VN progressing in intellectual property protection

VGP - Việt Nam has obtained initial achievements in protecting intellectual property and improving related laws, encouraging inventions, new ideas and technology transfer, said local and foreign specialists at the conference on intellectual property held on May 11.

May 12, 2010 9:27 AM GMT+7

Deputy PM Nguyễn Sinh Hùng (R) is talking with Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Hà Nội

Mr. Daniel Keller, coordinator of the Việt Nam-Switzerland Special Cooperation Program on Intellectual Property, appreciated Việt Nam’s endeavor in protecting intellectual property. Việt Nam’s law system basically accords with modern international standards, he said.

Vietnamese businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of intellectual property, manifested by the number of intellectual property applications increasing to 29,000 in 2009 from 5,600 in 1995. The number of intellectual licenses in that period also increased four times, according to the National Office of Intellectual Property of Việt Nam.

However, piracy in Việt Nam is becoming more and more complicated while the number of applications for patents and useful solutions remains small. Many business leaders have poor knowledge about intellectual property, and the law system to enforce intellectual property laws remains inefficient, according to the office.

Việt Nam passed the Intellectual Property Law in 2005. The country has also approved and enforced international intellectual property conventions such as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Rome Convention, TRIPS Agreement, and the Madrid Protocol.

By Ngọc Vân