Vietnam – simplifying some administrative procedures regarding registration of Intellectual property (IP) agents and IP assessment agents
Reforming administrative procedures and improving the business environment in association with building e-Government and national digital transformation are issues that are always concerned and valued by the Vietnamese Communist Party and Government. Accordingly, Vietnam has been actively streamlining administrative procedures to achieve these goals.
Vietnam – Additional guidelines for examination of inventions relating to computer program
Following the issuance of Annex I to the Guidelines for patent examination, which provided additional guidelines for determining the eligibility for patent protection of computer program-related inventions, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam has recently issued Annex II to guide the examination on the sufficiency of disclosure, the identification of features and the assessment of novelty and inventive step of these inventions. The additional contents are to add to Article 5.7 and Chapter III of the Guidelines for patent examination.
Korea – Vietnam Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program extended – Phase 3
The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) have extended the PPH Pilot Program for Phase 3. Like Phase 1 and Phase 2, Phase 3 will also last for two years (1 June 2023 to 31 May 2025) with a quota of 100 PPH requests per year.
Vietnam – A further fifth period of reducing a number of industrial property fees by 50%
Despite the gradual decline of the pandemic, its impact continues to pose significant challenges to the economy. Therefore, to further support for the people and businesses, the MoF has just issued Circular No. 44/2023/TT-BTC dated 29 June 2023 to provide a further period of fee reduction. Specifically, the reduction by 50% on a number of industrial property fees and charges in Section A of the schedule, as promulgated in Circular No. 263/2016/TT-BTC of the MoF, will continue to apply during the fifth period from 1 July 2023 until the end of 31 December 2023.
