Chapter 13: Treating the Flu (5)

“Well, I can if you want. You want to file a patent?” Park Joo-Hyuk asked Young-Joon.

“Yeah. Right now, if I can. I can’t do this because I need to work my actual job during the weekdays.”

“You want to do it right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t you just send a package to make a new drug? Am I hallucinating or something? How are you going to file a patent when you don’t even have a drug?”

“I guess this lawyer in front of me doesn’t know the law very well,” Young-Joon said with a chuckle. “You can revise a patent a year after filing it, Joo-Hyuk.”

“I know that, but that’s just a revision, isn’t it?”

“The details aren’t revealed when it’s filed, so you can file it with just the concept and without any data.”

“Shit...”

“So that’s why you file it first, revise it with the experimental data, and then register it after going through an evaluation.”

“Oh my...”

“It looks like something bad like cutting the corners, but it’s not. But there’s fierce competition for a great concept in this field. And you have to declare the concept first so that other researchers don’t bark up the wrong tree with a similar experiment.”

“I guess?”

“And it’s okay since you automatically lose the details in the patent if you don’t get it done in a year. So, I’m going to file it just with the concept and without the data. That way, I can file it quicker.”

“Sure. Lawyers can also file patents, but it will be better for you to talk to a patent attorney.”

“Do you know a patent attorney?”

“Give me a sec.”

Park Joo-Hyuk pulled out his phone and looked through his contacts.

[Lee Hae-Won, Batch of ‘12][1]

* * *

Patent attorney Lee Hae-Won majored in law and minored in biology at Jungyoon University. Young-Joon was completing his master’s degree in graduate school when she entered university, and Park Joo-Hyuk was in law school.

Young-Joon, who was much older than Lee Hae-Won, wouldn’t normally have any reason to meet each other, but Park Joo-Hyuk, the legendary social butterfly of law majors, would sometimes show up at the law majors’ lounge and treat his juniors. Some said that he was being extra, considering how old he was, but Park Joo-Hyuk’s humorous and cool personality made him quite popular amongst his juniors.

One of Park Joo-Hyuk’s juniors during that time was Lee Hae-Won. She was quite close with Park Joo-Hyuk. Some of their fellow students were suspicious of their relationship, but they were really just good friends, although he couldn’t see her for a while because she locked herself up in a goshiwon[2] to study for her patent attorney exam.

She got her license as an attorney, and Park Joo-Hyuk became a lawyer at around the same time. The only way that a novice patent attorney could catch up to her seniors was to bury her face in past cases regarding patents. People who had studied with her called her unbelievably tough, and Lee Hae-Won ended up getting to know everything there was to know about past cases regarding bio-drug patents.

Lee Hae-Won had her own patent-filing business now, but to be honest, she barely got any clients. Why was that?

If someone was the executive manager and had to choose someone to file a patent for a new drug prototype that had an expected value of three trillion won, would they choose a man in his fifties who had lots of life experience or a young lady in her late twenties? Usually, people picked the former. Most of the customers asked if there was anyone more experienced, and when Lee Hae-Won shook her head, they left.

‘Should I go into a patent law firm and gain some experience?’

Lee Hae-Won was thinking the same thing she had been contemplating for the past few days. A patent filing office was an individual business, but a patent corporation established by a few patent attorneys was like a law firm.

Bzz.

Lee Hae-Won’s phone rang.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“Hello?” She picked up.

—Hello. My name is Ryu Young-Joon. I’m a scientist at A-Gen.

“Yes, Hello.”

—I got your contact information from Mr. Park Joo-Hyuk. Would it be possible to set up a meeting about filing a patent?

Lee Hae-Won glanced at her Google calendar that was on her computer. It was basically empty.

“I am free, but Thursday and Friday between one and four o’clock would be best this week.”

—I’m sorry, but could we meet on the weekend? I can only do it on the weekends.

“The weekend?”

—Tomorrow, if possible.

Lee Hae-Won took a second to think about it, then replied, “Alright. I’ll schedule a meeting for tomorrow. Is one o’clock good?”

—Sure. What’s the address?

“It’s Hae-Won International Patent Office, Inhun-dong, Gwanak-gu.”

That wasn’t too far from Young-Joon’s house.

—Alright. I’ll see you then.

Young-Joon ended the call.

There were two reasons why he was moving up the date so quickly. The obvious reason was that the faster he did this, the faster he would be able to earn money. The second reason—although it would never happen—was to prevent anyone at Reaction Chemistry or Cell Bio from stealing his drug, as it was safe if he filed a patent beforehand.

As Young-Joon put his phone in his pocket, Park Joo-Hyuk, who was sitting beside him asked, “What did she say?”

“We’re meeting tomorrow.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Why?”

“I need to translate legal terms for a STEM nerd like you.”

“She will probably do it.”

“No. It’s going to be a disaster if you talk to Hae-Won alone. It’s going to be as bad as the trade war between the US and China at the least. If you start rambling on and explaining, Hae-Won’s not going to be able to cut you off because she’s nice, and she’s going to be super frustrated. And you’re not going to be able to understand what she is saying right away, either.”

“When did I ramble?” Young-Joon asked.

“You remember when you went on a group blind date with the girls from Sehyun University, and they rejected both of us because you started explaining why the DNA double helix structure was more durable than RNA...”

“Hey, why are you bringing that up now? When are you going to stop bringing that up! It’s been ten years.”

“Whatever. Let’s go together.”

“Okay, be honest with me. You’re not a lawyer, you’re jobless, right? How does a lawyer have this much free time on his hands?”

“It’s only been two weeks since I finished my six-month probation period at the Korean Association of Lawyers. I need to enjoy my freedom a little bit longer.”

“Ah, fine. Do whatever you want.”

“But I’ll take you.”

“You should’ve mentioned that first. We have to be there by one o’clock. You’re going to pick me up sometime in the morning, right?”

“Okay.”

Park Joo-Hyuk snapped his fingers and happily agreed.

* * *

It was one o’clock on Sunday.

“Hello.”

Young-Joon entered the attorney’s office.

“Hey! It’s been a while. How have you been?” Park Joo-Hyuk greeted Lee Hae-Won with a glad smile.

“Oh! Joo-Hyuk oppa, you’re here, too.”[3]

Lee Hae-Won walked out with a cheery smile on her face.

“I came because I wanted to see your face, Hae-Won. Oh, this is Ryu Young-Joon. He’s an associate scientist at the A-Gen lab.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Attorney Lee Hae-Won.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Ryu Young-Joon.”

“Then, shall we talk about the patent? Are you applying for a new drug?”

“Yes, I’m developing a new treatment for the flu. It’s one drug. I want to file a patent.”

“Shouldn’t we start by discussing the consultation fee?” Park Joo-Hyuk butted in.

“It’s alright. I don’t need a consultation fee. Since you’re a friend of Joo-Hyuk oppa’s. Can I ask what stage of development you are in?” Lee Hae-Won asked.

“I am synthesizing the new drug right now,” Young-Joon replied.

“...”

Lee Hae-Won tilted her head in confusion.

“So, there isn’t any data about testing yet?” she asked.

“But I can propose a molecular biological mechanism that shows its treatment effect as a biological formulation. I want to file a patent with the concept first. Add the data when I edit it.”

“Hm... It is possible, but...”

Filing a patent for a drug could be done this way, but it only applied to when it was clear that the drug would succeed. People usually filed a patent for a drug after seeing some promising data from cell experiments and then added data after doing some animal testing, as there was almost a hundred percent chance that they would fail if they had no data whatsoever.

But if Young-Joon was saying that he was just starting to synthesize the drug, it meant that he didn’t even have cell experimental data.

‘Where is he getting the confidence to file a patent, let alone think the drug will work?’

“I can do it, right?” Young-Joon asked again as Lee Hae-Won looked confused.

“Pardon?” Lee Hae-Won said.

“The patent.”

“Yes... You can. But you need to have experimental data in a year if you just file it with the concept alone. If you don’t, the concept will also be penalized a little. That’s why you need to think about it.”

“It won’t take a year. I will have data in about a month.”

“A month?!” Lee Hae-Won exclaimed. “I thought you were still synthesizing the drug?”

“It’s a very effective drug, so the experiments will probably succeed right away. So, I want to prepare all the paperwork beforehand so that we can edit and publish the patent right away once the data comes out.”

“Alright. I will give you the papers that you need. You have to write a short paragraph about the mechanism of the drug you are publishing, and there are other things you need to fill out. I’ll highlight them.”

“Can I fill some of it out while I’m here?” Young-Joon asked.

He had nothing better to do at home, and it was better for him to be here so that he could ask the patent attorney right away when he ran into something he didn’t know. However, Park Joo-Hyuk butted in before Lee Hae-Won could answer.

“A patent attorney is paid by the hour. You’re going to go bankrupt if you sit here and fill it out.”

“Haha, it doesn’t matter. I have no customers anyways,” Lee Hae-Won said as she shook her hand.

Young-Joon glanced around. It didn’t seem like this place was all that busy, looking at the amount of documents on the desks or shelves.

“How much will the attorney’s fee be?” Young-Joon asked.

“Should we do one million five hundred won?” Lee Hae-Won asked.

“Why are you asking me? Isn’t it fixed?” Young-Joon replied.

Lee Hae-Won looked flustered.

“Oh, maybe... I actually haven’t done this a lot.”

Young-Joon glanced at Park Joo-Hyuk, doubtful if he could trust her.

“Don’t worry. She’s good,” Park Joo-Hyuk said to him. “But I guess she doesn’t get a lot of clients. I really don’t understand.”

He shrugged.

“It’s because I’m young, I guess,” Lee Hae-Won said.

“How can they look down on you because you’re young? You have better memory and better problem-solving when you’re younger. Everything’s better.”

“Most of the people who come here as clients are either senior or executive managers at their company. I guess I’m not that trustworthy to people that old.” Lee Hae-Won explained.

“When they come in, they ask if there’s anyone more experienced, and then they leave.”

“If this goes well, I’ll keep giving you work,” Young-Joon said.

“Do you even have anything to give her?” Park Joo-Hyuk asked.

“New drugs will keep being developed as long as diseases still exist.”

“I’m asking whether those new drugs will be yours.”

“They will be mine if this goes well. Anyway, I would appreciate your help.”

“Of course! You can count on me.” Lee Hae-Won replied with determination.

Ring!

Young-Joon’s phone rang.

“Hello?” Young-Joon took the phone call as he was filling out the documents.

—Doctor Ryu?

“Yes, who is this?”

—Wait, we didn’t exchange numbers? How come I have your number? It’s me, Jung Hae-Rim.

“Oh! Yes, sunbae. Is there something you have to tell me?”

—How did you do it?

“Pardon?”

—I came in today to make the presentation for the year-end seminar and... I took a look to see if maybe, and...

Jung Hae-Rim stammered.

—The cells you made grew from the culture medium. It really looks like embryonic stem cells... Is it?

1. A batch refers to a group of students, typically university, that entered in a certain year. It is similar to the “Class of ‘**”, but it refers to when students enter university, not graduate. ?

2. a small, cheap place to stay ?

3. Oppa is an informal way that younger women refer to older men. It is usually used when they are friends or family. ?