Because of the complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and following the HCMC government’s order on the city-wide social distancing, the opercoations of the representative office of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) in Ho Chi Minh City was significantly affected, in which some officers were unable to come to work at the office, resulting in insufficient human resources to receive and process applications and documents submitted to the office. Accordingly, the IPVN has just informed and guided applicants/IP agents from HCMC and southern provinces to file applications online or via post services to the head office of the IPVN in Hanoi capital as from 14 July 2021, according to Notice No. 6955/TB-SHTT of the same day.
Besides, in Ha Noi, the epidemic situation is heating up due to a significant increase in the number of new infections. Accordingly, the IPVN has recently issued Notification No. 7113/TB-SHTT on the stop to directly receive applications in the head office in the Hanoi capital as from 19 July 2021. Specifically, applicants/IP agents are guided as the following:
– With online applications: Applicants/IP agents may file applications online, and then, send the confirmation note of online submission to the head office in the Hanoi capital, by post, to receive an official filing receipt. Only some kinds of applications can be filed online. Applicants/IP agents can view the received application via their online account.
– With paper applications/documents: Applicants/IP agents have to submit the same through postal services to the head office in the Hanoi capital.
– Communications from the IPVN such as office actions will be sent to applicants/IP agents by postal services.
– Consulting activities on intellectual property in general and on procedures for filing industrial property applications, in particular, can only be performed through phone or email.
In addition to the head office and said representative office, the IPVN has also a representative office in Da Nang city which is still operating normally.
No matter how strong the pandemic is, we remain focused on supporting our clients during this difficult time by any necessary means.
Nguyen Huyen Trang and Nguyen Thi Le Na
Patent Department – INVESTIP IP LAW FIRM
