The Ministry of Science and Technology is implementing a program on protecting exploitation rights and geographical indications abroad, especially for key local products, to increase the value of Vietnamese agricultural products.
The information was shared at the 2024 Intellectual Property Conference on the morning of March 29, organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Hanoi People's Committee, the Intellectual Property Office in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology.
Mr. Nguyen Van Bay, Deputy Director of the Department of Intellectual Property, informed that in 2023, the Department of Intellectual Property received 156,413 applications of all kinds (an increase of 11% compared to 2022), including 84,753 applications for registration of industrial property rights, an increase of 8.5% compared to the previous year. "The work of enforcing rights to push back counterfeit goods and infringement of rights has increased sharply with more than 3,000 cases of infringement of rights handled," he said.
In 2023, 168 projects were implemented by localities with 153 specific products supported for protection and management of industrial property rights, 253 enterprises and 283 collective organizations were supported.
Previously, many key products and local specialties were protected by geographical indications in the Japanese market, such as Luc Ngan litchi and Binh Thuan dragon fruit, helping to increase their selling prices by 15-25% higher than normal.
Mr. Le Hong Son, Permanent Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee, further illustrated that Hanoi is implementing an intellectual property development program with the target of supporting at least 40% of products associated with the One Commune One Product program to register for protection and management. Accordingly, 198/307 OCOP products are protected (reaching 64.5%), the number of industrial property registration applications is 17,539 and the number of industrial property certificates granted is 9,338.
"The intellectual property development program has a positive and effective impact, creating conditions for organizations to commercially exploit products, enhance reputation, quality, and value; expand product markets, and help people increase their income," he said.
Minister Huynh Thanh Dat (left) visits products introduced at the event. Photo: TTTT
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat acknowledged the achievements, in which he emphasized the improvement of institutions, policies and laws. The documents guiding the implementation of the amended and supplemented Law on Intellectual Property have helped promote activities to support the establishment, protection, management and development of intellectual property, especially for key products and local specialties.
However, the Minister frankly stated that intellectual property management activities are facing challenges, requiring innovation to improve efficiency such as speed and quality of processing applications for establishing industrial property rights; enforcement of industrial property rights, management of intellectual property after protection...
Minister Huynh Thanh Dat speaks at the conference. Photo: TTTT
At the conference, delegates proposed solutions, including strengthening the synchronous management of intellectual property in the stages of creation, establishment, exploitation and protection of rights.
Mr. Nguyen Phuc Thuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Bac Giang province, raised the issue of geographical indication development, including the geographical name, which leads to difficulties in trademark registration. He said that Danh mountain ginseng is protected by geographical indication (mainly ginseng root products), but when developing to register a trademark for Danh mountain ginseng flowers, it cannot be registered because the trademark name overlaps with the geographical name. Therefore, he proposed to consider revoking the common trademark, creating conditions for trademark registration with typical and key local products.
He also recommended shortening the time and procedures in the registration process, and reviewing the implementation of assessment, zoning of rights, and assessment of exploited assets. "The Intellectual Property Office needs to have guidance in implementing intellectual property to implement synchronously and support in handling disputes related to industrial property issues," he said.
The leaders of the Intellectual Property Office noted the opinions from localities facing difficulties in implementing the development of community brands or related to the management of assets formed in the implementation of science and technology tasks. In the coming time, the Office will amend Circular 03 (regulations on the management of intellectual property development programs until 2023) so that localities have a basis for management, support for protection of access to assets related to community brands and geographical indications to guide the establishment of rights to effectively implement intellectual products.
Nhu Quynh
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