North Korea IP Filing and Sanctions Compliance Guide

Pine IP Firm

November 23, 2025

Current legal and treaty framework

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) maintains national systems for patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and copyright. WIPO lists the DPRK's Intellectual Property Law as adopted on September 20, 2025 and effective from November 1, 2025. Earlier subject-specific laws and translations remain available in WIPO Lex, but they should not be treated as the current text without confirming their status under the 2025 law.

Documents for North Korea intellectual property filings

The DPRK has been a WIPO member since 1974. WIPO's country profile identifies the national office as the Intellectual Property Administration and provides current links for the PCT, Madrid, and Hague systems.

Available international filing routes

Right	International route	Verified procedural point	Official reference
Patent	PCT national phase	The national-phase time limit is 30 months from the priority date. A Korean translation and a local agent for a non-resident applicant are required.	WIPO PCT Applicant's Guide: KP
Trademark	Madrid System designation	A Madrid international application or subsequent designation may designate the DPRK, subject to the applicant's entitlement to use the Madrid System.	WIPO DPRK country profile
Industrial design	Hague System designation	The Hague System may be used to seek design protection in the DPRK, subject to the applicable Hague Act and applicant entitlement.	WIPO DPRK country profile

Patent national-phase requirements

The WIPO PCT Applicant's Guide for the DPRK states that the national phase must ordinarily be entered within 30 months from the priority date under both PCT Articles 22 and 39(1). The required translation is Korean. A non-resident applicant must appoint a patent agent, and the guide identifies additional documents that may be requested, including an inventor's declaration and an assignment deed when the applicant is not the inventor.

The national system recognizes both patents and inventor's certificates. The PCT guide explains how an applicant may request an inventor's certificate instead of a patent. A foreign commercial applicant seeking exclusive rights should confirm the selected form of protection, ownership, term, annual fees, and enforcement consequences with qualified local counsel before national-phase entry.

Trademark and design designations

The Madrid and Hague systems provide centralized filing and administration, but the resulting protection remains subject to DPRK law and examination. A Madrid designation is not a substitute for reviewing the goods and services, mark format, ownership, sanctions restrictions, and possible local representation requirements.

WIPO fees should be calculated using the current Madrid or Hague fee calculator when instructions are issued. A fixed fee quoted in an article can become obsolete, and payment to WIPO does not by itself determine whether every party, bank, service, or onward payment complies with applicable sanctions.

Sanctions analysis

North Korea-related IP work requires a separate sanctions review before an instruction is accepted, a representative is appointed, or a payment is made. The analysis depends on the applicant, beneficial owners, representatives, banks, payment route, and the jurisdictions whose sanctions laws apply.

For U.S. persons, 31 C.F.R. § 510.517 authorizes specified transactions connected with obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other IP protection in the United States or North Korea. It also authorizes specified government and reasonable professional fees, but payment may not be made from a blocked account. The authorization is limited to the transactions described in the regulation and does not remove the need to screen the parties and payment path.

U.S. authorization does not decide compliance under United Nations measures, South Korean law, European Union sanctions, or another applicable regime. Banks may also apply risk controls that are stricter than the legal authorization. Counsel should obtain sanctions advice for the specific transaction rather than relying on the filing route alone.

Instruction and payment controls

Confirm the commercial purpose. Identify the market, asset, filing objective, and expected enforcement value.
Screen all parties. Check the applicant, beneficial owners, agents, intermediaries, banks, and payment recipients against applicable sanctions lists.
Select the filing route. Compare a PCT national phase, Madrid designation, Hague designation, and any available direct national procedure.
Verify current requirements. Confirm deadlines, translations, powers of attorney, official fees, agent requirements, and renewal or maintenance rules from current official sources.
Approve the payment path. Obtain bank and sanctions clearance before transmitting funds or appointing an intermediary.
Retain the record. Keep the legal basis for the transaction, screening results, engagement documents, invoices, payment evidence, and official receipts for the period required by applicable law and internal policy.

Local representation and due diligence

Public contact details for DPRK agents can be outdated, and a similar firm name does not establish authority or sanctions status. The appointment should be verified for the specific right and procedure through current WIPO or national-office information. The firm, its owners, its bank, and any intermediary should be screened before documents or funds are sent.

Scope of this guide

This guide summarizes publicly available filing routes and U.S. sanctions provisions. It is not a legal opinion on a specific filing or transaction. Current DPRK law, WIPO procedural data, sanctions lists, banking restrictions, and the applicant's home-country rules must be checked when instructions are issued.