ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

Thứ Sáu, 29 tháng 11, 2019

How do you know when it's time to renew your trademarks?


As regulation of law on intellectual property, the mark, trademark or service mark, is one of protected subjects of industrial property right. However, to be protected by law, the owner of mark shall apply protection registration dossier to competent authority prior. When the owner registers and is granted a certificate of registered mark, the owner shall have the exclusive right to label the product, service or both, right to allow others to use the mark throughout mark license contracts, right to assign the mark ownership and right to prevent breaching action from any third party.


The receiving of the trademark registration certificate is not a final point in your trademark life. To keep your trademark valid you must renew it every 7-20 years depending on the country the mark is registered in. There are no limits on how many times your trademark can be renewed. You can do it 1, 3, 6 times or do not do it at all if you don’t want to use your mark more.

The renewal date is indicated on the website of the Intellectual Property Office of the country where your trademark is registered. The only way to know it is just to remember this date. You can set a reminder on your phone or computer, print the date and put it up on the wall or think out another method to keep it in mind. The main thing is not to miss this date, otherwise, your mark will be canceled.

It might be easier if you hire trademark lawyers in Vietnam to register your mark because he will probably send you an email with the notification that it is time to renew your trademark.
Hope this help!

Thứ Năm, 28 tháng 11, 2019

How to register a patent in Vietnam?


Law on Intellectual Property of Vietnam had come into effect from 2005 to keep up with the considerable development of the world. One of the most important subject of Intellectual property is patent which contribute a huge part for the mankind development. According to Vietnamese law, to be granted patent title, a patent must fulfill 3 conditions which are: (i) novelty; (ii) inventive nature; (iii) susceptible of industrial application.


Firstly, a patent shall be deemed novel if it has not yet been publicly disclosed by use or by means of a written description or any other form either inside or outside Vietnam before the filing date or the priority date, as applicable, of the invention registration application. Besides, a patent shall not be deemed to have lost its novelty if it is published in the following cases, provided that the invention registration application is filed within six (6) months from the date of publication:
-It is published by another person without permission from the person having the right to register it;
-It is published in the form of a scientific presentation by the person having the right to register it;
-It is displayed at a national exhibition of Vietnam or at an official or officially recognized international exhibition by the person having the right to register it

Secondly, An invention shall be deemed to be of an inventive nature if, based on technical solutions already publicly disclosed by use or by means of a written description or any other form either inside or outside Vietnam prior to the filing date or the priority date as applicable of the application for registration of the invention, the invention constitutes inventive progress and cannot be easily created by a person with average knowledge in the art.

Thirdly, an invention shall be deemed to be susceptible of industrial application if it is possible to realize mass manufacture or production of products or repeated application of the process which is the subject matter of the invention, and to achieve stable results.
If a patent fulfills the above criteria then it is granted patent title.

What is the process of registration a patent in Vietnam?
After submitting the patent application into Noip (Intellectual Property office of Vietnam), it shall gone through 2 phases of examination which are formal examination and substantial examination.

Formal examination of applications means examination of observance of regulations on formalities applicable to applications, serving as a basis for concluding whether applications are valid or invalid, this phase would take from 1-3 months. All applications accepted as valid shall be published by the Noip in the Industrial Property Official Gazette.

After the publication, if there are no third parties object the application, then it go to substantial examination. The purpose of substantive examination of applications is to assess the protectability of objects stated in those applications under the protection conditions and corresponding protection coverage (volume). This phase would take from 12 months to 16 months. If it does meet protection criteria, NOIP will grant Patent for Invention.
However, in practice, the time from the filing to granting will be 18 months to 20 months due to huge load of work.

It is wise to consult the advice of a patent attorneys in Vietnam to help assist you with your patent. We are a legal marketplace with quality lawyers who are knowledgeable in various areas of the law—including patents.


Thứ Tư, 27 tháng 11, 2019

Should a startup founder worry about patents?


When you are in the early stages of your start-up, it may be tempting to cut corners in any way that you can to save time and money. However, you should realize that by doing this you aren’t setting up your business for the best scenario for success. 

If you believe that your company brings a unique invention that other people could find useful, then you can certainly apply for a patent. Doing so early on can protect your business from potential issues in the future and it will solidify your legal claim to the idea that you are patenting. You may be surprised to learn that disputes over patents between companies is not exactly rare. If you put patents at the top of the list early on, you will save yourself a lot of headache in the future.

It is wise to consult the advice of a patent attorneys in Vietnam to help assist you with your patent. We are a legal marketplace with quality lawyers who are knowledgeable in various areas of the law—including patents.


Thứ Hai, 25 tháng 11, 2019

What are requirements for a patent?


Here are for obtaining a patent under U.S. law.
Requirements for Obtaining a Patent


1. To obtain a patent in the U.S., you must demonstrate that the idea is:
 -Eligible for patent protection
-Novel and does not infringe on the patents of another
-Non-obvious
-Useful
2. Once you have determined that your patent meets the above through development of your idea and a thorough patent search, you would then prepare and file your patent application along with the requisite filing fee.

Is It Necessary to Have a Prototype or Are the Designs Enough? and How Specific Do the Designs Need to Be?
While a prototype can be helpful in supporting your patent application, a working prototype is not required to apply for patent protection. However, you are required to describe your invention with a level of detail such that a skilled individual could recreate your invention from the specifications. Essentially, you will need to provide as much detail as possible.

Is It Possible to Get a Patent for Free?
You will need to pay the filing fees to the USPTO associated with your patent application. You can find a schedule of the USPTO fees here. Additionally, given the complexities of the patent process, you may also want to retain a patent attorney to assist you to improve the likelihood that your application will be approved.
Source: Quora




Chủ Nhật, 24 tháng 11, 2019

Can I do trademark registration by myself?


If you are a resident of the country you can register a trademark by yourself in the National Trademark Office. However, the process is very complicated and without appropriate assistance, it is very unlikely to fill out all documents and go through the whole procedure successfully.Because of this, it is better to hire a professional attorney, who is able to simplify the process of registration for you and save your time and money.

There is a slightly different situation with international registration. Foreign residents have no direct access to the National Trademark Offices in other countries. Due to this if you wish to file for a trademark somewhere outside of your country of residence, you have to hire a professional local attorney to represent your interests there.

There is only one exception WIPO | Madrid – The International Trademark System. However, the system is available only for countries-members (121 countries of the world) and only for residents of these countries, provides very limited protection and requires a considerable amount of time and effort for registration.

First, you apply for a t+ in your country of residence and wait until you obtain a trademark there, after, using WIPO, you file the trademark in other countries through your National Trademark Office and wait for registering your mark there.

However, an experienced attorney is always able to simplify the process of registration, increase the chances and the speed of registration and save your time and money. If you're looking for an affordable  IP attorneys in Vietnam, check out ANTLawyers.vn. ANTLawyers.vn was established to meet these needs by providing fast, effective and economical solutions. Hope that clears things up a bit. Feel free to message me directly to chat further about any other IP questions that you face.


Thứ Năm, 21 tháng 11, 2019

The provisions of law on copyright infringement


The US-China trade war, especially disputes over intellectual property (IP), once again alarmed business executives about the importance of complying with laws and strengthening management capacity for protecting and avoiding infringement of IP rights of any other country, when participating in global "games". One of the most vulnerable objects of intellectual property is computer software. So, in Vietnam, what are the policies to overcome piracy of computer software?


Referring to the operation of the WTO, people often mention the activities of the Trade Council under the General Assembly. There are three trade councils (as known as three "pillars" of the WTO): the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in Services and the Council of Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights. In particular, the Council on Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights is responsible for activities that fall within the scope of the  Agreement on Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), as well as coordination with other international organizations in the field of IP rights.

According to the request of the TRIPS Agreement, each member state or WTO member must give full and effective protection of intellectual property rights to citizens of other WTO members in accordance with the principle of national treatment and most favored nation. Specifically, members must have a legal system and apparatus to protect intellectual property rights (including: copyright and related rights, patents, business secrets, trademarks, industrial designs, integrated circuit layout design, geographical indications and unfair anti-competitive rights) meet the TRIPS Agreement minimum standards for content, scope, time limits and enforcement of rights.

Besides, the Berne Convention allows authors to enjoy copyright for a lifetime and a minimum of 50 years thereafter. However, countries that comply with the convention are allowed to extend the term of copyright. Regarding the world situation, through free trade agreements, developed countries like the United States and Japan ... want to work towards a stronger enforcement mechanism than the standards set forth in the agreement when it comes to the trade of intellectual property rights. In particular, developed countries tend to "criminalize" intellectual property infringements by expanding the subject of criminal enforcement measures to infringements of inventions, business secrets, trademarks, industrial designs, integrated circuit layout design, ... not just violations of trademarks, copyrights and related rights. Criminally infringed intellectual property rights also tend to be expanded.

Vietnam is increasingly integrating deeply into the economy with the region and the world through free trade agreements with leading partners such as the United States, Japan and the European Union. The enforcement of intellectual property rights by criminal means is one of the important contents in the negotiation of new generation free trade agreements and is particularly emphasized by development partners. In recent years, the law on enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights, including enforcement by criminal measures, has been constantly strengthened, improved and contributed to improving the effectiveness of enforcement activities to protect IP rights. With the efforts of the Government, the activities of protecting copyright and related rights have made significant progress. The State has issued many legal documents on this field, the Vietnamese laws have been developed and completed from the practice of management and administration for copyrigh, acquired international standards, met the requirements to promote effective protection and international integration.

Regarding the protection of intellectual property rights, especially for computer software, Vietnam has signed many bilateral and multilateral international treaties related to copyright and related rights. Accordingly, Vietnam has an obligation to protect copyright and related rights under international treaties to which Vietnam is a member. At the Resolution of the 9th Plenum of the Party Central Committee, Session XI (Resolution No. 33-NQ / TW) on building and developing culture and people of Vietnam to meet the requirements of sustainable development of the country, stated: “Raising awareness of the implementation of legal provisions on copyright and related rights in the whole society. Strengthen and enhance the operational efficiency of copyright management agencies and agencies from central to local levels.”

Criminal Code No. 12/2017 / QH14 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Criminal Code No. 100/2015 / QH13, effective from January 1, 2018, demonstrating the determination of the Vietnamese Government to strictly enforce against copyright and related rights violations, including computer software copyrights. Under the new provisions of the amended Criminal Code, for the first time, commercial legal entities shall be criminally responsible for crimes infringing copyright and related rights. Article 225 of the amended Criminal Code has introduced sanctions to overcome violations of copyright and related rights. Including  computer software  copyright. With the new strict penalty framework that the Criminal Code 2015 will apply to commercial entities that intentionally violate computer software copyrights in particular and copyrights in general, the rate of software piracy Vietnam will be able to significantly reduce, create a fair competitive business environment for businesses, as well as promote the development of the socio-economy in the context of Vietnam's deep and broad integration into the international economy.

If you're looking for an affordable IP attorneys in Vietnam, check out ANTLawyers.vn. ANTLawyers.vn was established to meet these needs by providing fast, effective and economical solutions. Hope that clears things up a bit. Feel free to message me directly to chat further about any other IP questions that you face.


Thứ Tư, 20 tháng 11, 2019

Questionnaire on Anti-Dumping Investigation on Some Monosodium Gluamate Products Case AD09


Pursuant to Decision No. 3267/QD-BCT dated on November 15th, 2019 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on investigating to impost anti-dumping measures on some monosodiumgluamate (MSG) products originating from the People’s Republic of China and theRepublic of Indonesia (code no.AD09), the Department of Trade Remedies issued an anti-dumping investigation questionnaire to foreign manufacturers/exporters.


The Investigating Authority requires all relevant foreign manufacturers/exporters to cooperate and participate sufficiently during the investigation. The content of the response will be the basis for the Investigating Authority to review and draw a conclusion of the investigation of this case. In the event that the Investigating Authority does not receive timely responses from foreign manufacturers/exporters or the information provided is incorrect or incomplete, the Investigating Authority will use information and documents provided by related parties; information and documents collected by the Investigating Authority or available information and documents for drawing a conclusion.
The relevant parties must respond to the Investigating Authority before 17:00 December 23rd, 2019 (Hanoi time).

To ensure its rights and interests, the relevant parties who want to extend the time limitation of response are suggested registration of extension before November 30th, 2019 (Hanoi time). If the manufacturers/exporters registers after the deadline, it is possible that the Investigating Authority shall not appove their registration. For registration of relevant parties, organizations and individuals register according to the form of relevant party registration form issued in Appendix 1 attached to Circular 06/2018/TT-BCT and send it to the Investigating Authority via post office or email.

International Trade legal department of ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam would help client in anti-dumping cases response and following up in Vietnam with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce






Thứ Ba, 19 tháng 11, 2019

How Foreigners Could Obtain Residence in Vietnam Through Investment Scheme?


Foreigners could reside in Viet Nam under permanent residence or temporary residence status. In particular, foreign investors establishing or contributing capital to companies operating in Vietnam are subject to have temporary residence cards.
A Temporary Residence Card is the required document for the foreigners to legally stay temporarily in Viet Nam and the maximum term of a card is 05 years. The following will explain how Temporary Residence Card can be obtained in Vietnam through investment.
What are conditions for foreign investors to be granted temporary residence card?
Foreigners whom are granted a visa with a DT sign will be considered for a temporary residence card. The foreigners will need to apply for work permit exemption from authorities in Vietnam. The passport of foreigners has a minimum term of 13 months. Documents proving that foreigners contribute capital to, or invest in, enterprises in Vietnam for instance business registration certificates, investment registration certificates will be required. The foreigners will also need to provide clean criminal record card.
What required documents to be prepared for application for temporary residence card?

1. 01 Document requesting temporary residence card of guarantor ( form NA6 for agencies, organizations; form NA7 for individuals)
2. 01 Information form for a temporary resident card (form NA8)
3. 02 photos (image size 2×3 cm);
4. 01 Copy of passport and a valid visa (bring an original for comparison);
5. 01 Notice of use of the seal of the enterprise.
6. 01 Document introducing seal, signature of the authorized person of the organization (form NA16)
7. 01 Copy of legal ducuments of organizations to prove purpose to be granted temporary residence card, such as: investment registration certificate, business registration certificate.

How long it takes to apply for temporary residence card?

After 5 working days since receiving sufficient documents, state agencies will consider and issue temporary residence cards.
What are procedures to apply for temporary residence card?

Step 1: Prepare documents as prescribed by law.
Step 2: Submit application file
The officer receiving the application will check the legality and the content of the file. If the application is complete and valid, the officer receives the application and prints a receipt for the submitter.
Step 3: Return results
What state authorities to apply for temporary residence card?

Immigration Management Department of province or cities where the investment is registered.

Some difficulties when carrying out the procedure

Everyone can apply for a temporary residence card by themselves, but not all cases are eligible for a temporary residence card. When applying for a temporary residence card, have some difficulties like: the visa is not for right purposes; foreigners don’t understand the required documents, procedures for applying for temporary residence card so that you don’t know how to write the declaration of temporary residence card; have confusion about the declaration form used for individuals and agencies, organizations…. For result, application file is invalid and will be returned. You will have to go to implementing agencies many times to complete application file, which is costly, laborious, time-consuming but not yet available. Therefore, foreigners need the assistance of a reputable law firm to carry out the procedure effectively to be granted temporary residence card.


ANT Lawyers is a Law firm in Vietnam with international standards, recognized by Legal500, IFLR1000. We arre an exclusive Vietnam member of Prae Legal, the global law firm net work covering more than 150 jurisdictions. The firm provides a range of legal services as following to multinational and domestic clients. For advice or service request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call  +84 24 730 86 529. To learn more about us, please visit www.antlawyers.vn


Thứ Hai, 18 tháng 11, 2019

Procedures for registration of trademark protection in Vietnam


Trademark plays an important role in the business activities of the enterprise, helping to position products and services in the minds of customers as well as make a difference in the market. In the current competitive context, trademarks are easily violated by illegal acts, easily affecting business results of enterprises. According to the provisions of the Intellectual Property Law 2005 (amended and supplemented in 2009), a trademark is an intellectual property that needs to be protected and the legal basis to protect it is a trademark registration certificate.


Trademark registration services in Vietnam 

1. Conditions for a trademark to be registered for protection
Article 72 of the Intellectual Property Law 2005 stipulates that trademarks are protected if the following conditions are met:
a) A visible sign in the form of letters, words, drawings, images, including holograms or a combination thereof, expressed in one or more colors.
b) Having the ability to distinguish the goods or services of the trademark owner from the goods and services of another subject.

2. Procedures for registration of trademark protection
2.1. Look up trademarks (optional)
In order to assess the ability to register a trademark and save time for enterprise, it is necessary for the applicant to conduct a trademark search before filing an official registration application. This is to determine if the trademark of an enterprise is identical or similar to that of another registered trademark for the same or similar products.
Search time: 02 days.
For searching, the applicant should provide the following documents: 05 trademark samples; List of branded goods/ ervices.
2.2. Trademark registration (brand / logo):
If the search results show that the trademark is not identical or similar to the trademark of any registered individuals or organizations, the applicant should submit a trademark registration application in the fastest time to have priority dates soon.
 2.3. Time of trademark registration:
 The application for trademark registration will go through three stages:
a) Examining the form of trademark registration applications:
During this period, if the application satisfies the requirements, the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) will confirm the date of valid application, the number of valid applications, the priority date of the application and notify the applicant of the decision to accept the application. If there are deficiencies, the NOIP will notify the applicant and within two months from the date of notification, the applicant must correct the deficiencies.
Time limit for formality examination: 03 months from the date of application to the NOIP.
b) Publication of the registration application: 02 months from the date the application is formally accepted.
If the application is valid, it will be published by the NOIP in the Industrial Property Official Gazette. This gazette is published monthly.
c) Substantive examination: 07 months from the date of publication of the mark registration application
At this stage, if the application is recognized as valid, there is no dispute or complaint when it is published, the NOIP will notify the applicant of the fee for substantive examination. Then the NOIP will conduct the evaluation. The purpose of substantive examination is to determine whether the object stated in the application meets the protection standards prescribed by law.
Time for substantive examination: 09 months from the date of notification of acceptance of valid application.
If the result of substantive examination shows that the trademark of the applicant is likely to register, the NOIP will issue a Protection Title within 1 month thereafter.

3. Application dossier for trademark registration
a) A trademark registration declaration.
b) Documents, specimens, information showing the trademark intended to be registered.
c) Power of attorney (if the application is submitted through an intellectual property representation organization).
d) List of products and services that the enterprise intends to use the trademark.
e) A notarized copy of the enterprise registration certificate, investment certificate if the owner is an organization, the identity card or other equivalent papers of the individual owner.
f) Receipt of fees and charges.
The term of protection of trademarks is 10 years from the date of filing of applications. The owner of a protection title may extend it many times. Procedures for renewing a trademark protection certificate are carried out at the National Office of Intellectual Property.

If you're looking for an affordable Trademark lawyers in Vietnam , check out ANTLawyers.vn. ANTLawyers.vn was established to meet these needs by providing fast, effective and economical solutions. Hope that clears things up a bit. Feel free to message me directly to chat further about any other IP questions that you face.




Thứ Sáu, 15 tháng 11, 2019

Sanctioning for violations of computer software copyright


According to Article 2 (viii) of the Stockholm Convention on 14 July 1967 on the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization, intellectual property is defined as the rights related to: Literary works, art and science works, performance of performers, sound recording, video recording, inventions in all areas of human endeavor, Scientific Invention, Industrial DesignsTrademarks (goods), service marks, trade names and indications , logos, Rights (protection) against unfair competition and all other rights are the result of Intellectual activities in industry / engineering, science, literature or arts.
The Berne Convention gives authors a lifetime of copyright and a minimum of 50 years thereafter. However, countries that comply with the convention are allowed to extend the term of copyright.


Depending on the laws of each country, works may be regulated and may have different protections. Copyright infringement of a work can be understood as an act of verbatim copying of part or the whole of a pre-existing work but without the permission of the copyrighted person or unauthorized transmission of part or the whole of a work which is not under his copyright. More specifically, the text is not copied verbatim, but the whole idea as well as the order of presentation of a work are copied. This type of infringement is harder to spot but can still be considered a form of copyright infringement if there is evidence that a "copy" is imitating the prototype. It can be seen that the examples in the master thesis do not specify the source and the main author. The text is not copied in its original form but translated with creative ideas (in other languages ​​or in other formats) is also considered copyright infringement.

Under the 2005 Intellectual Property Law, computer programs or computer software are protected by copyright as protection of a literary work whether expressed in source code or machine code. Therefore, copyright in computer software is also fully protected with personal rights and related rights. The protection of laws on intellectual property products is the basis to encourage individuals and organizations to create useful products. But with the current situation of infringement of intellectual property rights, especially for computer programs and software, the copyright infringement is up to 80%. Most of the computer software programs, if individuals want to use it, have to pay royalties to manufacturers. Normally, this fee is calculated annually, but many individuals and organizations use this reason to use pirated software without copyright.

So how will violators be penalized? Depending on the seriousness, violators may be administratively sanctioned or examined for criminal prosecution. Specifically:
Firstly, regarding administrative handling: Organizations and individuals will be fined from VND 15,000,000 to VND 35,000,000 / 1 software product, if they commit acts of copying computer programs without permission of the copyright owner. At the same time, these organizations and individuals will be forced to remove infringing copies on the digital and cyber environment or destroy the material evidence. According to Article 18 of Decree No. 131/2013 / ND-CP (amended and supplemented by Decree No. 28/2017 / ND-CP), specifically:

A fine of from VND 15,000,000 to VND 35,000,000 shall be imposed for copying a work without permission of the copyright owner. At the same time, the application of remedial measures is to force the removal of copies of infringing works in electronic form, on digital and network environment or forcible destruction of infringing material evidences.
Secondly, on criminal prosecution:

Article 225 of the Criminal Code 2015 (amended in 2017) provides for the Crime of infringement of copyright and related rights as follows:
"Those who are not allowed by the copyright or related right owner to intentionally commit one of the following acts, infringe the copyright and related rights being protected in Vietnam on a commercial scale or gain illicit profits of between VND 50,000,000 and under VND 300,000,000 or cause damage to copyright or related rights owner from VND 100,000,000 to under VND 500,000,000 or infringing goods valued at from VND 100,000 .000 VND to less than VND 500,000,000 will be imposed a fine of from VND 50,000,000 to VND 300,000,000 or face non-custodial reform for up to 03 years:
a) Copying works, sound records, video records;
b) Distribute to the public a copy of the work, a copy of the sound recording, a copy of the video recording. "

In cases of aggravating factors, a fine of between VND 300,000,000 and VND 1,000,000,000 will be imposed or a prison term of between 6 months and 3 years. If a commercial entity commits an offense, the fine level will be higher for an individual, possibly liable to a fine of from VND 500,000,000 to VND 5,000,000,000, suspended from operation for between 06 months and 02 years or banned business, banned activities in certain fields or raising capital from 01 year to 03 years. The applicable penalty will depend on the seriousness of the violation.

If you're looking for an affordable IP attorneys in Vietnam, check out ANTLawyers.vn. ANTLawyers.vn was established to meet these needs by providing fast, effective and economical solutions. Hope that clears things up a bit. Feel free to message me directly to chat further about any other IP questions that you face.