What inventions cannot be patented in Korea?

Under the Korean Patent Act and KIPO's Requirements for Patentability, the following are not patentable in Korea:

• any invention detrimental to public order, morality or public health
• scientific discoveries
• inventions not based on the law of nature (e.g. laws of economics, mathematical methods, etc.)
• arbitrary arrangements (e.g. rules for playing games)
• mental activities
• aesthetic effects (e.g. paintings, carvings)
• animal and plant varieties
• methods for medical treatment of the human body

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