22 July

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Trademark Enforcement in Cambodia: Café Logo Dispute Resolved via Economic Police Action

in Cambodia, Cambodia, Trademark, Trademark

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] A café logo dispute in Cambodia demonstrates that trademark infringement does not necessarily require an exact copy of a registered mark. Where the logo presentation, storefront signage, and overall commercial impression create a likelihood of confusion in the same service sector, the trademark owner may have grounds to act. In this case, MGC Global Co., Ltd., owner of the MEGA COFFEE / MGC logo trademark in Cambodia, adopted a staged enforcement strategy: evidence collection, issuance of a warning letter, escalation to the Economic Police, and ultimately securing a written undertaking to cease use and remove the infringing sign. Background MGC Global...

29 May

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Overcoming the Territoriality Trap: How FUMARI Blocked a Bad-Faith Trademark Filing in Laos Without Local Registration

Posted by Minh Chau

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Viet Nam, Vietnam

[vc_row triangle_shape="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Download The Department of Intellectual Property of Laos (“Laos DIP”) recently issued a Notice sustaining an opposition against Trademark Application No. 50354 for “FUMARI” in Class 34, filed by Xuanfeng Biotechnology Sole Co., Ltd. In this matter, KENFOX IP & Law Office represented Fumari Inc. to challenge the adverse party's mark, steering the case to a successful outcome. In its Notice, the Laos DIP confirmed that, following consideration of the opposition based on the relevant reasons and evidence submitted, the opposition was sustained. As a result, the opposed application will not proceed to the substantive examination stage. This is a significant outcome...

07 April

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Trademarks or Disguised Advertising Messages: CNIPA’s Proactive Invalidation of Granted Trademarks – Could Vietnam Adopt a Similar Approach?

Posted by Quoc Anh

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Trademark

Download The Situation in China: A Drastic Purge of "Pseudo-Concepts" In recent times, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has sent shockwaves through the legal and business communities by consistently implementing measures to refuse and proactively invalidate a series of trademarks that are ambiguous, deceptive,, or likely to mislead consumer perception. The review process reveals that numerous applications were summarily rejected during the substantive examination stage, most notably: 18 "Zero Sucrose" trademarks, 22 "0 Sucrose" trademarks, and others such as "Earth from the Mountains" and "0 Added West." Notably, since 2025, CNIPA has expanded its oversight beyond the examination stage to proactively...

03 April

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China: CNIPA Proactively Refused and Invalidated Ambiguous-Concept Trademarks Such as “Zero Sucrose” and “Farm-Raised”

Posted by Quoc Anh

in News, Notable Articles, Trademark

Download Many enterprises do not design trademarks to distinguish their goods from those of others - the core function of a trademark. Instead, they exploit the system to "privatize" common industry terminology. They treat the trademark registration certificate as a "legal free pass" to monopolize advertising messages (such as "Zero Sugar" or "Farm-Raised"). Armed with these registered marks, they can then turn around and restrict competitors from using descriptive terms that everyone should inherently have the right to use. Cloaking vague and exaggerated descriptive terms under the guise of an "exclusively registered trademark" creates a false veneer of credibility. Consumers are easily...

25 March

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Opposition Against the Trademark “7 DAYZ” / “7 DAYS PREMIUM MENWEAR & Device”: 5 Lessons in Trademark Protection in Vietnam

Posted by Quoc Anh

in Notable Articles, Trademark

Download In intellectual property portfolio management, challenging a subsequent trademark application that "borrows" ideas while being disguised by stylized details remains a complex issue. Therefore, protecting brand identity extends beyond mere name registration; it is a strategic battle to safeguard the "zone of recognition" within the minds of consumers. In this context, the successful prevention of trademark application No. 4-2023-36026 demonstrates a crucial principle: an effective opposition dossier must be built upon a strict integration of legal analysis regarding the similarity of the signs and designated goods/services, alongside a practical assessment of how the brand is perceived, recalled, and competes in...

12 March

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Cassation Protest in the Binh Minh Plastics Case: Restoring the Value of Expert Evidence in Trademark Dispute Resolution

Posted by Minh Chau

in Trademark, Trademark in Vietnam

Download On March 9, 2026, the intellectual property (IP) dispute between Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Company and Binh Minh Viet Plastics Joint Stock Company marked a significant procedural turning point: the Supreme People's Procuracy officially issued a Cassation Protest. This decision recommends the annulment of both the first-instance judgment of the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City and the appellate judgment of the High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City. Over the past period, this case has been considered a typical "bottleneck," exposing the unpredictability and latent risks within Vietnam's IP litigation system. Previously, despite holding the most robust...

12 March

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Trademark Litigation And Litigation Process In Vietnam

Posted by Quyen Nguyen

in Notable Articles, Trademark

Download Vietnam’s intellectual property (IP) framework has evolved rapidly during the past two decades. Vietnam is a member of major multilateral agreements such as the Paris Convention, TRIPS Agreement, the Madrid Agreement/Protocol, the EU-Vietnam Free‑Trade Agreement and other bilateral agreements. These treaties and Vietnam’s Law on Intellectual Property (IP Law) (amended in 2022), Civil Code (2015), Civil Procedure Code (CPC) (2015), Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and implementing decrees (Decree 65/2023/ND‑CP, Decree 99/2013/ND‑CP etc.) form the core of the country’s trademark system Vietnam offers several avenues for trademark owners to enforce their rights, including administrative actions, civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and border control measures....

10 November

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HAICNEAL vs. HAINOZAL: Stopping a Copycat Shampoo Line, Forcing Destruction of Labels and Printing Equipment, and Blocking a Trademark Hijacking

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Uncategorized, Vietnam

KENFOX 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” ...

10 November

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Infringement ov er the trademark “SPY”: Tracking the Importer, Forcing Infringing Detergent off the Market, and Locking in Customs Protection

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Vietnam

Importer 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. ...

07 November

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

Posted by Dương Thúy

in Notable Articles, Trademark, Viet Nam

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. ...