Seminar seeks ways to support trademark, GI registration in China

The event was jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).

Addressing the seminar, IP Vietnam's Deputy General Director Tran Le Hong said great potential of import and export activities between Vietnam and China has resulted in rising demand for enterprises to establish and enforce intellectual property rights in business and commercial activities in China.

However, the number of industrial property registration applications in general and trademark registration in particular by Vietnamese people in China remains modest, he said, adding that the percentage of certificates granted is not high.

He attributed the problem to Vietnamese enterprises' poor awareness of trademark and GI protection in China and their lack of experience in setting up rights in the neighbouring country.

To assist Vietnamese businesses to successfully register trademarks and GIs in export markets, including China, Vietnam is striving to implement many support activities such as negotiating and joining free trade agreements to create a favourable legal corridor for the registration of industrial property rights abroad, devising policies and programmes to facilitate enterprises in developing intellectual property and establish domestic consulting channels.

Nguyen Hong Son, director of the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology, said that activities to support the building of trademarks for local agricultural products and traditional craft villages are being promoted throughout the city.

Up to now, Hanoi has nearly 100 agricultural products and craft villages that have been protected by collective trademarks and certification. Two products are being appraised for GI protection namely Son Tay chicken and La Tinh pomelo, he noted.

After being protected, many products have received attention of foreign partners thanks to their clear origins, Son said, adding that the seminar offered an opportunity for Hanoi to learn more about intellectual property activities and China's experience with the validation symbols.

At the event, participants discussed issues including experience in effective management and exploitation models of China's trademarks and GIs as well as difficulties enterprises face when registering for trademark protection in the neighbouring country.