A workshop on “Improving the quality of industrial property applications and providing guidance on patent and trademark procedures” took place in Da Nang in June 2026. Experts from the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam, drawing on many years of application examination experience, discussed errors that cause applications to be returned or repeatedly amended and supplemented, and offered guidance on addressing these problems.
Ms Vu Thi Phuong Giang, Head of Trademark Division No. 3 at the Trademark Examination Center of the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam, noted that businesses’ biggest mistake is choosing marks with weak or no distinctiveness. Without searching the Office’s databases and the Internet beforehand, many applicants select marks that are identical or confusingly similar to earlier marks, geographical names or organization names, or that overlap in meaning.
Formal errors are also frequent when preparing application documents. Common examples include missing transliterations or translations, inaccurate descriptions of colors, and insufficiently specific descriptions. Incorrect classification of goods and services, or descriptions that lack the detail needed for classification, are also major causes of delays and returned applications.
For industrial property representation organizations, the experts recommended the approach: “Sound advice — thorough searches — quality drafting.” These organizations should strengthen their ability to analyze the state of the art and assess risks before filing, while developing personnel with both legal and technical expertise to improve the drafting of specifications and claims.
The workshop concluded with a call for coordinated action among authorities, representatives and applicants toward a shared goal for research institutes, universities and businesses: “Conduct sound research — protect patents and trademarks early — exploit them effectively.”
Source: Intellectual Property Magazine.