January 2008 marks a year since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as its 150^th member. This event once again affirms that the national economy, backed by the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, has been recognized by the world’s economic community. This means that Vietnamese products are not only circulated in its own territories but also exported to other countries across the world.

However, WTO membership has its drawbacks. An economist humorously compares Vietnam’s economy with a basket boat in a big sea, citing the respect for product brands as an example. He says that many general directors of big corporations are still confused between trademarks and the brands of the products.

In fact, there is not only one trademark, but several brands. Toyota is the trademark of Japan’s global renowned carmaker Toyota, but there are also many other brands like Camry and Inova. Due to the confusion, many Vietnamese businesses underestimate the building of brands. As a result, after more than 20 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process and a year of joining the WTO, Vietnamese businesses have not yet built any product brand both popular and famous.

Analyzing the situation, experts say that the underlying cause lies in the underestimation of product quality which a number of businesses often register for reluctantly. The fact is that when a certain product has a well-known brand and sells well on the market, a large number of businesses will copy it to make a profit illegally. The suit on the brand of electric wire Cadi-sun indicates that Vietnamese businesses have yet to kick off the hand-to-mouth trading practice. More disappointingly, State management agencies have not devised effective measures to stop this undesirable practice.