This guidance focuses on investment activities of foreign investors in relation to the establishment of their foreign invested enterprises (“FIE”) in Vietnam....
Continue readingVietnam is currently a member of five international copyright conventions and treaties: the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (the Berne Convention); the International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (Rome Convention); the Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (Geneva Convention); the Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite (Brussels Convention); and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs Agreement). In addition, Vietnam has signed bilateral agreements and memoranda for closer cooperation and strengthening...
Continue readingWhat are the requirements for copyright to subsist in a work? KENFOX: Per Article 14.3 of Vietnam IP Law, a work must be created directly by authors through their intellectual labor without copying others’ works. As a matter of practice, to quality for copyright protection in Vietnam, a work must be of originality (i.e. an author's own intellectual creation) and creativity (i.e. a sufficient amount of intellectual creativity). Copyright subsists since the time the work is fixed in a tangible medium (irrespective of its content, quality, form, mode and language and irrespective of whether or not such work has been published...
Continue reading1. Whether it exists the customs filing for trademarks in Laos. If exists, please kindly send us the basic introduction of the customs system. Our advice: Laos has not initiated a formal Customs recordation system. However, if the trademark owner is aware of a shipment containing counterfeit goods, they may inform Customs and file a motion by submitting an application form provided by Customs and pay a bond or deposit to initiate actions for suspension of Customs clearance. The IP Law of Laos allows IPRs owners and/or Customs to initiate actions for suspension of Customs clearance of suspicious counterfeit goods. The tariff...
Continue readingDownload 1. Whether it exists the customs filing for trademarks in Cambodia. If exists, please kindly send us the basic introduction of the customs system. Our advice: Cambodia has not initiated a formal Customs recordation system. In other words, customs recordal is not available in Cambodia now. However, upon detecting an allegedly trademark infringement goods consignment to be imported into Cambodia, the trademark owner may request to the Cambodian customs authorities to suspend customs clearance. (Article 35: The owner of any registered trademark may make application to the customs or the competent authorities or court to suspend clearance of goods suspected of being...
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Customs supervision: An IPR holder is entitled to file with the Customs Supervision Department (“CSD”) a request for customs supervision measure (“Request for Supervision”) for a 2-year term, which can be renewed for another 2-year term. This measure is implemented at all Vietnamese border gates to detect any alleged counterfeits/infringing goods (“Alleged Infringing Goods”) imported into Vietnam. The IPR holder can then request for a temporary suspension of customs procedure over such Alleged Infringing Goods once they are detected....
Continue readingA GI owner is entitled to file with the Customs Supervision Department (“CSD”) a request for customs supervision measure (“Request for Supervision”) for a 2-year term, which can be renewed for another 2-year term. This measure is implemented at all Vietnamese border gates to detect any alleged counterfeits/infringing goods (“Alleged Infringing Goods”) imported into Vietnam. The IPR holder can then request for a temporary suspension of customs procedure over such Alleged Infringing Goods once they are detected....
Continue readingA provincial People’s Court is entitled to hear criminal cases related to defendants, crime victims or litigants who live abroad or in connection with property involved in other lawsuits occurring on foreign territories (Article 268.2 (b), Criminal Procedure Code 2015). As regards territorial jurisdiction, a Court, whose location is most adjacent to the scene of a crime, shall have jurisdiction over the criminal lawsuit against that crime....
Continue readingFor IPR cases, proceedings must be commenced in the court for the province where the defendant resides or works or has its head office or if a dispute is relating to compensation for non-contractual damages, the plaintiff may request the Court of the locality in which his/her residence, work place or head office is located or where the case causing damage occurs to hear the matter (Article 40.1(d), Civil Procedure Code 2015). ...
Continue readingGenerally, under trademark-based enforcement practice, the Vietnamese competent enforcement authorities will set up an Inspection Team and may invite representatives from our firm and request local Police to join the inspection to ensure Inspection Team safe during raiding against the alleged infringer. The alleged infringer’s premise/factory/warehouse will be checked/inspected to detect and seize the infringing products. Minutes of administrative violation may be immediately made or a Working Minutes will be made first if necessary to have a meeting/discussion with the alleged infringer later before making a...
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