30 October

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Trade Name Rights Defeat Trademark Squatting: LChau Pharmaceutical Company Keeps Its Brand and the Squatter Loses Registration in Court

KENFOX IP & Law Office has secured a major victory for LChau Pharmaceutical Company in a complex trademark-trade name lawsuit over the name “LChau”. This challenging case in Vietnam, which began in 2020 and spanned nearly 04 years, is not just a win for us; it's a significant victory for our client, a leading pharmaceutical giant in Vietnam with a network of nearly 2000 drug stores across the country. Back in 2016, our client acquired a series of 04 pharmacies in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to establish a comprehensive pharmacy ecosystem to meet the growing healthcare needs in Vietnam. In...

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 “”...

17 September

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Freedom to Operate (FTO) in Vietnam: Why and How you can conduct an FTO before product launching?

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Patent, Viet Nam

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Download Launching a product in Vietnam without an FTO check is like driving at night with the headlights off, possible, but risky and expensive. Vietnam recognizes utility solutions (utility models), a powerful doctrine of equivalents in infringement analysis, and broad “Bolar”-style regulatory approval exceptions. Knowing which of these helps you, and which hurts you, often decides whether your launch flies or stalls. For foreign enterprises considering entry into the Vietnamese market, conducting a Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) search is not a simple administrative box to check; it is a critical, proactive tool for risk mitigation and strategic business planning. In a rapidly evolving...

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 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...

23 June

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Delegation and Decentralization of IP Rights in Vietnam – What Right Holders Must Know Under Decree 133/2025/ND-CP?

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in News, Notable Articles, Viet Nam

Decree 133/2025/ND-CP (issued on June 12, 2025) marks a significant administrative reform in the field of science and technology, including intellectual property (IP). This Decree stipulates the delegation and decentralization of certain state management tasks concerning IP from the central level (Ministry of Science and Technology/IP Office of Vietnam) to the provincial-level People's Committees (PCs). The Decree takes effect from July 1, 2025, and will be piloted until March 1, 2027 (unless extended or replaced by new regulations)....

28 June

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A Representative Office of Foreign Pharmaceutical Company in Vietnam: What Is It Allowed To Do?

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in Notable Articles, Viet Nam

Antibiotice S.A (Romania) has established a Representative Office (“RO”) in Hanoi to serve as a liaison, explore the market, and promote investment and business opportunities in Vietnam. Currently, the company aims to expand its business activities in the healthcare sector. Specifically, Antibiotice S.A’s RO intends to carry out the following activities:...

17 April

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Chinese Enterprises Flock to Bac Giang: Trends and Developments

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in News, Viet Nam

Download According to the leader of the People's Committee of Bac Giang province, numerous Chinese companies, commonly referred to as "eagle" businesses, have established their operations in Bac Giang. Consequently, China has become the largest source of registered investment capital in the province, totaling nearly $6.4 billion USD. Significant Chinese investments in 2023 Bac Giang province continues to attract substantial Chinese investments this year. Notably, the Yadea Group has committed to an investment in Tan Hung Industrial Park, Lang Giang district. The project aims to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric motorbikes, with a projected capacity of about 2 million vehicles...

09 April

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Exploring Vietnam’s Investment Landscape: DeHeng’s Strategic Visit to KENFOX

Posted by Vu Thu Uyen

in News, Viet Nam

Today, 09 April 2024, a team from DeHeng Law Offices conducted a visit to our firm, KENFOX IP & Law Office in Hanoi, to discuss the prospect of establishing a working relationship and to gain insights into the investment climate in Vietnam. DeHeng Law Offices, founded in 1993, is a leading law firm known for its comprehensive legal services, with over 4,000 legal service professionals and a significant commercial presence in more than 10 countries worldwide. KENFOX is highly regarded for its specialized expertise in IP, business, and investment laws. The current landscape indicates that China is massively investing in Vietnam...