FILING REQUIREMENTS

1. Set of Drawings/Photographs

For a normal industrial design application, it must comprise all the seven basic views.

Lines must be clean and sharp. The background color of the photos must be homogeneous and relatively contrastive with the color of the design. The scales of orthogonal views must be the same.

If, in a set of figures/photos, a view is identical to or symmetrical with another view, the set may comprise only one of the two views. It is also possible to omit the bottom view of a product having a large size and weight, a perspective figure/photo of a product having a very thin depth, a figure/photo of a very thin side, and figures/photos that do not show the claimed portion.

For a design of an article which is a part of an integrated product, if the design is complex, it may be required to file a figure/photo which shows the article within the product to illustrate where it is installed and used. In certain cases, the set needs to comprise figures/photos which are to clarify the design, such as enlarged views.

A partial design may be represented in different ways: (i) the claimed portion is shown in solid lines and the unclaimed portion is shown in broken lines, (ii) the claimed portion is shown in a color that contrasts with the unclaimed portion, etc.

Where the industrial design of a non-physical product involves changes in shape or movement, such effects may be illustrated by a sequence of successive images, each image in the sequence showing a consecutive state of the transformation process.

2. Industrial Design Classification (Locarno Classification)

The classification index of the industrial design must be provided in the application form. If the index is missing or incorrect, the Intellectual Property Office will reclassify it and charge a classification fee.

3. Name, Address, and Nationality of Author(s); Name and Address of Applicant(s)

These details must be declared in the industrial design application form.

4. Power of Attorney

The Intellectual Property Office requires submission of the original Power of Attorney or a copy of a general Power of Attorney. There is no fixed deadline for submitting the Power of Attorney.
During the formality examination, if the application is missing a Power of Attorney, the Office will issue a Notification of Formality Examination Results requesting the applicant to supplement it within 2 months from the filing date (with a one-time extension of 2 months possible).
Applicants are encouraged to submit the Power of Attorney proactively, preferably at the time of filing and no later than the time of submitting the priority document (if any), to avoid application refusal due to the absence of the Power of Attorney.

5. Industrial Design Description

The industrial design description is a mandatory document at the time of filing and must include:

• A list of the photographs/drawings in order

• A description of the design features of the industrial design.

6. Priority Document

The deadline for submitting the priority document is 3 months from the filing date and is not extendable.
The Intellectual Property Office requires a Vietnamese translation of the first pages of the priority document to verify the applicant of the priority application.
If the applicant of the priority application differs from the Vietnamese applicant, an assignment document must be submitted to prove that the Vietnamese applicant has the right to claim priority. This assignment must be an original or a certified copy.

1. Description of the Industrial Design

The industrial design description in English is a mandatory document when designating Vietnam. It should briefly describe (no more than 100 words) the shaping features of the industrial design.

2. Protection Claim

The protection claim is a mandatory requirement when designating Vietnam. When designating Vietnam, the applicant should select the claim:
“Application for overall protection for industrial design(s) as shown and described.”

3. Drawings/Photographs

The set of drawings/photographs must include views sufficient to fully disclose the industrial design, typically comprising the seven basic views. All views must be in the same scale, with clean and sharp lines and a uniform background clearly contrasting with the design.

Identical or symmetrical views may be omitted, provided that such omission is indicated and justified in the description. Certain views (e.g., bottom view, very thin side, or views not showing the claimed portion) may also be omitted where appropriate.

Where necessary, additional views (e.g., perspective, enlarged, or contextual views) may be included to clarify the design. Partial designs may be represented by distinguishing claimed and unclaimed portions (e.g., solid vs. broken lines or contrasting colors).

For designs involving non-physical products or changes in shape, such effects may be illustrated by a sequence of successive views.