Strengthening IPR Protection

In 2012, NOIP granted protection certificates to more than 25,000 industrial property objects, including 1,025 patents, 87 patent utility solutions, 1,121 industrial design patents, more than 20,000 brand registration certificates, 5 geographical indication registration certificates, 14 semiconductor integrated circuits layout design certificates, and accepted the protection of nearly 3,600 international trademarks in Vietnam.

 

NOIP said most counterfeits found are smuggled consumer goods carrying famous foreign brands. Fakes are stuck falsified import stamps and copied packages and labels. Forgery tends to increase in scale and quantity. Especially, recent cases show that local counterfeit rings cooperate with foreign individuals and organisations make fake goods carrying world-acclaimed brands to sell in Vietnam.

 

 Mr Nguyen Thanh Hong, Head of Enforcement and Appeal Division, NOIP, warned that faked goods originated from China imported into Vietnam are very hard to control. In 2011 alone, market authorities unearthed more than 6,000 cases of violations worth nearly VND19 billion. Counterfeited goods are mainly consumer goods, food, clothes, shoes, household items, high-tech electronics devices.

 

NOIP Director Ta Quang Minh said the used of falsified import stamps, faked packages and labels is growing in both scale and quantity; thus, the authorities find it very difficult to control and handle. In the coming time, NOIP will continue reviewing contents of industrial property registration in legal documents, especially circulars and statutes in order to propose amendments and supplements to contents to solve problems against owners and encourage industrial property registration. NOIP will simplify procedures and apply electronic processes for IP registration. To promote the establishment of intellectual property rights, NOIP will soon set up the intellectual property development support centre.

 

NOIP turned down 9,931 industrial property objects, including 1,324 international trademarks.

 

Speaking of brand name violations, he said some [Vietnamese] brands like Vinataba cigarettes, Trung Nguyen coffee and Ben Tre coconut candy are being stolen by foreign individuals and entities. He recommended companies pay more attention to IPR protection registrations when they export products abroad. In case they need to register for product protection abroad, NOIP will collaborate with relevant sides to support them with registration. When there is a dispute over brand products in the foreign market, NOIP will collaborate with enterprises to seek the settlement.