26 October

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What Are The Potential Costs Involved In Working With Customs Officials To Protect A Brand’s Intellectual Property, And How Can These Costs Be Managed Effectively In Laos?

To safeguard IP rights in Laos through the customs system, rights holders generally allocate a sufficient budget for strategic actions and measures. These expenses cover the custom recordal and the inspection and suspension procedures for counterfeits at Customs. Under Article 32 of Law on Custom, revised in 2019, if a rights holder possesses reliable information that imported, exported or transited goods infringe their trademarks or copyrights, they can submit a request to Customs for inspection and temporary seizure of such goods. Prior to inspection and suspension, the rights holder is required to deposit of a security of 10,000,000 Kip (about...

26 October

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Are There Any Time-Sensitive Considerations That Brand Owners Should Be Aware Of When Dealing With Customs-Related IP Enforcement In Laos?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Laos, Trademark

In case of customs supervision through recordal, brand owners must respond within a strict 3-day window upon receiving any notice from customs regarding suspected goods, they only have 3 days for giving their confirmation. Failing confirmation within this timeframe empowers customs officers to proceed legally, leading to the release of the suspected goods for declaration at customs. In case a rights holder files an application with customs for inspection and suspension of counterfeit good, any detected and retained items must be addressed through judicial action with a specified period of 10 working days. Failure to do so results in the immediate...

26 October

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How Will Brand Owners Typically Be Contacted When Suspicious Or Counterfeit Goods Are Identified In Laos?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Uncategorized

Under the IP protection through customs recordal measure, brand owners receive a notification from Customs through their IP representative. After being notifed, the brand owner is required to confirm within 3 working days whether the suspected goods are counterfeits. They must promptly inform Customs of their confirmation and then request the seizure of the goods. Further, brand owners are encouraged to conduct thorough searches and investigations to assess the extent of the counterfeiting operation. Gathering substantial information about the infringers is crucial. This evidence may prove essential in the event tat the brand owner decides to initiate legal proceedings in the future....

26 October

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What Is The Typical Process For Confiscation Or Further Investigation In The Event That Lao Customs Officials Identify Potentially Counterfeit Goods?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Laos, Trademark

In the context of customs procedures, in case of suspecting counterfeit goods at the Customs followed by the customs recordal, the below activities are involved: Customs officials inspect and compare goods with the information provided in the customs declaration and customs recordal, which has been registered in the Customs database. This includes examining photos, description, and characteristics used to identify genuine goods to determine whether the goods are counterfeit or if they are suspected of infringing IPRs; If the grounds for determining goods are suspected of being counterfeit or infringing IPRs are not sufficient, it is required to carry out...

26 October

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Can Brand Owners Send Lao Customs Officials A Product Information Guide Or Any Additional Materials To Assist Them In Identifying Genuine Products?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Laos, Trademark

To increase the effectiveness of customs recordal in detecting and preventing the importation or exportation of counterfeit goods, trademark owners should furnish customs officials with clear and detailed information regarding their registered trademarks. Specifically, the following details can aid customs officials in better identifying counterfeit goods and differentiating them from genuine products. images, descriptions, samples of genuine products, a list of Characteristics for distinguishing genuine goods from goods infringing on IP rights, any equipments or tools to differentiate the differences between the original and counterfeit products. Such details can be submitted in Word, PDF, or physical formats, provided they...

26 October

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Are Copyright Registrations Registrable With Customs In Laos?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Laos, Trademark

Customs recordal in Laos is applicable not only for trademark registrations but also for copyright registrations. The procedures and authorities involved in examining the customs recordal of these IP subject matters as mentioned are the same. Copyright owners seeking to record their copyrights with the Laos Customs Department must submit an application alongside the required documents and fees. One of the essential documents is a Copyright registration certificate in Laos. Despite being a signatory to Berne Convention, Laos handles copyrights territorially. Copyright owners are advised to register their works within the country to ensure comprehensive protection of their IP rights. This recommendation...

26 October

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Can Rights Holders Record Trademark And Brand-Related IP Information With Lao Customs And, If So, How?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Laos, Trademark

In Laos, customs recordal may serve as an effective means for enforcing IP rights as it prevents and suppresses IP counterfeiting of IPR holders’ products at Laos’ borders. In order to take advantages of customs registration system for IP protection in Laos, rights holders must submit a formal request for customs recordal of their IP rights with the Laos Customs Department. Trademarks, designs, and copyrights can be registered with customs in Laos, enabling enhanced IP protection measures at the country’s borders. A customs recordal request is examined by the Laos Customs Department to assess its compliance with the necessary requirements and...

25 October

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Brand protection at the Lao border: insights and strategies from the front line

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Notable Articles

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25 October

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Fighting Counterfeits And Trademark Squatting In Vietnam: A perspective from Foellie case

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Notable Articles, Vietnam

Download In the 2022 statistics recently published by the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam, it was revealed that Korea stands as Vietnam's leading foreign investor. With an impressive investment of over 80 billion USD and nearly 9,500 registered projects, Korea's substantial contribution demonstrates remarkable confidence in the Vietnamese market. However, this trust is currently under threat due to a concerning trend: the increasing prevalence of counterfeit products and brand speculation. To cope with these pressing issues, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) – held a seminar titled “Current Situation and Solutions for Identifying Counterfeit Goods and Intellectual Property Violations from the...

13 September

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Overcoming refusal of patent applications in Vietnam – What strategies?

Posted by Ly Dinh

in Notable Articles

The initial "patent" application faced a denial, leading to the most likely course of action being an amendment of the set of claims to secure a "utility solution" patent. Faced with the second refusal notice from the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP VIETNAM), many applicants tend to opt for the straightforward route of converting their applications from "invention" to "utility solution". This choice is often made under the belief that obtaining any kind of patent is preferable to facing a final rejection. However, with a well-thought-out strategy, applicants can still pursue their patent applications without the need to convert...