Invalidating a bad-faith trademark registration in Vietnam

Bad-faith trademark registration is largely seen in Vietnam nowadays, especially since foreign investors are shifting production from China to Vietnam following the recent US-China trade war. Trademarks in Vietnam are generally awarded on a “first-to-file” basis, as opposed to a "first-to-use" system, resulting in floods of trademark applications, many of which imitate or mimic foreign reputable brands that have yet to expand into the Vietnamese market. Invalidating a trademark registered in bad faith in Vietnam is not always easy, as the country's IP Law does not define or contain specific provisions on bad faith. However, Snap Inc., a US-based company,...