How to protect your trademark in Vietnam?

How to protect your trademark in Vietnam?

In Vietnam, trademark registration is the first step in obtaining trademark protection. A trademark opposition may be filed to prevent a mark application that is pending from being granted. Litigation is the last option for resolving disputes involving trademark protection in Vietnam.

A trademark is a sign that helps separate one company's goods or services from those of others. Products and services trademarks play a crucial role in the expansion of the business, alongside patents and industrial designs. A trademark connects a business and its clientele. Customers will be more likely to use goods or services if the trademark is strong. The infringement of a trademark is inevitable when the trademark is well-known and has significant economic benefits from the sale of goods or services.

The owner of a trademark has two options for registration: either directly register a trademark in Vietnam by filling out a registration application with the Vietnam NOIP, or use Madrid's system to seek protection in Vietnam. In accordance with Vietnam's intellectual property law, the trademark owner must prepare, apply for registration, and pay a fee for the first option. If a trademark needs to be protected in multiple countries, such as Vietnam, the owner can register it using Madrid's system.

The trademark owner must assess the degree of infringement and damage in each location where a trademark violation occurs in order to select appropriate solutions. In the beginning, the owner of a trademark may protect themselves by requiring the trademark violator to stop their violations, apologise, and make amends. Owners of trademarks have the right to seek compensation in the event of damage. If negotiations or mediation fail, the trademark owner can use a settlement mechanism or submit a denunciation application to the Vietnam NOIP and ask the appropriate state agencies to handle acts of infringement. Acts of infringement may necessitate litigation. In general, civil litigation proceedings are more complex than arbitration proceedings. Civil litigation takes precedence when the trademark owner requires a court decision to end trademark infringement. In the remaining cases, arbitration is the better option because it is less expensive, takes less time to settle, and is more adaptable.

The client company's competitive advantage is heavily reliant on trademarks. Through trademark registration, oppositions, and other trademark protection resolutions in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers' IP service in Vietnam assists you in securing protection for these priceless intellectual assets.

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Cancellation Against of Trademark in Vietnam

Trademark is the priceless asset with your company because of being used to distinguish goods or services of different organizations or individuals.

It usually takes a long time and attempts for your company to gain the trust and belief from customers on your goods and trademark. However, if there is any other same trademark of the same goods like yours, it will easily make customer mistake or confuse and lead many damages to your company such as distinguishing capacity, losing reputation and sale decline.

 

Cancellation Against of Trademark in Vietnam

In fact, many international companies after co-operating with domestic companies to distribute or sell good, find that co-operators steal their trademark by registered trademark protection in National offices intellectual property. Because trademark is protected independently in each nation, it is easy for violators to do steal trademarks.

To protect your rights and benefits, you should request Vietnam IP authority to cancel violated trademark. With highly professional staff and great experience in IP aspect in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers would like to support you in cancelling against of trademark in Vietnam as follows:

Cancellation against of trademark in Vietnam

Under the Article 96 of the Law on Intellectual Property of Vietnam (IP Law), a certificate of trademark registration may be cancelled wholly or partly, by any third party’s request.

The applicant may request to the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) in written form to cancel protection titles in the cases specified provided that they pay fees and charges.

Period for filling cancellation request

To request cancellation of a trademark due to the Applicant’s bad faith: the period for lodging such a request is the whole term of a Protection Title.

To request cancellation of a trademark due to other legal reasons: the period for lodging such a request is within 5 years as from the granting date.

The case for cancellation

A certificate of trademark registration may be cancelled wholly or partly, by any third party’s request, in the following cases:

The registration applicant has neither had nor been assigned the right to register an invention, industrial design, layout-design or mark;

The subject matter of industrial property fails to satisfy the protection conditions at the time the protection title is granted.

Required documents

Proofs (if any);

Power of attorney;

Written justification of the reason for request (clearly stating the serial number of the protection title, reason, legal grounds, contents of the request for termination or Cancellation of part of or the entire protection title) and relevant documents.

Time and procedures

In case a request for cancellation of trademark protection title is made by a third party, the NOIP shall notify in writing the third party’s opinions to the protection title holder, setting a time limit of two months from the date of notification for the trademark protection title holder to respond.

After considering opinions of the parties, the NOIP shall issue a decision on cancellation of part of the entire protection title or notify its refusal to cancellation the trademark protection title.

If disagreeing with the NOIP’s decision on handling of the request for Cancellation of the trademark protection title, the requester or an involved party may lodge a complaint about that decision or the relevant notice.

A decision on cancellation of a trademark protection title shall be published in the Industrial Property Official Gazette and recorded in the National Register of Industrial Property within two months from the date of its signing.

ANT Lawyers – IP services in Vietnam is supported by a team of experienced patent, trademark, design attorneys with qualification and skills handling full range of legal services relating to intellectual property rights in Vietnam. We have specialized in the preparation and registration of patents, trademarks and designs for our clients.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/cancellation-against-of-trademark-in-vietnam.html

 

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Recordal of Trademark Assignment in Vietnam

 

Recordal of Trademark Assignment in Vietnam

Assignment of a trademark right means the transfer of ownership right by owner of such trademark right to another organization or individual.

Trademark Assignment in Vietnam be established in the form of written agreement. Oral agreements, letters or telegrams shall not be accepted and have no legal effect.

 

Recordal of Trademark Assignment in Vietnam

Required documents

You are required to provide us the following documents:

-One executed original of Deed of Assignment, which must be signed and sealed by both Assignor and Assignee. Since the Deed of Assignment has two pages, both Assignor and Assignee should sign on each page or use company stamp to inter-cross seal over all pages (NO      further notarization or legalization is required);

-A Power of Attorney (POA) that should only be signed by the Representative of Assignee; 

-The relevant original Certificate of Trademark Registration (if recording the assignment for a registered one).

Procedures and time

After the recordal of assignment is completed, the NOIP will issue the following documents:

-The Notice of Assignment Recordal in case of a pending Trademark Application.

-The Certificate for Registration of Deed of Assignment in case of Trademark Registration in Vietnam.

In addition, the name and address of new owner will be endorsed on the last page of this Certificate of Trademark Registration.

The whole duration for recordal of assignment in Vietnam will in straightforward case is 2 months counted from the filing date. However, in practice, this duration can be extended from 3-6 months.

Other matters

Under Vietnam Intellectual Property Law, the trademark assignment will not be approved in the following cases:

-The subject mark for assignment identical/confusingly similar to the trade name of assignor as it shall cause the confusion as to the origin of goods or services with those of assignor. 

-The subject mark for assignment similar or identical to other trademarks but not for assignment of Assignor in respect of similar goods or services as it shall cause the confusion as to the origin of goods or services with the rest of assignor.

ANT Lawyers - IP services in Vietnam located in the business centers of Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh city. We provide convenient access to our clients. Please contact our lawyers in Vietnam for Trademark registration services in Vietnam via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our office at +84 28 730 86 529.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/recordal-of-trademark-assignment-in-vietnam.html

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How to Dealing with Trademark Infringement in Vietnam

According to Vietnam law on intellectual property, when detecting the trademark infringement act, the trademark owner has the self-protection right includes (i) apply technological measures to prevent acts of trademark infringement in Vietnam (ii) request organization or individual who commits an act of trademark infringement of the holder to terminate such act, make a public apology or rectification, and compensate damages; (iii) request the competent authority to handle with acts of trademark infringement in accordance with the provisions of laws.

Firstly, to apply the technological measures to prevent acts of trademark infringement measure, infringed party may give our the information related to original of emergence, trademark certificate, protection and duration scope and other  information related to the right of trademark owner in order to inform that the infringed trademark are under protection warn the infringing party not to infringe. Besides, the owner of infringed trademark may use the technical means or measures to mark, identify, distinguish and protect the infringed trademark.

Secondly, the owner could also request organization or individual who commits an act of trademark infringement of the holder to terminate such act, make a public apology or rectification, and compensate damages. In particular, the trademark owners may themselves or authorize to individual or organization, IP attorney in Vietnam to send to the infringed party to stop the the infringement by indicating the information regarding origin of infringement, trademark certificate, protection scope, protection duration and set a reasonable period of time for the infringer to terminate the act of infringement. In addition, depending on the case and level of infringement, the written request will bear different content. It can be said that this is a prior-should-use measure before taking other measures including application of technological measures. If the violating party cooperates and stops the infringement, it will save time and money of both parties when not taking other stronger measures.

Thirdly, owner of trademark could request the competent authority to deal with acts of trademark infringement in accordance with the provisions of laws. When the trademark owner sends the request as mentioned above to infringing party, and, the violated party does not cooperate and continue the infringement, infringed party may sent a request to competent authority with the information such as: date of making the request; name and address of infringed party or their legal representative; name of receiving request authority; name and address of infringing party; name and address of the suspected violator in the case of request for temporary cessation of customs clearance for exports or imports suspected of infringement; brief information of infringed trademark and infringement; proposed measures to handle infringement; documents and evidence accompanying the request. Depending on the seriousness of the infringement, the petitioner may submit a request to the relevant authorities to apply administrative, civil, criminal or customs measures. Be noted that if the request is sent to custom authority for temporary cessation of customs clearance for imports or exports suspected of infringement, it is required to provide the additional information on the mode of import or export, country of exportation, mode of packaging, the lawful importer or exporter, features of lawfully imported or exported goods for distinction from infringing goods.

Overall, it is important to protect the intellectual property rights in Vietnam. Further, engaging with IP attorney in Vietnam will help the process efficiently from registration, managing the intellectual properties, protecting the intellectual property from infringement, and handling the disputes against the IP violators in Vietnam through administrative measures, civil litigation or even criminal prosecution.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/how-to-dealing-with-trademark-infringement-in-vietnam.html

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Time Limit of Trademark Protection Extension in Vietnam

As regulation of law on intellectual property, the mark, trademark or service mark, is one of protected subjects of industrial property right. However, to be protected by law, the owner of mark shall apply protection registration dossier to competent authority prior. When the owner registers and is granted a certificate of registered mark, the owner shall have the exclusive right to label the product, service or both, right to allow others to use the mark throughout mark license contracts, right to assign the mark ownership and right to prevent breaching action from any third party.

Trademark Protection Extension in Vietnam

However, a certificate of registered mark shall be valid from the grant date until the end of ten (10) years after the filing date. When the validity terminates, in order to continue being the owner of mark, the owner of Certificate shall implement the procedure of extending the protection validity of the certificate. It is important that the owner has to be aware of the time to apply dossier for a certificate extension in accordance with the law.

As regulation of law, time limit of extending mark certificate is prior or after six (06) months from the expiration date of mark certificate. If the extension is applied prior 06 months since the expiration date, the owner shall pay extension fee. If the extension is applied after 06 months since the expiration date, the owner shall pay extension fee and fine for late payment as month.

Procedure of extending mark certificate:

• Application form (as template);
• Original Mark Certificate (if any);
• Power of Attorney (POA);
• Payment voucher.

With highly professional staff and great experience in IP aspect in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers would like to support you in extending your trademark or service mark or both in Vietnam.

ANT Lawyers - IP services in Vietnam located in the business centers of Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh city. We provide convenient access to our clients. Please contact our lawyers in Vietnam for Trademark registration services in Vietnam via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our office at +84 28 730 86 529.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/intellectual-property-law/time-limit-of-trademark-protection-extension.html

 

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What is the importance of trademark registration?

Trademark Registration is a legal protection for your Brand name which can’t be copied by any other party Legally. If in case they copy that brand then through the Rights under Intellectual Property Act. The owner of the Trademark can recover the whole profit earned with the name of Registered Trademark.

Register trademark in Vietnam

Many of my clients have said that their lenders or investors felt more comfortable once registration was achieved in important countries.

if you have registrations in major countries such as US, UK you can persuade amazon, eBay etc. to shut down infringing websites without the time and expense of court action.

Customers even search and see you are serious about your rights. It is so cheap to do you look very cheap if you don’t do it.

If you need to prevent infringing use by competitors the court will assume that your right is valid until the other side has proved that it is not. The percentage of registrations found invalid is minuscule. Once you have registration it can be renewed forever as of right. In the UK registration no 1 remains valid as the owners renewed it every ten years since 1876. You have to police the use of the mark, use and renew and then it’s yours forever.

If you have a registration potential licenses have an easy way of finding you. Lenders can give loans secured on registrations.

Source: Quora

ANT Lawyers - IP services in Vietnam located in the business centers of Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh city. We provide convenient access to our clients. Please contact our lawyers in Vietnam for Trademark registration services in Vietnam via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our office at +84 28 730 86 529.

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What cannot be registered as trademark?

A trademark has to have one basic feature that is it should be unique and create a brand identity for a product. So if a trademark is such that does not create any brand for a product can't be trademarked. A trademark should not be a conflicting trademarks with others. It means the trademarks should not create confusion between two trademarks. 

In general:

Trademark protection in Vietnam 

-Generic words can't be trademarked. For example you can't trademark the words like TV, Fridge, scooter, car etc.

-The names of the cities and countries can not be trademarked.

-The names of Gods and Godesses and the names of religious books can not be trademarked. For example you can't trademark *Lord Ram* or *Ramayana*

-Surnames can not be trademarked under normal circumstances. For Example you can't trademark *Sharma*

-Names of Constitutional Posts or Government posts can't be trademarked. For examples you can't trademark *Prime Minister of Vietnam

-Words which denote illegal or Immoral acts can't be trademarked. For example you can't trademark *Let's cheat* or *Let's grope*

-Words which are prohibited under names and emblems act can't be trademarked. For example, you can't trademark the official sign of Government of Vietnam.

Hope this helps!

Source: Quora

ANT Lawyers - IP services in Vietnam located in the business centers of Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh city. We provide convenient access to our clients. Please contact our lawyers in Vietnam for Trademark registration services in Vietnam via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our office at +84 28 730 86 529.

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Trademark Consultant in Vietnam

 

Trademarks are an important part of client company’s competitive edge. ANT Lawyers IP practice helps you protect these valuable intellectual assets, through trademark registration, oppositions, and other trademark protection resolutions in Vietnam.

It has been obvious that the protections of trademark have created significant value in intangible assets. Hence, the manufacturers of various products and service providers could establish and protect their identities and the identities of their products or services in the marketplace through the creation and protection of names, designs, logos, and explore strategies for protecting potentially valuable trademarks. Further, it is important to be ready to design an ongoing maintenance strategy to protect, extend, and maximize the value of trademarks, and discuss strategies for responding to possible trademark infringement if any.

ANT Lawyers IP practice helps you protect these valuable intellectual assets through trademark registration, oppositions, and other trademark protection resolutions in Vietnam.

 

Trademark consultant in Vietnam

In particular, ANT Lawyers IP practice offers client services as following:

-Trademark Availability Searches

-Trademark Watch Service

-Trademark Filings & Trademark Registration in Vietnam

-Renewals

-Recordals of Amendments, Assignments, Merger Agreements, Licences

-Filing Opposition & Responses

Our trademark attorneys in Vietnam will process client’s trademark registration by carrying out the following steps:

-Providing our clients with cost estimates for searching and filing applications

-Conducting comprehensive clearance searches including analysis about registration of the required trademarks and providing advice on the most appropriate and cost-effective method to obtain a clearance

-Preparing and filing trademark applications, including obtaining appropriate legalization of documents and translations (if applicable)

-Responding to objections raised by Registrars and potential third party oppositions

-Negotiating settlement agreements when necessary to overcome prior marks

-Obtaining a Certificate of Trademark Registration once your trademark is approved

-Recording changes in name and address of proprietor, assignments, licenses and renewals of trademarks

-Providing solutions for trademark protection in Vietnam.

If you are looking for experienced IP services in Vietnam to help you with your Trademark application, you should visit ANTLawyers.vn. Our attorneys have experience with the IP process and will work closely with you as you apply for your Trademark in Vietnam.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/area-of-expertise/intellectual-property/trademark

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Opposition Procedures of Trademark in Vietnam

Trademark is the priceless asset of a company because of being used to distinguish goods or services of different organizations or individuals. Many international companies have found that others have registered trademark protection in Vietnam at National Offices of Intellectual Property (NOIP).

Because trademark is protected independently in each nation, it is easy for violators to abuse trademarks of other well-known companies for their interests in Vietnam. This could potentially put the real trademark owner’s under challenges when the clients or customers realize the product bearing the trademark they trust do not meet the standard they expected.

 

Opposition Procedures of Trademark in Vietnam

In Vietnam, after detecting their infringement registration process, you should submit an opposition notice to NOIP in Vietnam to prevent the violating trademark registration. To ensure your opposition shall be effective, you should enclose evidences and related documents.

With highly professional staff and great experience in IP aspect in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers, a qualified attorney and registered IP agent, could support you in opposition procedure of trademark in Vietnam.

Deadline for filing an opposition to a trademark application in Vietnam

The deadline for filing an opposition to a trademark application in Vietnam is stipulated particularly in the IP Law.

According to IP Law of Vietnam, during examination of trademark applications as from the date when a trademark application is published on the Industrial Property Official Gazette until prior to the date of decision on granting Certificate of trademark registration, an opposition request should be filed to the NOIP. Such request will not be accepted by the NOIP for handling if it is filed after the date of decision on granting trademark registration. However, under our current practice, the applicant could request for an acceleration examination, shorter than provided period of 09 months. Therefore please be noted that possible opposition should be filed as soon as possible.

Requirements

Pursuant to the IP Law, foreign opponents are not allowed to file opposition request directly at the NOIP but must authorize a lawful IP representative in Vietnam to proceed with trademark opposition in Vietnam based on an original Power of Attorney (POA). Under current practice in Vietnam, a copy of POA may be acceptable for filing opposition and the original one could be filed later. However, the NOIP will not consider the opposition until the original POA is filed and all formality requirements are satisfied.

Trademark opposition Procedure in Vietnam

The opposition request must be in written form and the source of its accompanied supporting materials (if any) must be specified.

A possible opposition will be considered at the time of the trademark application’s examination as to substance.

As a general procedures, within 01 month (in fact, the time can extend to 02-04 months) as from the receiving date of our opposition, the NOIP will consider and then may convey its contents to the Applicant and fix about 01 month for them to present opinions. After receiving response of the Applicant (if they submit), the NOIP will inform and give the Opponent 01 month for filing response, submission of opinions.

In some cases, the NOIP may give conclusion upon consideration of opposition without conveying its contents to the Applicant if they think that it is clear enough to conclude. It is possible for the NOIP to organize conversation between the Opponent and the Applicant, upon request of the two parties, to clarify the matter (if necessary).

Upon considering the evidences submitted by the two parties, the NOIP will make a decision to accept opposition or not.

If you are looking for experienced IP services in Vietnam to help you with your IP application, you should visit ANTLawyers. Our attorneys have experience with the IP process and will work closely with you as you apply for your IP. 

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/legal-service/opposition-procedures-of-trademark-in-vietnam.html

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