恶意 – 证明恶意和收回商标的策略？

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商标申请的提交通常被自动视为善意行为，并为所有者创造专有权。然而，如果提交的目的是为了剥夺真正商标所有者的利益并造成消费者混淆，则违反了知识产权保护法的目标和基本原则。提交上述发动机商标注册申请被视为“恶意”。

The filing of a trademark application is generally considered to be automatically made in good faith and creates exclusive rights for the owner. However, if the filing is intended to deprive the genuine trademark owner of the benefits of their existing mark and cause confusion for consumers, it will break the goals and basic principles of the law on intellectual property rights protection. Such trademark filing with the motive described above is considered to be in ‘bad faith”.

KENFOX IP & Law Office针对第23/2023/TT-BKHCN号通知第34.2条中关于“恶意”问题的规定进行详细分析，旨在帮助真正的商标所有者更好地了解如何在商标被第三方“恶意”注册时保护和收回其商标权。

KENFOX IP & Law Office provides detailed analysis of the regulations surrounding the issue of ‘bad faith’ in Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN, so that genuine trademark owners better understand how to protect and reclaim their trademark rights from bad faith registrations by third parties.

1. 1. 法律依据：在哪里规定？(Legal Basis: Where is it Regulated?)

具体而言，“恶意”首次作为法律依据被纳入2022年修订的《知识产权法》第117.1(b)条和第96.1(a)条。因此，任何组织或个人都有权在有理由断言申请人恶意申请商标注册的情况下，请求国家知识产权局(NOIP)通过“异议”或“第三方意见”程序拒绝授予专利、工业品外观设计、商标和地理标志的保护证书（第117.1(b)条）。即使这些工业产权客体已被授予保护证书，真正的知识产权持有人仍然有机会通过“撤销”程序对其有效性提出质疑（第96.1(a)条）。

The provision on “bad faith” serves as a crucial legal basis for various actions in trademark matters in Vietnam. Specifically, “bad faith” is now explicitly recognized as a legal basis, introduced for the first time in the amended IP Law of 2022, specifically in Article 117.1(b) and Article 96.1(a).

Accordingly:

• Any organization or individual has the right to request the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP VIETNAM) to refuse the granting of Protection Certificates for patents, industrial designs, trademarks, and geographical indications through the “opposition” or “third-party observation” procedure. This request can be made if there are grounds to assert that the applicant applied for trademark registration in bad faith (Article 117.1(b)).
• Even if Protection Certificates have been granted for these industrial property objects, the legitimate IP rights holder still has the opportunity to challenge their validity through the “invalidation” procedure (Article 96.1(a)).”

2. 需要提供的文件：有哪些？ (Documents to provide: What are they?)

当发现第三方恶意申请注册工业产权客体时，真正的知识产权权利人需要提供第23/2023/TT-BKHCN号通知第34.2条规定的文件和证据。具体而言，在异议或无效请求中需要提供以下文件和信息：

When detecting that a third party has filed an application to register industrial property objects in bad faith, the legitimate IP rights holder needs to provide documents and evidence specified in Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN. Specifically, the following documents and information need to be provided in the protest or request for invalidation:

3. 证明“恶意”：必须满足哪些标准？ Proving “Bad Faith”: What Criteria Must Be Met?

根据第23/2023/TT-BKHCN号通知第34.2条，要证明“恶意”，必须同时满足以下两个条件

To establish “bad faith”, according to Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN, both of the following conditions must be simultaneously satisfied:

[i] 知道或有理由知道 – Knowing or having basis to know:

该标准强调申请人“知道”或“有能力知道”他人商标的存在。除了“知道”或“有理由知道”外，只有在真正商标所有人的商标在越南“广泛使用”或该商标在其他国家/地区因相同或类似的商品/服务而“驰名”时，才视为完全满足该标准。

This criterion emphasizes that the applicant “knows” or “has a basis to know” about the trademark of the legitimate owner. It is fully met when the legitimate owner’s trademark is “widely used” in Vietnam or “well-known” in other countries for identical or similar goods/services.

[ii] I商标注册的意图/动机  – ntention/motive for trademark registration:

该标准要求证明损害真正商标所有人合法权益的意图和动机。当真正商标所有人有依据证明注册商标的意图/动机是为了进行以下行为之一时，则视为满足该标准：例如利用、转售、许可、转让、阻止进入市场以限制竞争，或其他违反公平交易 practices 的行为。

This criterion requires proving the intention and motive to harm the legitimate rights and interests of the genuine trademark owner. It is considered met when the legitimate trademark owner can prove that the intention/motive behind registering a trademark is to carry out one of the following acts: taking advantage of, reselling, licensing, transferring, preventing the ability to enter the market to limit competition, or other acts contrary to fair trade practices.

因此，只有当根据第23/2023/TT-BKHCN号通知第34.2条同时满足这两个条件（商标申请人的知情权和动机）时，才有充分的依据得出结论，即申请人“恶意”注册商标。换句话说，如果只能证明上述两个标准中的一个，则异议或无效商标的申请将被视为无根据而被驳回。

Therefore, only when both conditions (awareness or knowledge and motive of the trademark applicant) are met under Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN, is there enough basis to conclude that the applicant registered the trademark in “bad faith”. In other words, if only one of the above two criteria can be proven, a trademark opposition or invalidation based on the “bad faith” ground will be considered unfounded and rejected.

第23/2023/TT-BKHCN号通知第34.2条规定的同时满足两个条件的要求使得证明恶意更加困难和具有挑战性，因为真正的商标所有者必须提供证据证明申请人不仅“知道”或“有理由知道”先前存在的商标，而且还必须证明申请人注册商标的动机是不正当的。即使很明显申请人知道真正商标所有者先前存在的商标，证明申请人的不诚实动机也并非易事。尽管据说该规定使得难以证明“恶意”，但其目的是区分仅仅提交与他人商标相同或近似的商标注册申请，与实际恶意提交商标注册申请的情况。

The requirement to simultaneously meet two conditions as prescribed in Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN makes proving “bad faith” or “malicious intent” more difficult and challenging because the legitimate trademark owner must provide evidence that the applicant not only “knows” or “has reason to know” of the pre-existing trademark but must also prove that the applicant’s motive for registering the trademark is improper. Even when it is clear that the applicant was aware of the prior existence of the mark by the legimate trademark owner, proving the dishonest motive of the applicant is not simple. Although this provision is said to make it difficult to prove “bad faith”, it is intended to distinguish between simply filing an application to register a trademark that is identical or similar to another person’s trademark unintentionally as compared to the case of filing a trademark application with actual bad faith.

4. 证明“恶意”的文件：需要满足哪些要求？(Documents proving “bad faith”: What criteria need to be met?)

• 形式：以“恶意”为由对商标提出异议或请求无效所提供的文件和证据必须是合法文件和证据。通常，文件可以是原件，或经过公证的副本，或在越南的执达员办公室进行认证。Formality: The provided documents and evidence in support of trademark opposition or invalidation on the basis of “bad faith” must be admissible documents and evidence. Normally, documents can be originals, or notarized copies, or certified at a bailiff’s office in Vietnam.
• 关联性：文件必须证明商标知识与注册商标背后的动机之间存在联系。Connection: Documents must demonstrate a link between knowledge of the trademark and the motive behind registering the trademark.
• 广泛使用或驰名：真正的商标所有者需要提供文件证明其商标已在越南广泛使用或已在国外驰名。Widely used or well-known: The legitimate trademark owner needs to provide documents proving that his trademark has been widely used in Vietnam or has become well-known abroad.
• 时间：证明使用状况或声誉、名望的文件必须在越南商标注册申请提交日期之前. Time: Documents proving status of use or prestige, reputation, etc., must demonstrate use or reputation prior to the date of filing the trademark registration application in Vietnam.

5. 结论 (Final thoughts)

要收回被他人恶意注册的商标，需要一个【周密/细致/精密/严谨】且【耗费资源/耗资/费力】的法律策略。收集和使用有说服力的证据同时满足以下两个条件：(i)知道或有理由知道真正所有者的商标，(ii) 申请人注册商标的意图和动机，这需要一种【战略性/策略性/有谋略的】方法。这不仅包括证明商标的先存在性和真正所有者的公众认可，还必须将该认可与申请人的不诚实动机联系起来。因此，案件策略必须【全面/完善/周全】，确保仔细考虑所有法律方面，提供的证据必须具有说服力，符合证明恶意的严格标准。

Reclaiming a trademark registered in bad faith by a third party requires a meticulous and resource-consuming legal strategy. Collecting and using convincing evidence to simultaneously satisfy both conditions: (i) knowing or having a basis to know the trademark of the genuine owner and (ii) the applicant’s intention and motive behind registering the trademark requires a strategic approach. This includes not only proving the pre-existence and public recognition of the mark by the genuine owner but also linking that recognition to the applicant’s dishonest motives. Therefore, the case strategy must be comprehensive, ensuring that all legal aspects are carefully considered, and the evidence provided must be convincing, meeting strict standards for proving bad faith.

请联系 KENFOX IP & Law Office 寻求有关处理恶意申请或注册商标的建议，并了解当第三方基于不诚实行为注册商标时成功收回您的商标权的策略，从而在越南最大程度地保护您的合法权益。

Please contact KENFOX IP & Law Office for advice on handling trademarks filed or registered in bad faith, and understand the strategy to successfully reclaim your trademark rights when registered by a third party in bad faith, to optimally protect your legal rights and interests in Vietnam.

By Nguyen Vu QUAN