Following Notice No. 438/TB-SHTT regarding the delivery of communications by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) via email (which we discussed in a previous article [link here]), the IPVN has issued Notice No. 2024/TB-SHTT, dated 3 June 2025, announcing that certified copies of application file wrappers, application documents, and granted certificates will now be issued in electronic form.
Accordingly, when granting a certified copy, the IPVN will send an e-mail to the address previously provided by the applicant in the request for the certified copy. The e-mail will include the application number or patent number, along with a link and access code to download the document.
If an applicant has not provided an e-mail address for communication, or in special cases requiring paper documents, the IPVN will issue certified paper copies instead.
The Notice also confirms that these electronic documents hold the same legal validity as their paper counterparts.
Our comments
From this Notice, as well as Notice No. 438/TB-SHTT, it is clear that the IPVN is gradually moving toward a paperless system. This shift brings many conveniences, such as eliminating the need to store or preserve hard copies of documents. However, for the smooth delivery of electronic documents, applicants should consider the following:
– Clearly specify in the request for certified copies whether paper documents are required, including the reason
– Promptly notify the IPVN of any changes to their email addresses, and
– Regularly check spam or junk folders, as IPVN e-mails may occasionally be filtered there.
By Nguyen Thi Le Na and Nguyen Tran Tien
Patent Department
