The action program 168 on preventing intellectual property right (IPR) violations has achieved encouraging results after four years of implementation, contributing to enhancing IPR enforcement in Vietnam.

Strengthening participation

The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuracy signed the action program 168 on August 6, 2012 in order to create more transparent and effective environment for the defense of IPR.

Ministry of Science and Technology Chief Inspector Tran Minh Dung said that the legal system on IPR continued to improve during the 2012-2015 period. Ministries and agencies developed many legal documents to strengthen IPR protection and enforcement. They submitted the National Assembly and the government to promulgate four laws and 16 decrees, while directly issuing 16 circulars.

Almost all ministries and agencies organized seminars and workshops to promote greater knowledge about action program 168. For example, the Ministry of Science and Technology organized 49 seminars, attracting the interests of about 4,000 people.

Enforcement agencies also conducted some programs and projects in order to improve staff capacity during the 2012-2015 period. Inspectors under the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Office of Intellectual Property organized 137 training courses, while those under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism opened four classes for management agencies, copyright enforcement agencies and related associations.

Handling violations

Dealing with IPR violations made positive changes during the 2012-2015 period. Inspection and overseeing in production and distribution were strictly controlled throughout the country, while these activities were comprehensively implemented in border areas.

According to statistics, inspectors under ministries and agencies examined 25,966 IPR violations during the 2012-2015 period.

They detected 2,047 production and distribution cases of counterfeit goods related to food, clothes, cosmetics, wines and electronic equipment. Inspectors under the Ministry of Industry and Trade handled 22,441 IPR violations, while those under the Ministry of Science and Technology dealt with 473 cases.

Source: VEN