Fake products continue to flood marketplace

Infringement of intellectual protection rights (IPR) is occurring more frequently, affecting licensed companies and consumers, said Do Huu Quang, deputy head of the Market Management Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Vietnamese consumers are presented with an abundance of goods, but it is difficult for them to distinguish between genuine and fake products, he said.

Fake goods are everywhere and in many sectors, from fashion accessories to agricultural materials and cosmetics, with direct impact on consumers' health, the environment, social security and producers. They are made both domestically and abroad and then smuggled into the country, he said.

Delegates at the seminar said enterprises have become more aware of IPR and made an effort to protect it, but many others have not paid much attention to this issue.

Many enterprises, when they discover that their designs and trademarks have been copied, they do not have the courage to denounce these actions to authorised agencies, Quang said.

Even though more inspections have occurred, as well as increased fines, a lack of resources and personnel have caused the battle against fakes difficult to implement.

In addition, sanctions imposed on these violations have not deterred the practice, he said.

Luong Hoang Hung, deputy general director of the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association, said businesses have a role to play by improving their public communications and helping people identify fake and substandard goods.

Many delegates at the meeting agreed that authorities should publicise the names of violators in the mass media.

Consumers must protect themselves by purchasing goods at prestigious shops and websites, they added.

Nguyen Thanh Tai, director of NewTech Company, said enterprises need strategies to protect their trademarks from counterfeit goods and should co-operate with government agencies in enforcement procedures.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, head of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam in HCM City, said all enterprises, both large and small, should focus more on IP protection.

But Binh noted that, with current technology, a new product can be quickly analysed and copied. However, this makes owning IP rights even more important.

Companies employing IP protection effectively have been able to create prestigious trademarks. This has also helped them improve competitiveness in both local and international markets, and increase revenue, he said.

The conference was organised to mark Day for Fighting Fake Goods on November 29.