Trademark Leasing, Purchasing and Transferring: A New Business in Vietnam

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has recently cooperated with the Commerce Chamber of the US Embassy to Vietnam to introduce to Vietnamese enterprises the International Franchise Expo (IFE) 2005, a trademark leasing, purchasing and transferring exhibition, which is scheduled to open on April 7-10, 2005 in Washington D.C. This is a good chance for Vietnamese enterprises to contact, meet and seek US partners and business opportunities. To provide details of the exhibition for Vietnamese enterprises, Vietnam Business Forum has interviewed Mr. MIGUEL PARDO DE ZELA – Commercial Counsellor of the US Embassy.

Can you sketch out key marks of the exhibition because it is quite new to Vietnamese enterprises?

International Franchise Expo 2005 is one of a few exhibitions to be selected by the US Department of Commerce this year. IFE 2005 is a world-leading annual exhibition and conference of the trademark leasing and acquisition and transferring sector with yearly takings of hundreds of billion US dollars. IFE is a destination for well-known goods and service trademarks from all over the world and the US. The event will house over 1,000 stalls and hold numerous symposiums of global firms. The large-scaled IFE is an ideal place for business leaders, investors as well as business beginners. IFE is also a meeting place for famous trademark owners, who have had successful initiatives. Participating in the IFE is an effective and economical method to seek opportunities to develop business. For further information, please visit the website http://www.ifeinfo.com

Which kinds of businesses should apply for the exhibition?

Almost all small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in service sectors may attend the exhibition. For example, they may be engaged in accountancy, tourism, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, education and training, recruitment, job consultancy, retail outlets, real estate brokerage and management, telecommunication services, printing, advertisement, leather and footwear, entertainment centres, furniture, fashion, cosmetics and others.

Can you show several benefits of Vietnamese enterprises when taking part in the exhibition?

The US Embassy and Consulate General to Vietnam will create the best procedural conditions to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to enter for the exhibition. We will exempt Vietnamese enterprises from “sight-seeing” fees. In addition, Vietnamese enterprises will have the chance to work with US government agencies and US enterprises during the event. We will support a part of the fees needed for travelling, meals, and accommodation. They will be accommodated at the International Trade Centre and have rights to use necessary items like office equipment, pressroom, drinking water and snacks. Besides, we will help Vietnamese enterprises to contact with US partners before and after the exhibition.

Trademark leasing and acquisition is quite developed now. However, Vietnamese enterprises are encountering obstacles approaching this market?

In my opinion, Vietnamese enterprises and associations should establish representative offices in the US to approach and survey the market. The trademark leasing, acquisition and transferring activities play crucial roles in the US economy. This generates hundreds of billions of US dollar profits each year. This exhibition is an destination for world-famous trademarks, so that, Vietnamese firms attending the exhibition will have chance to lease and acquire such famous trademarks as Eleven, Subway, McDonalds, Hallmark, and others to do business in Vietnam.

• Reported by Tuan Anh