Results in the period of 2011-2019:  

During this period, there were 5,000 broadcasting times on IP at central and local channels, 37,000 people were trained and 10,000 participants were educated on IP. While in the period of 2011- 2015, the Program mainly focused on education and training at a broad scale by providing basic knowledge on IP for businesses and community, during the period 2017-2019, the training was raised to a higher level with more intensive training courses on management of IP assets. The Program also supported the protection of 118 key and specific agricultural products of localities. The Program has also supported 600 business participants on IP in which there were many big companies. 

The Program also supported the protection and application of 51 technical solutions. Some particular projects can be mentioned such as Project on “Application of utility solution No. 935 on the production process of omega-3 fatty acid rich products to create functional foods, high quality EPA and DHA supplements” performed by Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology. The result of the project was to apply the utility solution to successfully produce omega-3 soft capsules and meet the food safety requirements prescribed by the Ministry of Health in the Circular No.43/2014/TT-BYT. Nature Viet Nam Investment and Development Co.,Ltd was the business that received the transfer of the utility solution, allocated reciprocal funds and distributed products. The Project on "Application of Patent No.14431 to produce materials and equipment for treatment of biosafety drinking water" performed by the Viet Nam Institute of Environmental Technology, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology (patent owner). The result of the project was to successfully produce 3 biosafety drinking water treatment products which provide the quality of filtered water that meet with requirements according to QCVN 01:2009/BYT, including the drinking water sterilization Kit for people in flooded areas with capacity of 10 liters per day, a set of home water filters with capacity of 100 liters per day and water disinfection column with capacity of 2,000 liters per day. Bat Trang Ceramics Trading Joint Stock Company provided the factory building and participated in production, introduction and distribution of products after the project finished. The Project on “Application of the patent No. 10277 to build a wastewater treatment model for rice and vermicelli production village in Me village, Tan Hoa commune, Hung Ha district, Thai Binh province” performed by the Institute of Biotechnology and Technology Food, the University of Technology. As a result of the project, the polluted water environment caused by the manual production of craft villages was controlled and treated. 

The program mobilized a large amount of social resources to invest in IP assets development. Over past 10 years, while 118 key agricultural products of localities were supported by the government, more than 300 products of the same type were funded by businesses and communities for activities concerning IP protection and exploitation. 

However, the current strength of science and technology of Vietnam is still very modest, not only compared to developed countries, but also compared to the demands of a developing country as well as to other countries in the region. Results of basic and application-oriented research of science and technology organizations and science and technology businesses which play a key role in enhancing the competitiveness of each country are minor. The number of scientific publications of Viet Nam ranked 5th in the ASEAN region after Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. The number of patents and utility solutions of Vietnamese people is 1/10 compared to the number of protection titles granted for foreigners in Vietnam. Therefore, programs and activities in supporting intellectual property asset development in which the Intellectual Property Assets Development Program for the period of 2016-2020 (Program 68) was the centerpiece were very important to raise awareness, strengthen connections among institutes, schools and businesses, support the exploitation of intangible assets (patents/utility solutions, geographical indications) to bring economic value and improve the competitiveness for businesses, science and technology organizations at localities. 

 

The results of the Intellectual Property Assets Development Program in the period of 2011-2019 

  

  

The Intellectual Property Assets Development Program in the period of 2016-2020: spreading and long-term impacts  

2020 was the last year for implementing the Program. In this pivotal year, communication activities to promote the use and development of intellectual property assets continued to be strengthened through a series of articles, comments on newspapers, television, workshops, etc. These activities provided the public with detailed information about the results of the Program on the protection and development of intellectual property assets at the central and local level. 

The Program had a widespread impact and was appraised and actively implemented by localities, businesses and scientists. In addition to participating in the Program approved by the Prime Minister, all 63 provinces and centrally subordinate cities have issued schemes, policies and conducted activities to support businesses, manufacturers and communities in developing their intellectual property assets. 

  

The pivotal year of 2020: 

Activities to support businesses to develop IP strategy and intellectual property asset management were promoted, contributing to help businesses to effectively manage and exploit intellectual property assets. Many models were implemented by businesses and gradually brought efficiency such as models of IP asset management at Hanoi Dairy Joint Stock Company, DABACO Group Joint Stock Company, Ha Long Shipbuilding Company, Vinh Thang Joint Stock Company, etc. The focus of the Program to support businesses also affirmed the view of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam, other ministries and localities that businesses are the driving force for development. 

The Program 68 supported to patent protection overseas for Vietnamese scientists, patent exploitation and application for science and technology organizations, namely the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute, National Institute of Medicinal Materials, etc., contributing to promote innovation and increase the IP value for the society. Accordingly, many patents were successfully commercialized, received and trusted by domestic consumers. 

Another remarkable result of the Program 68 was the strengthening of protection and management for agricultural products including 20 key and special products of localities such as Cao Phong orange of Hoa Binh province, Binh Minh Nam Roi pomelo of Vinh Long province, Ca Mau lack Tiger Prawn of Ca Mau province, Cau Duc pineapple of Hau Giang province, Ha Giang orange of Ha Giang province, Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An Salanganes Nest of Quang Nam province; Phu Yen Panulirus Ornatus of Phu Yen province, Hue’s Cajeput Tree Oil,  Ham Yen orange of Tuyen Quang province. 

 

To develop the product of Cau Duc Hau Giang pineapple in the market, Hau Giang province implemented the Project on "Development and management of geographical indications for Cau Duc pineapple products of Hau Giang province" under the IP Assets Development Program for the period of 2016-2020. Geographical indication development will open up new development potentials for pineapples, becoming a pilot model in developing and protecting intellectual property assets for specific agricultural products with high economic value in the province. Source: Ministry of Industry and Trade's Border, Mountainous and Island Trade Information site. 

  

Protection, management and development of intellectual property assets became one of important tasks and solutions that have been prescribed, mentioned and integrated in many documents, programs and plans for purpose of socio-economic development in general and development of industries and products in particular such as Project on developing Viet Nam's rice brand to 2020, vision to 2030 (Decision No.706/QD-TTg dated May 21, 2015 of the Prime Minister), National Product Development Program to 2020 (Decision No. 2441/QD-TTg dated December 31, 2010), High-tech Development Program to 2020 (Decision No. 2457/QD-TTg dated December 31, 2010) and the National Industrial Promotion Program to 2020 (Decision No.1288/QD-TTg dated August 1, 2014), the Program “One village, One product” for the period of 2018-2020 (Decision No. 490/QD-TTg dated May 7, 2018) and many other promulgated documents on tasks and solutions to socio-economic development of the Government and localities across the country. 

  

Activities to support localities in protection and development of intellectual property assets  continued to be actively implemented. 317 tasks were approved for implementation in the period of 2018-2020 for protection, management and development of intellectual property assets for key products of localities; the One Commune, One Product Program (OCOP) got support from the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam when it became a task which was managed and inspected for acceptance in accordance with regulations on the management of science and technology tasks in the field of intellectual property. Intellectual property activities in localities brought practical results, raising awareness of organizations and businesses to trademark registration and industrial property rights registration. Trademark protection of businesses, especially geographical indications for specific products of localities, continued to be maintained and product consumption markets expanded. Most localities have identified lists of key products, advantageous products and specialty products and focused on supporting brand development, thereby improving productivity, quality and creating the value and competitiveness of products and businesses. 

In general, thanks to the support and development key products of localities, the Program 68 in particular and intellectual property activities in general directly contributed to improving product value, increasing competitive advantages in the market, shifting from a form of separated single production units to a form of concentrated production units, changing from raw products to packaged and labeled products, changing community habits from an ad hoc style of product production and development to a system of production and trade with controlled origin and quality. IP protection for locally specific products also contributed to preserve national cultural values and traditional knowledge and promote and honor values of products manufactured by local traditional processes.  

In the coming time: to renovate the approach, making intellectual property an important tool to improve competitiveness of the nation  

In the coming time, IP Viet Nam will advise the Ministry of Science and Technology to prioritize and concentrate on assisting activities for product origin and quality monitoring and for the development of local key products to create the value chain, strengthening intellectual property assets protection for Viet Nam in large markets in the world. 

In order to implement the Intellectual Property Strategy until 2030, on December 24, 2020, the Prime Minister signed the Decision No. 2205/QD-TTg on approving the Intellectual Property Assets Development Program for the period of 2021-2030 with a view to fundamentally change the approach in comparison with the period of 2011-2020 in order to make intellectual property truly an important tool to improve national competitiveness and promote economic, cultural and social development. Accordingly, the Program for the period of 2021-2030 was designed with a larger objective and scale and many new contents to ensure comprehensive supports from assisting IP assets creation and IPRs establishment activities to tasks of IP protection, management, exploitation and development of IP assets and creation of IP culture; to promote innovative activities and encourage businesses to actively cooperate with research institutes and universities to exploit and develop IP assets, shortening in the process to apply research results into production and trade, practically serving socio-economic development goals. 

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The IP Assets Development Program for the next stage is being developed by IP Viet Nam with an enterprise-centered view and orientation in order to make the IP one of effective tools to encourage and promote innovative activities, technology development, ensuring healthy competitiveness, contributing to the science-technology and socio-economic development of the country. We have made a target and expect that the Program in the coming time will be implemented with a deeper and larger scale than the period of 2011-2020 to effectively implement the IP Strategy until 2030, meeting the needs of businesses in terms of protection, exploitation, administration and development of IP assets. 

IP Viet Nam’s Deputy Director Phan Ngan Son replied to the Science and Development Newspaper. 

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Newly approved documents and policies to promote the development of intellectual property assets: 

The IP Strategy until 2030 has a view that intellectual property activities need active participation of all stakeholders in the society, including research institutes, universities, individuals, especially businesses with a key role in creation and exploitation of intellectual property assets. Furthermore, for the implementation of the IP Strategy, promoting activities to create intellectual property assets and encouraging to improve IP assets exploitation efficiency is one of the tasks and solutions required by the Prime Minister. 

In addition, many other policies on promoting the creation, protection and development of intellectual property assets have also been issued by the Party and Government, namely: 

- Resolution No. 52-NQ-TW dated September 27, 2019 of the Politburo on a number of guidelines and policies to actively participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, requires “improving the IP law, protect and effectively exploit IP assets created by Viet Nam, encouraging commercialization and licensing of IP rights, especially for patents in Viet Nam”; 

- Resolution No. 53/NQ-CP dated July 17, 2019 of the Government on solutions to encourage businesses to efficiently, safely and sustainably invest in agriculture, stipulates “promoting the development of trademarks, geographical indications, traceability, intellectual property assets for protected products”; 

- Directive No. 01/CT-TTg dated January 14, 2020 of the Prime Minister on promoting the development of digital-tech enterprises in Vietnam, requires “supporting the establishment and development of fast-growing enterprises based on exploitation of intellectual property assets, digital technology, new business model”. 

In order to implement those policies, IP Viet Nam cooperated with media agencies of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Center for Science and Technology Communication and Vietnam Journal of Science, Technology and Engineering), Science and Education Department of the Vietnam Television,  and Hanoi Television to develop and broadcast programs on protection, management and development of intellectual property assets, introduction to intellectual property commitments in the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); cooperated with the Business Development Department of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, within the framework of implementing general tasks to support businesses, such as discussing IP contents and supportive mechanisms for businesses in drafts of documents issued by the Business Development Department, integrating IP support tasks for businesses within the framework of the Intellectual Property Assets Development Program into tasks hosted by the Business Development Department. 

  

In the period of 2011-2019, there were 5,000 broadcasting times on IP at central and local channels, 37,000 people were trained, and 10,000 participants of people were educated on IP.  In the period of 2016-2020, in the framework of the Intellectual Property Assets Development Program, nearly 200 local specific and key agricultural products were supported to register and put into production and trade.  By 2030, Viet Nam will belong to the group of leading ASEAN countries in terms of creation, protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights". (the objective of Viet Nam’s Intellectual Property Strategy until 2030)

  

Some photos: 

 

 Training course on basic knowledge of intellectual property for intellectual property officers in the field survey at the Service and Technology Innovation Center - Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park 

 

Cao Phong orange, a key product of Hoa Binh province, is granted the GI Certificate that makes products get closer to consumers nationwide and to overseas markets, bringing stable income for local people and contributing to socio-economic development 

 

Up to now, DABACO has had 26 registered trademarks and 2 registered industrial designs, however, Dabaco's IP activities only conducted the establishment of IPRs without overall assessment on the importance and impact of IP assets to DABACO’s existence. It has no intellectual property strategy or policy and documentary system, IP management process of IPRs. Under the Program 68, the Program supported DABACO to implement the Project on "Building and operating the IP organization and IP assets management in DABACO Group Joint Stock Company". Through the Project, DABACO can build and manage its IP assets, have the strategy in effective management, use and exploitation, etc. 

 In the photo: DABACO’s chicken breeds. 

Source: DABACO. 

  

 

CumarGold, a trusted stomach support product, is the result of the Institute of Materials Science transferred to CVI Pharmaceuticals Ltd. In the photo: Dr. Ha Phuong Thu, the patent owner and colleagues in the laboratory. Source: ComarGold Kare 

  

Intellectual Property Training and Consultation Center (IPTC)