European Union: Announced first round of negotiations for the Korea- EU digital trade agreement including intellectual property provisions

On 13 December 2023, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the commencement of negotiations for the Korea-European Union digital trade agreement in Brussels from December 13 to 15. This marks the first round of negotiations since the announcement from October by trade ministers. The discussions aim to address digital trade norms and cooperation, focusing on key areas such as data transfer, personal information protection, cybersecurity, and electronic contracts, in line with the principles outlined in the Korea-EU Digital Trade Principles of November 2022. In particular, discussions will include areas of Intellectual Property regulations relevant to electronic commerce, such as those related to trade secrets and protection of computer source code from forced technology transfers.