Korean Intellectual Property Office opens the content of publicized patents 18 months after applying for patent rights.
The company said it plans to use part of its patent income to subsidize local SMEs.
Samsung will start receiving applications for patent provisions from Monday on the websites of the Creative Economy Innovation Centers in Daegu and the North Gyeongsang Province.
Samsung’s move comes after a similar effort by LG Group.
LG said it will open a total of 52,000 patent rights in bio, energy and beauty businesses for SMEs and ventures in the North Chungcheong Province. About 5,200 will be offered free of charge, the company said.
In addition, LG has added about 25,000 patents on April 16 to be provided at the online website of Creative Economy Innovation Center in North Chungcheong Province.