Opposition of Applications for Registration of the Mark Protection in Vietnam

Vietnam Law on Intellectual Property allows any third party to have right to denounces the opposition of trademark applications for registration which have identical or confusingly similar signs.

As from the date an application for registration of mark is published in the Official Gazette of Industrial Property up until prior to the date of issuance of a decision on grant of a protection title, the third party shall express the opposition to the competent State administrative body including explanations, argument and evidence the opinion. Such opinions must be made in writing and be accompanied by documents or must quote the source of information.

 

Trademark opposition in Vietnam

Opposition to trademark applications plays a great role for the protection of trademark owner that prevents counterfeiting, duplication, infringement and trademark registration in contravention of law.

Documents:

01 Power of attorney (as form)

Documents and evidences to prove the opposition bases.

(ANT Lawyers could consult client specifically and particularly about the evidences and documents).

Opposition procedures

After receiving a disapproval application for registration of mark, National Office Intellectual Property (NOIP) has a dispatch to answer the disapproval application within 10 working days from date received a dossier. NOIP also sends disapproval opinions to owners of application for registration of mark protection.

Owners of application for registration of mark protection has opinions about this disagreement and give proofs that the application for registration of mark protection is suitable with requirement of Intellectual Property law

NOIP is pursuant to argument, proof and regulation law of parties for agree or refuse to grant a protection title

Opposition dossier includes:

Disapproval declaration (02 copies following form)

Explanation documents for disagreement of protection title issue

Attachment proofs.

Power of attorney (if an application is filed through representative of owner’s mark)

Fee, charge vouchers relating disagreement following regulations in law.

Duration

There is no duration stipulation in Vietnamese law. As our usual, NOIP will take from 6 months to 9 months to examine.

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

 

 

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What kinds of things can you trademark?

There are many things that you can use to represent your goods or services. These marks of your trade: “Trademarks” can either be conventional or unconventional.

Trademark opposition in Vietnam 

1.Conventional trademarks: Convention means generic means common means general. Following are the conventional trademarks:

a.A word

When a word is used as a trademark, it is called a Wordmark. For example, coca cola is a word mark. Any kind of word can be trademarked. However, the following words cannot be:

-Descriptive names

-Deceptive names

-Generic names

-Offensive names

b.A logo

A special design word or an image can be a logo. For example, while coca cola is a work mark registered as a trademark, Coca Cola, on the other hand, is a logo.

c.A symbol

Have you ever seen the symbol of Pepsi- a circle divided into by a twice curved line in between, with the upper half red and the lower half blue in colour? It is a symbol, and yes, it is trademarked.

d.Colour combination

You can also trademark a specific colour combination if you want.

e.A device can be trademarked

 Logos or symbols are basically devices that you can trademark.

2.Unconventional trademarks

Unconventional means uncommon means not generic. They are trademarks that are not common and were only recently introduced.

a.Sound pattern:

A specific pattern of sound can be trademarked. Windows theme, the one that is so familiar to you, is a trademarked theme.

b.Smell:

A specific smell can be trademarked as well. Most of the perfumes are trademarked.

ANT Lawyers -  A Law firm 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.

We assist our clients in all steps of the prosecution phase of IP management.

Source: Quora

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What is trademark opposition?

A trademark opposition is filed by a third party to prevent the proprietor from getting the Trademark registered if it is similar to his/her own or is identical to the one already used by the party. A person may file an opposition to a Trademark to prevent the brand from illicitly gaining from his/her established brand name and avoid confusion among the consumers.

Trademark opposition in Vietnam

A trademark opposition is filed by a third in the form of a Notice of Opposition that lays down the grounds on which the application is challenged. It is attached with the evidence that proves why the Trademark application flouts any legal norms or violates an existing Trademark.

A reply to the Trademark opposition must be submitted within 2 months of receiving it. For a Trademark objection, there is no need to pay a fee to send a reply to the objection, but to reply to a Trademark opposition, the applicant needs to pay a prescribed fee with the Trademark Registrar.

In the case of Trademark opposition, an appeal lies against the judgment in an opposition proceeding against the application.

Documents Required To File A Trademark Opposition

The copy of Trademark to be opposed.

The reason for opposition.

Procedure To File A Trademark Opposition

Upon receiving the requisite documents, the Trademark lawyer will draft the Notice of Opposition i.e. the application opposing the mark published in the journal. The Notice of Opposition will be sent to the Registrar first, who will examine it and then send it to the applicant.

ANT Lawyers -  A Law firm 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 in Vietnam.  We have specialized in the preparation and registration of patents, trademarks and designs for our clients.

We assist our clients in all steps of the prosecution phase of IP management.

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How To Protect Trademark in Vietnam?

Trademark protection in Vietnam is initially obtained through trademark registration.

Trademark opposition could be filed to prevent a pending application for a mark from being granted application.  Litigation is the final measure to handle dispute during trademark protection in Vietnam.

Trademark is a sign that help distinguish the goods or services of one enterprise from those of others. Together with industrial design and patent, trademark of goods and services plays an extremely important role for the growth of the enterprise. Trademark establishes a link between enterprise and customer.  A strong trademark will attract customers to use goods or services. When trademark is popular and economic benefits achieved through sale of goods or provision of services coupled with trademark is large, the violation of trademark is inevitable.

The annual reports of the Vietnam National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) prove that trademark violation in Vietnam is the most popular, among other industrial property rights.  According to the preliminary annual report in 2011, and 2012, there has been more than 1,000 cases of trademark violations each year.  Report of 2013 shows more than 2,000 trademark infringements were handled with the total fines of trademark violators of around USD 1 million.  Having said that, it is important for trademark owner to register trademarks in Vietnam for better protection.  This is also suggested for even well-known trademarks.

For registration, trademark owner has two options: either directly register trademark in Vietnam by filling an application for registration with the Vietnam NOIP, or seek the protection in Vietnam through Madrid’s system.  For the first option, the trademark owner needs to prepare, file for registration, and pay fee as the requirement of Vietnam Intellectual Property law.  In case trademark needs to be protected in a number of nations, including Vietnam, trademark owner may register trademark through Madrid’s system.

Where the violation of trademark occurs, trademark owner needs to judge the level of infringement, level of damage to choose suitable resolutions.  Initially, the trademark owner may protect by requiring to the trademark violator to terminate the infringing acts, apologize, and rectify. In case of being damaged, trademark owners have rights to claim compensation.  If failing to reach result, trademark owner may use settlement mechanism through negotiation or mediation or could request the competent state agencies to handle acts of infringement through i.e. filling a denunciation application and submitting to the Vietnam NOIP.  Litigation might be required to handle acts of infringement.  Generally, the proceeding of civil litigation is more complex than the arbitration proceeding. In cases the trademark owner needs a decision from court in order to end trademark infringement, civil litigation is top priority. In the remaining cases, arbitration is a better choice with advantages of cheaper cost, shorter settling time, and more flexible.

Source: ANTLawyers

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Intellectual Property and Trademark Registration

Trademark is a sign for consumers to identify the goods or services of each company from those of others.

In Vietnam, many businesses today have not paid sufficient attention to trademark protection.  Only when their trademarks would be infringed by other companies or competitors, they really concern to protect their trademarks and business through trademark registration, trademark opposition or take further actions.  Such situation will negatively impact the business financially.

Register trademark in Vietnam

Trademark rights will be protected within the national territory, therefore when a trademark has been registered in Vietnam, it will be protected in Vietnam.  If one company wishes their trademarks to be protected in other countries, it could:

• Directly register in each country or

• Register via the Madrid International registration by filing a single application which indicates the registrations at respective countries.

If registered under the Madrid International, firstly, trademarks must have been submitted trademark applications or have registered in Vietnam, depending on whether the country for protection is under the Madrid Protocol or the Madrid Agreement.

Law on Intellectual Property and its related documents could also be referred to for further information.

ANT Lawyers’ services in the field of trademark registration advice covers:

• Look-up, assess and consult possibilities to register trademark in Vietnam and abroad;

• Represent clients in applying for certificates of trademark registration, record modification, extend degree of trademark protection in Vietnam and abroad;

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the certificate of trademark registration and the possibility of trademark rights violation;

• Implement of the protected trademark rights: investigate, monitor, negotiate, seek arbitration or initiate a lawsuit or request other competent agencies for handling of infringement in Vietnam and abroad;

• Negotiate, draft, evaluate and register the of changing trademark ownership in Vietnam and abroad;

•  Advise on building strategies, brand development;

ANT Lawyers has law offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang City.  For advice or service request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn, or call +84 8 3520 2779.  To learn more about us, visit www.antlawyers.vn.

Source: ANTLawyers.vn

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