Patent Registration Procedures in Vietnam

Patent ownership of an invention or a utility is only established by the registration procedure, and in accordance with the scope of protection defined in each patent in Vietnam.

Once a dispute arisen, without other evidences, the patent is the only and the most important proof to prove the ownership. Therefore, it is advised that filing a patent for an invention or a utility model shall be a prior prevention of an infringement.

 Under the laws on Intellectual Property of Vietnam:

“Invention” means a technical solution in the form of a product or process which is intended to solve a problem by application of natural laws.

Unless an invention is common knowledge, it shall be protected in the form of the grant of a utility solution patent (or a utility model) when it satisfies the following conditions:

-It is novel

-And it is susceptible of industrial application.

With highly professional staff and great experience in IP aspect in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers would like to support you in filing a Patent on an invention or a utility in Vietnam.

1. Our services in Patent for invention and Utility model

Our services in Patent field include:

-Searching, provision of professional opinions and advice in relation to registering ability of Patent/Utility model;

-Preparation, drafting the description and necessary documents, filing and prosecution of applications Patent/Utility model;

-Maintenance;

-Amendment;

-License;

-Assignment;

-Opposition against proceedings;

-Appeal;

-Cancellation;

-Invalidation;

2. How to file a patent in Vietnam

Inventors or Organizations or individuals who have supplied funds and material facilities to inventors in the form of job assignment or hiring have the right to file patent application in Vietnam.

An invention shall be protected in Vietnam when it satisfies the following conditions:

-Novelty;

-Inventive step;

-Industrial applicability;

3. Required information and documents

For the purpose of filling the patent application in Vietnam, the following documents will be required:

-Full name and address of applicant(s);

-Full name, address and nationality of inventor(s).

-Original Power of Attorney (POA) from the Applicant(s)

-Copy of the description, drawings and abstract of the patent application in English (in Word format) and/or the amended description, claims (if any);

-Certified document for claiming priority right (if any).

Note: The POA must be signed by the applicant or a duly authorized representative on behalf of the Applicant and no further notarization or legalization is required.

4. Patent Examination Procedure

The patent application will be examined by National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam (NOIP) with Patent Examination Procedure as below:

-Formality examination: Under Intellectual Property Law of Vietnam, the above application will be examined as to form within one [01] month as from the filing date or date entering the national phase. If the invention application meets the requirements as to form, the NOIP will issue a decision of formality acceptance and then the application will be further processed. Publication of the Patent Application is within 02 months from publication date of 19 months from priority date.

-Substantive Examination: Substantive Examination does not automatically proceed from filing, and the applicant must request for substantive examination by 42 months from the priority date, or by 36 months if the request is for a utility model, otherwise the application will be considered as withdrawn.

-Notification of the Substantive Examination Results.

-The Decision of Refusal or Request to pay fee.

-Issuing the Patent of Invention.

5. Patent Term and Maintenance

Invention patents shall each have a validity starting from the grant date and expiring at the end of 20 years after the filing date. The owner of a Patent for Invention or Patent for Utility Model is required to pay annuity fees in order to maintain its validity.

If you are looking for an experienced IP services in Vietnam to help you with your IP application, you should visit ANTLawyers.vn. Our attorneys have experience with the IP process and will work closely with you as you apply for your IP.

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Patent Prosecution Highway Mechanism Between Vietnam and Japan

First pilot program between Vietnam National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) and Japanese Patent Office (JPO)

PatentProsecution Highway Mechanism Between Vietnam and Japan

NOIP and JPO have jointly undertaken the first Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway program (“PPH”) since 01^st Apr, 2016.

According to this bilateral PPH, the patent application filed at JPO (previously filed at NOIP) falling into one of the three following cases:

(i)     An application which validly claims for priority under the Paris Convention on the basis of NOIP application(s), or

(ii)     A PCT national phase application to Japan without priority claim, or

(iii)   An application which validly claims for priority under the Paris Convention to the PCT application(s) without priority claim.

And meeting other conditions regulated in Procedures guidance to file a request to JPO for PPH program between JPO and NOIP (“Procedures”), the applicant shall be entitled to request JPO to fast prosecute the application on the basis of providing research and evaluation results of NOIP and other relevant documents to JPO for references.

For the patent application filed at NOIP (previously submitted to JPO) falling into one of the three following cases:

(i)     An application which validly claims for priority under the Paris Convention on the basis of JPO application(s), or

(ii)     A PCT national phase application to Vietnam without priority claims and this PCT submitted to JPO as an international application receiving agency (applications’ number initiating with PCT/JP hereby referred to as “PCT/JP applications”), or

(iii) An application claims for priority under the Paris Convention on the basis of PCT/JP application(s) without priority claims;

And meeting other conditions regulated in the Procedures, the applicant shall be entitled to request NOIP to fast prosecute the application on the basis of providing research and evaluation results of JPO and other relevant documents to NOIP for references. The duration of the PPH program shall be expired by the date of March 31^st, 2019.

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Patent Registration Procedures in Vietnam

ANT Lawyers is a patent law firm in Vietnam that can assist client in the patent registration process and other patent relating issues.

Time and procedures for patent registration:

+ The time for form evaluation: 01 months from the date of receipt;

+ The time to publish the application: 18 months from the priority date or the 2nd month after receiving the request for content evaluation;

+ The time for content evaluation: 12 months after receiving the request for content evaluation or the date of publication

+ The time for patent protection is 20 years, for the patent for utility solution is 10 years.

Profile includes:

+ Declaration (02 sheets according to form);

+ Description (02 sheets, including drawings, if any);

+ Request for protection (02 sheets);

+ Relevant documents (if any);

+ Receipt of fees and charges.

Patent registration requirements:

1.Organizations and individuals that meet the following conditions may register for patent:

+ The author created the patent by his efforts and expenses;

+ Organizations and individuals investing in fund and material for the author in the form of contract work, unless the parties have other agreements and that agreements are not contrary to the provisions of law;

+ The case that many organizations and individuals working together to create or invest to create the invention, that organizations and individuals all have the right to register for patent and the registration will be implemented only if all organizations and individuals agree;

+ The case that the invention was created by using the technical facilities and expenses from state budget:

+ The case that the invention was created on the basis of entire state investment funds and technical facilities, the patent registration right belongs to the State. Organizations and state agencies are empowered as investor, representing State to exercise the right to register for patent;

+ The case that the invention was created on the basis of State contributes capitals which are funds and technical facilities, part of the patent registration right corresponding to the proportion of capital contribution will belong to the State. Organizations and Government agencies that are representatives of the State capital will be responsible for implementing the State’s patent registration right;

+ The case that the invention was created on the basis of research and development collaboration between state organizations, agencies and other organizations, individuals, if the cooperation agreement has no other provisions, part of the patent registration right corresponding to the proportion of capital contribution will belong to the State. State organizations and agencies participating in the research and development process will be responsible for implementing the State’s patent registration right.

2. To be granted the patent registration, the applicant must meet the following requirements: new; creative and capable of industrial application.

3. To be granted the patent protection/utility solution, the applicant must meet the following requirements: new and capable of industrial application.

Source: ANTLawyers.vn

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