The relevant trademark authority in Vietnam is the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP VIETNAM), previously known as the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP). ...
Continue readingVietnam’s patent system provides multiple avenues to protect technical innovations, ranging from invention patents and utility solutions to industrial designs. This guide, prepared by KENFOX IP & Law Office, a qualified IP Firm in Vietnam, outlines the entire patent application process in Vietnam, including available application routes, types of protection, eligibility criteria, step-by-step procedures, examination and appeal processes, official fees, and strategic considerations. It is tailored for foreign businesses entering Vietnam and focuses on Vietnam’s current laws and practices....
Continue readingIf you believe that the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” in a patent specification always means “A or B or C”, it may be time to reconsider. In U.S. patent practice, the interpretation of this seemingly simple expression has sparked a debate lasting more than two decades – a debate that remains far from settled today. The controversy originates from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s landmark 2004 decision in SuperGuide Corp. v. DirecTV Enters., Inc. In SuperGuide, the court interpreted the phrase to mean “at least one of A, and at least one...
Continue readingKENFOX IP & Law Office acted for Kunming Dihon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (China), owner of the HAICNEAL medicated shampoo brand (), and its exclusive Vietnamese distributor, Dong A Pharmaceutical Trading Co., Ltd., after a Vietnamese company (ASEM VINA JSC) began producing and commercializing a shampoo using packaging that closely imitated HAICNEAL’s trade dress while marketing it under “HAINOZAL” ...
Continue readingImporter Identified, VIPRI Infringement Finding Secured, Multi-Agency Pressure Applied, Infringing Goods Removed from Market, Customs Protection Activated. KENFOX IP & Law Office represented MASSCO JSC, a leading Vietnamese chemical and cosmetics manufacturer and the registered owner of the “SPY” trademark (No. 231175), after an unauthorized seller began advertising “SPY” washing liquid on ZALO (a popular Vietnamese messaging / social commerce platform). Our investigation suggested that the products were imported from Thailand, so we moved immediately to identify the source. ...
Continue readingKENFOX 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. ...
Continue readingCase brief: KENFOX IP & Law Office recently resolved a four-year dispute surrounding the “Foellie” brand, acting for Laorganic Co., Ltd. (Korea), the legitimate owner of the Foellie mark and logo. Lưu Ngọc Anh, a Vietnamese individual – Director of La Pharma Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. applied to register the mark “FOELLIE” for the goods in Class 03 in 2020. Notably, our client, Laorganic had used their mark “” in Vietnam since 2018. In July 2022, our client filed an opposition against Lưu Ngọc Anh’s applied-for trademark “FOELLIE” with the Trademark Examination Centre (TEC) of the IP Office of Vietnam (IPVN)....
Continue readingKENFOX IP & Law Office represented RULE ONE PROTEINS LLC (“RULE ONE”), a-US based company, the registered owner in Vietnam of the “RULE 1 PROTEINS” () trademark (Registration No. 408163), in an action against Muscle Up Joint Stock Company, a Vietnamese seller that was advertising, offering for sale, and promoting nutritional supplements in Vietnam using “RULE 1 PROTEINS”, “RULE 1 R1 PROTEIN”, and “RULE ONE” across websites and Facebook pages without authorization. We first secured Bailiff’s Certification to capture irrefutable evidence of infringement across Muscle Up’s online channels. ...
Continue readingIn July-August 2025, KENFOX IP & Law Office executed a coordinated anti-counterfeiting operation in Hanoi on behalf of a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company, holder of the registered “LACTOMASON” trademark in Vietnam. The infringer was not a “street-level counterfeiter”, but a sophisticated entity constructed to project lawful legitimacy. Operating under the guise of “Lacto Mason Vietnam Co., Ltd.”, the infringer built a complete façade of brand authenticity by copying nearly the entire identity ecosystem of our client – including product packaging, labeling, corporate name, website, social-media presence, and promotional collateral – and then deploying a digital-only distribution model (exclusively through e-commerce...
Continue readingFor many international brand owners, receiving a provisional refusal from the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) can feel like a dead end. Vietnam is one of ASEAN’s fastest-growing markets – but also one of its most rigorous trademark examination systems, where non-traditional marks face heightened examination, prior cited marks may block registration even with market differences, examiner discretion remains conservative compared to other Madrid members, consent letters are not automatically accepted, stylized, digital-era brand identities (e.g., symbols such as “@”) are often misunderstood under traditional distinctiveness rules A refusal in Vietnam is not merely an administrative hurdle – it...
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