한국 산업재산권 법제의 형성ㆍ발전과 고대법대인의 기여

2025 marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of Korea University Law School. Compared to the 120-year history of Korea University Law School, the history of industrial property rights, a relatively new legal system, is relatively brief. Thus, even just 20 years ago, during the centennial, it was not considered an independent legal field. With the advancement of the knowledge-based information society, the importance and value of intangible intellectual property has been recognized as greater than that of tangible property, leading to a rapid rise in the status of intellectual property law. Today, South Korea's status as an industrial property powerhouse is remarkable. Furthermore, due to the unique characteristics of the formation and development of the industrial property rights system, its development is not solely the responsibility of scholars, but rather the fruit of collaborative efforts by practitioners and legal professionals. Unlike copyright law, which doesn't require an engineering background, patent law requires a background in science and engineering, so the involvement and contribution of law graduates is limited. Nevertheless, although their numbers were small, Korea University law students have quietly played a crucial role in various areas of industrial property rights from its inception to the present. They are evaluated to have played a significant role in pioneering and developing Korea's status as an industrial property powerhouse with a high international standing today. The development of industrial property law has been closely linked to the evolution of education and IP education, making them inseparable. At Korea University, the curriculum for industrial property law was minimal during its law school days. However, with the establishment of the Intellectual Property major at the Law School and the expansion of specialized faculty and curriculum at the Law School, IP education truly took off, producing talented individuals who have contributed to the development of the IP system in various fields. This study chronologically categorizes the institutional development of industrial property law and the development of academic and IP education, examining the contributions of law professors from Korea University who were active during each period. Broadly speaking, this study divides the period into three: i) pioneering activities in the early stages of the legal system's implementation; ii) contributions to the internationalization and institutional establishment of industrial property rights (1980-2000); iii) contributions to the establishment and expansion of an independent legal system (2000-2015); and iv) the period after 2015, when the digital transformation began in earnest. This study examines the contributions made by scholars and practitioners to the formation and development of Korea's industrial property rights system during each of these periods.