Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnamese firms should attach more importance toregistering for intellectual property protection in foreign markets if theywish to develop brands abroad, according to the National Office of IntellectualProperty (NOIP).

NOIP’sstatistics show that there were about 50,000 applications for intellectualproperty protection in the domestic market but only around 280 applications forprotection in foreign markets. This reflects that Vietnamese firms are notpaying adequate attention to intellectual property protection in the import andexport sector.

PhamNgoc Luan, CEO of Meet More Coffee, said that after exporting several batchesof coffee to South Korea, his company proceeded to apply for protection of theMeet More brand. However, the application was rejected for the reason that thebrand was already registered in the Korean market.

Luanwas surprised to learn that it was his company’s distribution partner who hadregistered the Meet More brand in the Republic of Korea. Fortunately, hiscompany successfully negotiated with his distribution partner to get the rightsto the name.

Thereare also lessons to learn from past trademark disputes in foreign markets forcompanies like Trung Nguyen Coffee, Vinataba, Ben Tre coconut candy or Phu Quocfish sauce.

Mostrecently an application to trademark ST25 rice was lodged in the US to the ireof the local scientists who developed the new strain of rice.

NOIP’sDeputy Director Tran Le Hong said that Vietnamese firms must pay attention tobuilding and protecting brands if they want to engage with foreign markets.

Hongsaid that the protection of brands was territorial, meaning that if a trademarkwas protected in Vietnam, this did not mean that the trademark was alsoprotected in other markets. Businesses needed to consider registering fortrademark protection in foreign countries, he stressed.

Accordingto Nguyen Quoc Thinh from Thuong Mai (Commerce) University, there are severalreasons that make Vietnamese enterprises hesitant to register for trademarkprotection in foreign markets.

Thefirst reason is the lack of awareness. Other reasons were that enterprises werediscouraged by complicated procedures together with the high cost ofregistering in some markets that made it difficult for small and medium – sizedenterprises. 

“Itis time Vietnamese enterprises started to seriously consider establishingprotection for their brands in foreign markets which is critical to theirdevelopment,” Thinh said.

Accordingto Hong, enterprises could get support from the NOIP to register brandprotection abroad or get consultations from about 200 IP consultancy firms in Vietnam.

Hongsaid that the registry for trademark protection should be put intoconsideration together with a detailed business plan for specific markets./.