오늘날 인터넷을 비롯한 정보통신과 디지털 기술이 발전함에 따라 지적재산권 관련 분쟁이 지속적으로 증가하고 있는 바, 지적재산권 관련 소송은 다른 유형의 소송보다 고도의 전문성을 요구하며, 소송비용도 매우 많이 드는 경우가 대부분이다. 또한 소송 과정에서 영업비밀 등 정보가 공개될 수밖에 없다는 치명적인 문제가 있다. 이러한 지적재산권 분쟁의 특수성으로 인하여 소송을 통한 분쟁해결에는 일정한 한계가 있다. 오늘날 선진 주요국가에서는 지적재산권분쟁을 조정이나 중재와 같은 ADR제도를 통하여 해결하는 추세이며, 국제상업회의소(ICC), 세계지적재산권기구(WIPO), 미국중재협회(AAA) 등이 지적재산권 관련 분쟁을 해결하는 대표적인 ADR기관이다. 우리나라에서는 개별법에 의거하여 한국저작권위원회, 산업재산권분쟁조정위원회, 인터넷주소분쟁조정위원회 등 여러 분쟁조정위원회가 설립되어 있지만, 대부분 아직 활성화되지 못하고 있는 실정이다. 본고에서는 우리나라의 경우에도 ADR을 통한 분쟁해결이 활성화 되어야 하며, 이를 위해서는 지적재산권 관련 ADR제도를 개선해야 한다는 전제하에 지적재산권 관련 ADR기구의 통합․정비, ADR전문가 양성 및 인력풀 구성, ADR 홍보를 통한 국민의 인식제고, 지적재산권 소송의 ADR기관에의 회부, 중재제도의 활성화, 온라인 ADR제도의 도입 등을 주장하고 있다. 특히 지적재산권 관련 국제적 분쟁이 증가하고 있음을 감안하여, 단기적으로는 대한상사중재원의 국제중재팀의 기능을 더욱 강화시켜야 하며, 장기적으로는 민사조정․중재원이나 지적재산권분쟁해결센터 등과 같은 새로운 ADR기구를 설립하고 국제중재부를 두는 것이 바람직하다.

Litigation over intellectual property rights, however, not only requires a higher level of professionalism than other types of litigation but also costs a lot of money, which usually makes the litigation over intellectual property rights take a long period of time. For that reason, there is a limit to resolving intellectual property rights disputes. Today in major advanced countries many intellectual property rights disputes are resolved through ADR systems which include mediation and arbitration. ICC, WIPO, and AAA are major ADR organizations that resolve intellectual property rights disputes. South Korea also has dispute resolution commissions such as the Korea Copyright Commission, Industrial Property Dispute Resolution Commission, and Internet Address Dispute Committee that were established under the applicable laws, but they have not been activated yet. On the premise that dispute resolution through ADR should be vitalized in South Korea and that ADR systems related to intellectual property rights should be improved, this paper aims to emphasize the need for consolidating ADR organizations, fostering ADR experts and forming a pool of the experts, enhancing public awareness by promoting ADR, submitting litigation over intellectual property rights to an ADR organization, vitalizing the arbitration system, and introducing online ADR. Considering an increasing number of international disputes regarding intellectual property rights, it would be desirable to strengthen the function of the international arbitration team of The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board for the short term, and to establish new ADR organizations such as a civil mediation and arbitration agency and an intellectual property rights disputes resolution center, setting up international arbitration teams within the organizations for the long run.

Litigation over intellectual property rights, however, not only requires a higher level of professionalism than other types of litigation but also costs a lot of money, which usually makes the litigation over intellectual property rights take a long period of time. For that reason, there is a limit to resolving intellectual property rights disputes. Today in major advanced countries many intellectual property rights disputes are resolved through ADR systems which include mediation and arbitration. ICC, WIPO, and AAA are major ADR organizations that resolve intellectual property rights disputes. South Korea also has dispute resolution commissions such as the Korea Copyright Commission, Industrial Property Dispute Resolution Commission, and Internet Address Dispute Committee that were established under the applicable laws, but they have not been activated yet. On the premise that dispute resolution through ADR should be vitalized in South Korea and that ADR systems related to intellectual property rights should be improved, this paper aims to emphasize the need for consolidating ADR organizations, fostering ADR experts and forming a pool of the experts, enhancing public awareness by promoting ADR, submitting litigation over intellectual property rights to an ADR organization, vitalizing the arbitration system, and introducing online ADR. Considering an increasing number of international disputes regarding intellectual property rights, it would be desirable to strengthen the function of the international arbitration team of The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board for the short term, and to establish new ADR organizations such as a civil mediation and arbitration agency and an intellectual property rights disputes resolution center, setting up international arbitration teams within the organizations for the long run.

intellectual property rights, dispute resolution, alternative dispute resolution system, mediation, arbitration, online ADR