We have built a database server called Patome which contains the annotation information for patented bio-sequences from the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). The aims of the Patome are to annotate Korean patent bio-sequences and to provide information on patent relationship of public database entries. The patent sequences were annotated with Reference Sequence (RefSeq) or NCBI's nr database. The raw patent data and the annotated data were stored in the database. Annotation information can be used to determine whether a particular RefSeq ID or NCBI's nr ID is related to Korean patent. Patome infrastructure consists of three components-the database itself, a sequence data loader, and an online database query interface. The database can be queried using submission number, organism, title, applicant name, or accession number. Patome can be accessed at http://www.patome.net. The information will be updated every two months.
Intellectual Property

The ‘equivalent-or-more-but-not-the-same-data’ provision in the Regulation on the Safety and Efficacy Evaluation of New Drug in Korea has served as the de facto data exclusivity term for any drug identical to a product subject to new drug reexamination. The legal debate that occurred between Abbott Korea and Hanmi in association with the approval of their sibutramine products, i.e., Reductil® vs. Slimmer®, showed why data exclusivity plays an important role to protect intellectual property of the innovator drug when incrementally modified drugs had to rely on the safety and efficacy data of the innovator drug for approval. The regulatory science and legal issues regarding the case of Reductil® vs Slimmer® were discussed, and the importance of data exclusivity was emphasized as a useful tool to protect intellectual property besides patent.
Intellectual Property ; Korea ; Mesylates

Whereas a vast amount of new information on bioinformatics is made available to the public through patents, only a small set of patents are cited in academic papers. A detailed analysis of registered bioinformatics patents, using the existing patent search system, can provide valuable information links between science and technology. However, it is extremely difficult to select keywords to capture bioinformatics patents, reflecting the convergence of several underlying technologies. No single word or even several words are sufficient to identify such patents. The analysis of patent subclasses can provide valuable information. In this paper, I did a preliminary study of the current status of bioinformatics patents and their International Patent Classification (IPC) groups registered in the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) database.
Computational Biology ; Human Rights ; Information Services ; Intellectual Property ; Korea

PURPOSE: In this era of the Internet, many university hospitals are making efforts to maximize the benefits of a good homepage which facilitates the sharing and distributing of medical information. By classifying and analyzing different urology homepage, this paper aims to identify the problems and suggest the direction for improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the search sites of Yahoo, Lycos, and Daum, some 111 homepage yielded by the keyword search "urology" were classified along the categories of location, sort (individual vs assembled), and the field of specialty. The one with the best quality was analyzed in depth. RESULTS: According to the location, Seoul (45) and Pusan (8) took up 47.7% of the total. There were more homepage devoted to andrologic field than others, typically offering online counselling service. As for the sort, there were more individual homepage (83) than assembled ones (28). The nearest to perfect homepage, upon close analysis, turned out to be too complex for the general user to gain easy access to the information, although its content, design, management, and links were excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all homepage provide online counselling service, but there was a considerable disparity in the answers to questions. A guideline from the professional body would be necessary. Moreover, to prevent possible violation of the intellectual property laws, it would be best for the homepage of professional bodies to be paid sites or at least membership sites. Those managing these homepage should do their best to catch up and cope with high-tech Internet medical services by being more familiar with Internet-related technology.
Busan ; Hospitals, University ; Intellectual Property ; Internet* ; Jurisprudence ; Seoul ; Urology*

This paper discusses the recent increase in the incidence of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases and the role of international cooperation in coping with such public health threats. The historical background and its evolution are reviewed and the need, advantages, and possible areas of international cooperation are presented. A current example and model of international cooperation at various levels is described. Finally, two of the main issues in the process of international cooperation are discussed: the ethical aspect of scientific communication and national interest, and intellectual property issues.
Communicable Diseases, Emerging* ; Incidence ; Intellectual Property ; International Cooperation* ; Public Health

OBJECTIVES: The Web-based integrated public healthcare information system (PHIS) of Korea was planned and developed from 2005 to 2010, and it is being used in 3,501 regional health organizations. This paper introduces and discusses development and performance of the system. METHODS: We reviewed and examined documents about the development process and performance of the newly integrated PHIS. The resources we analyzed the national plan for public healthcare, information strategy for PHIS, usage and performance reports of the system. RESULTS: The integrated PHIS included 19 functional business areas, 47 detailed health programs, and 48 inter-organizational tasks. The new PHIS improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the business process and inter-organizational business, and enhanced user satisfaction. Economic benefits were obtained from five categories: labor, health education and monitoring, clinical information management, administration and civil service, and system maintenance. The system was certified by a patent from the Korean Intellectual Property Office and accredited as an ISO 9001. It was also reviewed and received preliminary comments about its originality, advancement, and business applicability from the Patent Cooperation Treaty. It has been found to enhance the quality of policy decision-making about regional healthcare at the self-governing local government level. CONCLUSIONS: PHIS, a Web-based integrated system, has contributed to the improvement of regional healthcare services of Korea. However, when it comes to an appropriate evolution, the needs and changing environments of community-level healthcare service and IT infrastructure should be analyzed properly in advance.
Commerce ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Health Education ; Information Management ; Information Systems* ; Intellectual Property ; International Cooperation ; Korea* ; Local Government ; Public Health Informatics ; Systems Integration

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Patents as Topic ; Terminology as Topic ; Translations

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