[Edaily Reporter Kim Eung-tae] Life solutions company #Coway announced on the 16th that it has filed a lawsuit against Cheongho Nice seeking an injunction against the infringement of design rights related to air purifiers.

The company explained that this lawsuit is the first official action taken by Coway’s “Design Monitoring Task Force (TF),” launched last January, and is a measure to protect its core corporate asset—design intellectual property (IP).
Coway claims that Cheongho Nice’s “Summit Tower Air Purifier,” launched last February, infringes on the design rights of its own “Noble Air Purifier,” released in 2021. Coway maintains that key design elements—including the rectangular shape and proportions of the main unit, the shape of the upper pop-up section, and the dynamic movement of the upper pop-up section as it moves up and down from the main unit—are identical, and that the overall aesthetic of the products is similar. Furthermore, the company argues that the release of a product with a similar appearance is not a mere coincidence but rather an unauthorized use that violates the principles of fair competition, and thus constitutes an act of unfair competition under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
The Noble air purifier, launched by Coway in 2021, features a design inspired by architectural elements and innovative purification performance. In December 2020, Coway filed multiple design patent applications for the product with the Korea Intellectual Property Office (formerly the Korean Intellectual Property Office) from various angles, and after examination, completed the registration of the design patents in April 2021.
Last January, Coway launched the industry’s first Design Monitoring Task Force (TF) and has established and is operating a permanent response system to protect design intellectual property rights. The TF, reporting directly to the CEO, is composed of experts from various fields, including IP, legal affairs, product planning, and design. The aim is to protect design assets based on a continuous monitoring system, moving beyond a reactive approach.
Kim Ki-pyo, Head of Coway’s Design Monitoring Task Force and Head of the Compliance Division, stated, “Design is a core asset that embodies the technological capabilities and creativity a company has accumulated over a long period.” He added, “We will respond resolutely and in accordance with our principles to any intellectual property infringement to ensure a fair competitive environment through the protection of legitimate rights.”