Vietnam Strengthens Intellectual Property Protection
As intellectual property (IP) infringements have grown sophisticated globally, Vietnam remains steadfast in preventing and strictly penalizing violations. This is the country’s high priority and a consistent policy to foster a transparent business environment and transform its growth model with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers.
On May 1, addressing the US Special 301 Report which identified Vietnam as a "Priority Watch List" country, Spokesperson of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang stated that in recent years, Vietnam has made substantial efforts to protect intellectual property, including improving its legal framework, raising public awareness, and strengthening international cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the US, and many other countries.
“Vietnam has also taken firm action against violations of IP rights. This remains both a high priority and a consistent policy of Vietnam to build a healthy and transparent business environment and to transform its growth model with science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers,” she stressed.
A Pillar of National Development
In the context where the global economy is shifting toward knowledge-based models, Vietnam has identified science, technology, and digital transformation as the three strategic pillars to achieve its goal of becoming a developed, high-income nation by 2045. Central to this vision is IP, which serves as a legal safeguard for transparency and a catalyst that empowers inventors and businesses to contribute to national development.
To this end, Vietnam is modernizing application processing and enhancing "IP literacy" across the board. The objective is to transform intellectual property into a strategic tool for businesses to safeguard assets, build global brands, increase competitiveness and attract quality investment. International collaborations, particularly with WIPO, are also helping Vietnam adopt advanced management models and facilitate the commercialization of intellectual assets.
This shift is evident in the private sector, where Vietnamese businesses are increasingly proactive. The country now boasts nearly one million registered trademarks. Leading domestic enterprises, such as Vinamilk, Viettel, and Trung Nguyen, have registered IP rights in key markets like the U.S., EU, and Japan to facilitate expansion and preemptively mitigate disputes.
Institutional Reform and Enhanced Enforcement
Vietnam’s legal framework on IP has been improved in recent years. While the 2005 IP Law set the foundation, subsequent amendments, most notably in 2025, have helped made Vietnam’s standards aligned with international benchmarks.
The 2025 Amended Intellectual Property Law represents a landmark shift, prioritizing administrative reform and digital transformation. The time for processing industrial property applications has been reduced largely; for instance, a new mechanism now allows appraisal of patent and trademark applications to be completed in just three months, a speed matched by very few nations.
The Law also breaks new ground by extending protection to non-physical assets like digital icons and graphic user interfaces (GUI). Most significantly, it provides the first explicit legal framework addressing the complexities of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Parallel to these legislative strides, enforcement has been significantly bolstered. Specialized IP courts have been established in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to handle disputes. The 2025 Law grants courts the power to apply "digital-age" remedies, including blocking access to infringing online content and disabling accounts or applications involved in illicit activities.
These comprehensive reforms have yielded positive results. Between 2021 and 2025, industrial property applications rose by 26%, while the number of processed applications surged by nearly 70%. In 2025 alone, domestic patent applications grew by 36%, and the number of granted titles jumped by a remarkable 134%.
While IP infringement remains a persistent global hurdle, Vietnam’s trajectory is clear. By improving its legal framework and sharpening enforcement capacity, Vietnam is not only protecting the rights of creators but also laying a sustainable foundation for a modern, transparent, and competitive economy./.
- Story: Thanh Hoa
- Photos: VNA