如果您在越南的商标被盗，该怎么办？

“先申请制”原则已被恶意商标申请人滥用，成为在越南“商标抢注”和“盗用合法所有人商标权”的复杂工具。商标抢注或盗窃外国企业的知识产权 (IP) 已成为越南令人不安和危险的趋势。越来越多的商标所有人发现自己的商标已被他人抢先在越南申请甚至成功注册，对此表示沮丧。在许多情况下，商标投机者在成功注册竞争对手的商标后，便将该商标作为“武器”，提起诉讼，并要求越南执法部门扣押带有该商标的商品，并对真正的商标所有人进行处罚。

The “first to file” principle has been abused by bad faith trademark applicants as a sophisticated tool for “trademark squatting” and “misappropriation of trademark rights” from legitimate owners in Vietnam. Trademark squatting or intellectual property (IP) theft from foreign businesses has become a troubling and dangerous trend in Vietnam. Increasingly, trademark owners are expressing frustration upon discovering that their trademark has been filed or even successfully registered by others in Vietnam. In many cases, after successfully registering a competitor’s trademark, the trademark speculator has used that same trademark as a “weapon” to initiate legal actions and request Vietnamese enforcement authorities to seize goods bearing the trademark and penalize the genuine trademark owner.

商标所有人发现自己的商标被第三方非法注册时，会面临哪些挑战？有哪些方法可以追回商标权？在越南，收回商标需要哪些法律依据？ KENFOX IP & Law Office 将在本文中详细解答这些问题，以帮助知识产权权利人在越南日益专业化、复杂化和不断变化的商标抢注问题中有效保护自己的权利。

What challenges do trademark owners face when they discover that their trademark has been illegally registered by a third party? What methods are available to reclaim trademark rights, and what legal grounds are necessary to regain trademarks in Vietnam? These questions will be answered in detail by KENFOX IP & Law Office in this article to help IP rights holders effectively protect their rights in Vietnam amidst the increasingly professional, sophisticated, and ever-changing issue of trademark squatting in the country.

1. 挑战：真正的商标持有人在越南面临哪些障碍？ – Challenges: What Obstacles Are Genuine Trademark Owners Facing in Vietnam?

合法的品牌所有者在越南通常面临以下重大挑战：

Legitimate brand owners in Vietnam often face the following significant challenges:

未注册的知识产权： 许多合法的商标所有者尽管已在越南将产品商业化，但尚未注册以确立其知识产权。这为第三方利用“先申请制”原则进行投机性注册和侵占商标创造了机会
Unregistered IP rights: Many legitimate trademark owners have not yet registered to establish their IP rights in Vietnam, despite having commercialized their products in the country. This creates an opportunity for third parties to take advantage of the “first to file” principle to speculatively register and appropriate trademarks.
缺乏直接证据： 真正的商标所有者与“恶意”商标申请人之间缺乏“直接”的商业关系证据，使得证明权利主张变得困难。虽然可以提供间接证据证明申请人“知道”或“有理由知道”真正商标的先前存在，但这还不够有力或令人信服。
Lack of direct evidence: The absence of “direct” evidence of the business relationship between the genuine trademark owner and the “bad faith” trademark applicant makes it difficulties to prove claims. Although it is possible to provide indirect evidence that the applicant “knew” or “had reason to know” about the pre-existence of a genuine mark, this is not strong or convincing enough.
先申请制原则： “先申请制”原则虽然不是绝对、唯一和不可改变的原则，但在越南建立商标权的机制中，它优先于“先使用”原则。这有时会对尚未注册但已经使用商标的真正商标所有者造成不利。
First to file principle: The “first to file” principle, although not an absolute, unique and immutable principle, is prioritized in the mechanism for establishing trademark rights in Vietnam, rather than the “first to use” principle. This sometimes causes disadvantages to the true trademark owner who has not yet registered but has already used the trademark.
证明商标的广泛使用： 尽管有证据表明合法所有者的商标在越南得到广泛使用，但除非案件极其严重，否则越南知识产权局的审查员对于允许未注册商标在异议/无效程序中获胜持非常保留（不情愿）的态度。
Proof of widespread use of the trademark: Although evidence of widespread use of legitimate owner’s trademarks in Vietnam is available, IP VIETNAM’s examiners are very reserved (reluctant) about allowing an unregistered mark to prevail in opposition/invalidation proceedings, unless the case is exceptionally severe.

2. 战略方法：在越南应该采取什么措施来追回商标权？- Strategic Approaches: What Should Be Done to Reclaim Trademark Rights in Vietnam?

一旦发现恶意商标，越南知识产权法及相关法规为合法权利人提供了一系列可以用来反对和/或请求撤销恶意注册商标的工具。从法律和实践的角度来看，在越南打击商标抢注有四种典型方法：

Once a bad faith trademark has been identified, Vietnam’s IP Law and accompanying regulations provide a range of tools that the rightful owners can use to oppose and/or request the cancellation of trademarks registered in bad faith. There are four typical approaches from a legal and practical perspective to combat trademark squatting in Vietnam:

[1] 异议：在商标申请公布之日起5个月内提交异议通知，或者，如果5个月的异议期已过，在越南知识产权局对商标申请作出授权/驳回决定之前，通过“第三方意见”提交书面意见，请求越南知识产权局拒绝保护恶意申请的商标。

Opposition: Filing a Notice of Opposition within 5 months from the publication date of the trademark application, or, filing a written opinion through “Third Party’s Observation” before IP VIETNAM’s decision on grant/refusal of the trademark application if the 5-month period for opposition has passed, to request IP VIETNAM to refuse protection of the trademark filed with bad faith.

[2] 无效宣告： 向越南知识产权局执法和上诉部门 (EAD) 提交无效宣告请求。根据越南知识产权法第 96.4 条，以恶意为由对商标注册提出无效宣告的时限为该商标的保护期内。

Invalidation: Submitting an invalidation request to IP VIETNAM’s Enforcement and Appeal Division (EAD). According to Article 96.4 of Vietnam IP Law, the time limit for filing an invalidation against a trademark registration on bad faith ground is during the protection term of the trademark.

[3] 因未使用而撤销：如果抢注商标注册超过 5 年但未使用，则向越南知识产权局提交因未使用而撤销的请求。《知识产权法》第 95.1(d) 条允许在商标连续 5 年未使用的情况下撤销商标注册。这通常被称为“5 年未使用撤销”规则。

Non-use cancellation: Filing a request for non-use cancellation with IP VIETNAM if the squatting trademark has been registered for more than 5 years without being used. Article 95.1(d) of the IP Law allows the cancellation of a trademark registration if the trademark has not been used continuously for a period of five years. This is commonly known as the “5-year non-use cancellation” rule.

[4] 谈判购买商标： 与在先注册人进行谈判以购买该商标。

Negotiation to purchase the trademark: Conducting a negotiation to purchase the trademark from the prior registrant.

3. 法律依据：可以依据哪些法律依据？ – Legal Grounds: On What Legal Basis Can Be Relied?

在回顾了越南分别于 2005 年、2009 年、2019 年和 2022 年修订的知识产权法后，我们概述了清除抢注商标的法律框架。这可以通过向越南知识产权局提出异议或无效/撤销诉讼来实现。以下是可能移除先前已申请或注册的商标的典型情况.

After reviewing Vietnam’s IP Law, revised in 2005, 2009, 2019, and 2022, we have outlined the legal framework for clearing squatting trademarks. This can be achieved by filing an opposition or an invalidation/cancellation action with with IP VIETNAM. Below are typical instances where it is possible to remove a trademark that has been previously filed or registered.

恶意: 越南知识产权法第 117.1(b) 条和第 23/2023/TT-BKHCN 号通知第 34.2 条）。
Bad faith (Article 117.1(b) of Vietnam IP Law and Article 34.2, Circular No. 23/2023/TT-BKHCN).
商标注册权: （知识产权法第 87.2 条和第 117.1(b) 条）。
Entitlement to register trademarks (Article 87.2 and Article 117.1(b) of the IP Law).
驰名商标: （知识产权法第 74.2 (k) 条和第 75 条）。
Well-known trademarks (Article 74.2 (k) and Article 75 of the IP Law)
广泛使用的商标: （知识产权法第 74.2 (g) 条）。
Widely used trademarks (Article 74.2 (g) of the IP Law)
商号: （知识产权法第 74.2 (k) 条）。
Trade name (Article 74.2 (k) of the IP Law)
在先著作权: （知识产权法第2 (p) 条）。具体而言，与他人著作权保护范围内的作品中的人物或形象的名称或图像相同或近似的标志，并且在申请日期之前为公众所熟知，则被视为缺乏显著性，并将被驳回注册。
Prior copyrights (Article 74.2 (p) of the IP Law). In detail, a sign which is identical or similar to names or images of characters or figures in works within the scope of others’ copyright protection and widely known to the public before the filing date is deemed indistinctive and will be refused registration.
在先著作权:（知识产权法第7 条）。具体而言，包含他人作品副本的标志不符合商标注册的条件。
Prior copyrights (Article 73.7 of the IP Law). In detail, a sign containing a copy of other’s works is not eligible for trademark registration.

[1] 基于“恶意”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of “bad faith”

“恶意”已被明确承认为一项法律依据，首次出现在 2022 年修订的《知识产权法》中，具体体现在第 117.1(b) 条和第 96.1(a) 条。

“Bad faith” is 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).

因此，任何组织或个人都有权通过“异议”或“第三方意见”程序，请求越南知识产权局拒绝授予专利、工业品外观设计、商标和地理标志的注册证书。如果有理由断言申请人恶意申请商标（第 117.1(b) 条），则可以提出此类请求。即使已授予这些工业产权客体的注册证书，真正的商标所有人仍然有机会通过“无效宣告”程序对其有效性提出质疑（第 96.1(a) 条）。

Accordingly, any organization or individual has the right to request IP VIETNAM to refuse the granting of Registration Certificates for patents, industrial designs, trademarks, and geographical indications through the “opposition” or “third-party observation” procedure. Such a request can be made if there are grounds to assert that the applicant applied for trademark in bad faith (Article 117.1(b)). Even if Registration Certificates have been granted for these industrial property objects, the genuine trademark owner still has the opportunity to challenge their validity through the “invalidation” procedure (Article 96.1(a)).

为了证明“恶意”，真正的商标所有人需要提供第 23/2023/TT-BKHCN 号通知第 34.2 条规定的文件和证据。具体而言，异议或无效宣告程序需要以下文件和信息：

To prove “bad faith”, the genuine trademark owner needs to provide documents and evidence specified in Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN. Specifically, the following documents and information are required in the opposition or invalidation:

(a) 证明在提交申请时，申请人知道或有理由知道其注册的商标与在越南广泛使用的商标或在其他国家为相同或类似商品或服务知名的商标相同或容易混淆的证据；以及

Documents proving that at the time of filing the application, the applicant knew or had reason to know that the mark he or she registered was identical or confusingly similar to a mark that is widely used in Vietnam or well-known trademarks in other countries for identical or similar goods or services; and

(b) 证明注册意图利用该商标的声誉和威望牟利；或主要用于向本条 a 点所述商标所有人转售、许可或转让注册权；或旨在阻止本条 a 点所述商标所有人进入市场以限制竞争；或其他违反公平贸易惯例的行为的证据。

Evidence showing that the registration is intended to exploit the reputation and prestige of that mark for profit; or primarily for the purpose of reselling, licensing or transferring registration rights to the owners of the trademarks mentioned in Point a of this Clause; or aims to prevent the market entry of the owners of the trademarks mentioned in Point a of this Clause to restrict 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 条满足这两个条件（商标申请人的意识或知识和动机）时，才有足够的依据得出申请人“恶意”注册商标的结论。

Therefore, only when both conditions (awareness or knowledge and motive of the trademark applicant) are met as per Article 34.2 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN is there enough basis to conclude that the applicant registered the trademark with “bad faith”.

[2] 基于“商标注册权”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of “entitlement to register trademarks”

知识产权法第 87.2 条规定：“组织和个人（如经销商、零售商或其他商业实体）可以为其销售但由他人生产的产品注册商标，前提是生产者既不将此类商标用于其产品，也不反对这种注册”。对于合法的所有者来说，第 87.2 条提供了一个具体的法律依据，以防止对方滥用为非其生产的产品注册商标的权利，同时也使真正所有者能够在自身权利受到侵犯时对商标提出异议或使其无效。

Article 87.2 of the IP Law provides that “Organizations and individuals (such as distributors, retailers, or other commercial entities) may register marks for products they are marketing but produced by others, provided that the producers neither use such marks for their products nor object to such registration”. For legitimate owners, Article 87.2 offers a concrete legal basis to prevent adverse parties from abusing the right to register trademarks for products not produced by them, while also enabling genuine owners to oppose or invalidate the trademark if their rights are infringed .

通常，根据实践经验，要成功地基于第 87.2 条“商标注册权”为由对第三方商标提出异议或使其无效，合法的商标所有人必须收集强有力的证据来支持其主张。这些证据应满足以下四个要求.

Normally, to succeed in an opposition or invalidation against a third-party trademark based on “Entitlement to register trademarks” ground under Article 87.2, practice indicates that legitimate trademark owners must gather robust evidence to support their claim. This evidence should meet the following three requirements:

(i) 证明注册商标的第三方正在分销或销售由真正商标所有人制造的产品的书面证据。

Documentảy proofs showing that the third party registering the trademark is distributing or marketing products manufactured by the genuine trademark owner.

(ii) 制造商先前在越南产品上使用该商标的证据（例如，销售发票、合同、广告、营销材料、产品认证等）。

Evidence of the manufacturer’s prior use of the trademark on products in Vietnam (e.g., sales invoices, contracts, advertisements, marketing materials, product certifications, etc.).

(iii) 证明制造商反对/书面反对第三方商标注册的文件。

Documents demonstrating the manufacturer’s opposition/written oppinion to the third party’s trademark registration.

(iv) 申请人与制造商之间关系的证据。

Evidence of the relationship between the applicant and the manufacturer.

[3] 基于“驰名商标”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of “well-known marks”

对于驰名商标的所有人来说，知识产权法第 74.2(i) 条确立了明确的理由，可以用来反对已公布的商标申请或使侵犯其权利的现有商标注册无效。该条款提供了法律依据，可以用来主张新的或现有的注册损害了其商标的显著性或利用了其声誉。与普通商标相比，驰名商标享有特殊保护，即使第三方商标已注册并用于不同的商品/服务，其所有人也可以反对或撤销/使其无效。该规定防止了第三方试图注册商标以不正当地从驰名商标的声誉中获益的不诚实行为。

For the owner of a well-known trademark, Article 74.2(i) of the IP Law establishes clear grounds for opposing the published trademark application or invalidating existing trademark registration that infringe upon their rights. This article provides a legal basis to argue that a new or existing registration either undermines the distinctiveness of their mark or exploits its reputation. Famous trademarks enjoy special protection compared to ordinary trademarks, enabling their owners to oppose or cancel/invalidate the third party’s trademark even if it is registered and used for different goods/services. This provision prevents dishonest practices where third parties attempt to register trademarks to unjustly benefit from the reputation of the famous trademarks.

要以“驰名商标”为由赢得对第三方商标的异议或无效宣告诉讼，必须根据知识产权法第 75 条提供证据。值得注意的是，根据第 75 条的规定，商标不一定要满足“所有”考虑的标准才能被认定为驰名商标。满足“某些”特定标准可能足以确定商标是驰名商标。这允许灵活且针对具体案例的评估过程。越南知识产权局有权根据第 75 条明确规定的“某些”或“所有”标准来决定商标是否符合驰名商标的条件。

To win an opposition or invalidation action against a third party’s trademark on the grounds of ‘well-known trademarks’, it is necessary to provide evidence in accordance with Article 75 of the IP law. Notably, as per the regulations in Article 75, the trademark is not necessarily required to meet “all” the considered criteria to be recognized as well-known. Meeting “some” specific criteria may suffice to determine a trademark as well-known. This allows for a flexible and case-specific evaluation process. IP VIETNAM has the discretion to determine whether a mark qualifies as well-known based on “some” or ‘all‘ criteria clearly set out in Article 75.

[4] 基于“广泛使用的商标”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of “widely used trademarks”

即使未注册商标，如果已在越南“广泛使用”并“得到认可”，仍可以作为反对或撤销/使他人商标无效的依据（第 74.2(g) 条）。

An unregistered trademark can still serve as a basis to oppose or cancel/invalidate another’s trademark if it has been “widely used” and “recognized” in Vietnam (Article 74.2(g)).

该规定允许广泛使用商标（但尚未注册）的真正所有人能够在潜在侵权商标的注册过程的早期进行干预，防止其获得法律保护并进入市场。为此，所有人必须证明其商标已广泛用于类似商品或服务，并通过广泛使用在相关社区中获得了显著的认知度和认可度。

This provision allows the genuine owner of a widely-used trademarks (but not yet registered) can intervene early in the registration process of a potentially infringing trademark, preventing it from acquiring legal protection and entering the market. To this end, the owner must prove that their mark has been widely used and recognized for the similar goods or services, achieving significant awareness and recognition in the relevant community through extensive use.

[5] 基于“商号”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of ”trade name”

在合法商标所有人尚未在越南建立商标权的情况下，基于“商号”权利的论点可以有效地反对/撤销第三方的商标。

Arguments based on “Trade name” rights can be effective in opposing/cancelling a third party’s trademarks in cases where a legitimate trademark owner has not established trademark rights in Vietnam.

在越南，建立商号权利的制度是通过在商业中的合法使用来确立的，而不是像商标那样通过注册程序。授予商号的工业产权是基于商号的合法使用而建立的。知识产权法第 74.2 (k) 条规定，如果商标“与他人正在使用的商号相同或近似”，则将被拒绝保护。因此，如果合法商标所有人的商标来源于或构成于其商号，并且该商标所有人的商标权尚未确立，则其可以根据其商号权对第三方的商标注册提出异议或使其无效。在越南证明已建立商号权利的先决条件是该商号已在该国的实际商业中使用。

In Vietnam, the regime for establishing the right to a trade name is established through the legal use thereof in commerce, rather than through registration procedures like a trademark. Industrial property rights conferred to a trade name are established based on the trade name’s lawful use. Article 74.2 (k) of the IP Law states that a trademark will be refused protection if it is “identical or similar to another’s trade name in use” Thus, if a legitimate trademark owner’s trademark is derived/formed from his or her trade name and the trademark owner’s right to the trademark has not been established, he may oppose or invalidate a third party’s trademark registration based on his trade name rights. A prerequisite for proving the right to an established trade name in Vietnam is that the trade name has been used in actual commerce in the country.

[6] 基于“在先著作权”采取的行动 – Actions on the ground of “prior copyrights”

在某些情况下，著作权可以成为寻求收回其商标权的商标所有者的生命线。事实上，一个商标可以同时满足以下注册要求：(i) 商标，(ii) 工业品外观设计，和/或 (iii) 著作权。

In certain circumstances, copyrights can be a lifeline for trademark owners seeking to reclaim their trademark rights. In fact, a trademark can simultaneously satisfy the requirements for registration as: (i) a trademark, (ii) an industrial design, and/or (iii) a copyright.

第 73.7 条允许著作权人保护其知识产权，并防止他人注册侵犯其作品著作权的商标。该条规定，包含作品副本（复制品）的标志（例如，申请注册的商标）不符合商标注册的条件，除非获得此类作品所有者的许可。

Article 73.7 allows copyright owners to protect their intellectual property rights and prevent others from registering trademarks that infringe upon their copyrighted works. It provides that signs (e.g., applied-for trademarks) containing copies (reproductions) of copyrighted works are ineligible for trademark registration unless permitted by the owners of such works.

著作权往往先于商标权，并具有创造性。Musidor B.V. 的商标异议案就是一个例证。具体来说，著作权的先前存在是帮助该公司战胜侵权方的重要依据，还有其他证据表明该商标同时用作 Musidor B.V. 的“嘴唇和舌头”艺术作品，广为人知，作为加强著作权主张的有力参考依据。

Copyright often precedes trademark rights and carries the nature of creativity. The trademark opposition case of Musidor B.V. exemplified this. Specifically, the preexistence of copyright was the prominent basis that helped the company defeat the infringing party, with additional evidence demonstrating that the trademark simultaneously served as Musidor B.V.’s “Lips and Tongue” artwork, widely known, functioning as a strong reference basis to reinforce the copyright claim.

此外，根据第 74.2(p) 条，如果待审商标涉及与受版权保护的作品中的人物或形象的名称或图像相同或容易混淆的标志，且这些标志（名称、图像、人物）在商标申请提交日期之前为公众所熟知，则这种相似性可以成为在越南反对或使商标注册无效的依据。

In addition, under 74.2(p), if a pending trademark involves signs which are either identical or bear a confusing similarity to the names or images of characters or figures from copyrighted works, provided that these marks (names, images, figures) are well-known to the public before the trademark application’s filing date, this similarity can be the basis for opposing or invalidating a trademark registration in Vietnam.

请联系 KENFOX IP & Law Office，深入咨询知识产权保护策略，尤其是在您的商标被第三方非法注册的情况下。凭借丰富的实践经验和成功解决众多商标争议

Contact KENFOX IP & Law Office for in-depth consultation on intellectual property protection strategies, especially in cases where your trademark is unlawfully registered by third parties. With extensive practical experience and successful resolution of numerous trademark disputes, both administratively and in court litigation, KENFOX is ready to accompany you to effectively protect your rights.

QUAN, Nguyen Vu | Partner, IP Attorney

HONG, Hoang Thi Tuyet | Senior Trademark Attorney

NIEM, Hoang Thi | Associate