22 October

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“Similar” product packaging: How to handle unfair competition and copyright legislation in Vietnam?

Download [vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Vietnam’s consumer goods market is booming, and this growth attracts copycats. Many Chinese brands investing in Vietnam discover that soon after their products hit store shelves, competitors launch look‑alike packaging. Such imitation not only dilutes brand value but can also mislead consumers and divert sales. KENFOX IP & Law Office provides analysis on how Vietnamese unfair‑competition and copyright law can be used to fight look‑alike packaging, highlights real‑world cases, and offers practical guidance for Chinese multinational enterprises planning to sell in Vietnam. Why packaging matters - and why it is copied Product packaging is more than decoration - it signals the origin...

18 October

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Trademark Use in Vietnam: How to Correctly Understand and Effectively Rebut Non-Use Cancellation Attacks

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Vietnam

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Download In Vietnam, owning a trademark registration is only half the battle - keeping it alive is where the real challenge begins. Many foreign businesses secure broad protection for their brands across a wide range of goods and services, only to discover years later that their registrations are vulnerable to non-use cancellation. What if your products haven’t yet entered the Vietnamese market? What if your app or website is used by Vietnamese consumers but your company is based abroad? Does that count as “use”? Vietnam’s IP Law draws a fine line between registered rights and active rights - and the distinction...

03 October

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Identical Filing Dates, Identical Marks: Vietnam’s Resolution Mechanism and How Businesses Should Respond?

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Viet Nam

Download In practice, it is not uncommon for two entirely independent entities to file applications to protect an identical or similar sign for the same goods/services - sometimes even on the very same day. What may appear to be a mere coincidence, however, presents an intriguing legal question: when both applications satisfy the filing-date requirement equally, who has priority? Who will be the lawful owner of the mark? In a rare case, a client of KENFOX IP & Law Office - Eurotek Vietnam Lubricants Co., Ltd. (Công ty TNHH Dầu nhớt Eurotek Việt Nam) - filed an application for the mark “”...

26 September

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“Bad Faith”, “Conflict of Rights”, and “IP Abuse” in Vietnam: What Lessons Can Be Drawn from the “Foellie” Trademark Dispute?

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Vietnam

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Download On 15 September 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (“VN IPO”) issued a Decision No. 205432/QĐ-SHTT annulling the validity of Certificate of Trademark Registration No. 525787 for “FOELLIE” in the name of Lưu Ngọc Anh, thereby ending four years of dispute and bringing an end to a pattern of abusive assertions of IP rights. For Laorganic Co., Ltd. (Korea) - the true proprietor of the “” (“Foellie”) mark - this Decision is not merely a matter of victory or defeat. Beyond restoring their name as the rightful owner, it revives the entire commercial flow that had been throttled...

25 August

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Trademark Cancellation for Non-Use in Vietnam: What Valuable Lessons Can Be Drawn?

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Viet Nam

Download The trademark cancelaltion request against Trademark Registration Certificate No. 103943 (“DD DANTI, device”), filed and pursued by KENFOX IP & Law Office, lasted for a decade and has become a landmark case in the field of intellectual property (IP) in Vietnam. What initially appeared to be a straightforward matter of cancelling a trademark for non-use turned into a complex legal battle between enterprises competing to defend and secure their IP rights. This case has helped to more clearly define the regulations on "use of a trademark" under Article 124.5 of Vietnam’s IP Law, limiting ambiguous interpretations and preventing the abuse of...

22 August

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Trademark Enforcement in Laos: A Smart Strategy in a High-Risk Region

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in Laos, Notable Articles, Trademark, Uncategorized

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Download What are the options for a trademark owner if their trademark is illegally used in Laos - one of Southeast Asia's most challenging jurisdictions? This was the critical question facing Luk Fook Company, a leading international jewelry brand, when its trademark was found to be in unauthorized use at a storefront within the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, a region in Bokeo Province, Laos, known for its legal ambiguity and illicit activities. Although enforcement in such jurisdictions may appear impractical or fraught with risk, Luk Fook Company’s enforcement strategy demonstrates that targeted legal intervention, executed with precision and discretion, can...

22 August

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Trademark Assignment in Vietnam: Why It’s Refused and How to Overcome It?

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Viet Nam

Trademark assignment in Vietnam is subject to strict statutory requirements and substantive examination by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (“IPVN”). In practice, assignments are frequently refused on grounds of potential confusion or non-compliance with mandatory provisions. Challenges become more acute if the assignor owns trademarks that are closely similar to one another or, in more serious circumstances, where the assignor’s trade name itself is also the trademark name. KENFOX IP & Law Office, with over 15 years of practical experience and expertise in IP protection in Vietnam, provides in-depth analysis of the risks associated with trademark assignment, along with strategic...

15 August

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The “Balizam” Trademark Dispute – A Costly Lesson and a Stark Warning for Domestic Enterprises in International Partnerships

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark

When a Chinese company invests over RMB 50 million to develop a foreign brand, builds a distribution network, promotes the product, and receives a formal Letter of Authorization from its Russian partner authorizing trademark registration in China - can it lose all ownership rights through a single retrial judgment?...

31 July

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How wilful trademark infringement is recognised in Vietnam?

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Vietnam

Download In Vietnam, wilful trademark infringement is recognized when someone knowingly and intentionally uses a protected trademark without the owner's permission, in a way that causes confusion or exploits the brand’s reputation. Willful trademark infringement is recognized through both administrative and criminal actions. Administrative actions involve imposing fines and other penalties by authorities for infringing activities, while criminal actions, involving more severe penalties, are pursued when the infringement is considered to be on a commercial scale or involves counterfeit goods. The deliberate and intentional nature of an infringement not only affects the severity of penalties but also influences the overall approach to combating...

28 July

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Successful Raid Against Trademark Infringement of LACTOMASON: A Significant Victory for KENFOX and Market Surveillance Team No. 1

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Vietnam

Download Intellectual property (“IP”) rights are not merely a legal title, but a vital tool to safeguard corporate value - rights that only become meaningful when effectively enforced and promptly protected. On July 24, 2025, a critical legal milestone was achieved in the enforcement of IP rights for LACTOMASON CO., LTD., a reputable enterprise from South Korea. On this date, KENFOX IP & Law Office, in close coordination with Market Surveillance Team No. 1, successfully conducted an inspection and enforcement action against a serious infringement at the premises of Lacto Mason Vietnam Co., Ltd., located at 112 Nam Van Lung, An Khanh...