Promote communication and dissemination of knowledge about intellectual property rights

MSc. Nguyen Huu Gioi, Chairman of the Vietnam Library Association, said that national industry associations and the Vietnam Union of Associations need to raise awareness of intellectual property rights within their association system for members.

Overview of the Workshop on Disseminating Knowledge on Intellectual Property for Member Associations in the Vietnam Union of Associations System. (Photo: Han Nguyet)

On the morning of October 6, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (Vietnam Union of Associations - VUSTA) organized a Workshop on Disseminating Knowledge on Intellectual Property for member associations in the Union system.

Intellectual property plays an increasingly important role in socio -economic development. Intellectual property rights support the continuous development of innovative and competitive products and services, bringing benefits to consumers. Intellectual property rights promote consumer confidence and protect consumers more effectively from counterfeit and pirated goods.

Explaining the concept of inventions and industrial designs, Mr. Dao Anh Dung, Deputy Director of the Center for Industrial Design Appraisal, Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Science and Technology, said that an invention is a technical solution in the form of a product or process to solve a specific problem by applying natural laws.

Industrial design is the external shape of a product or component to be assembled into a complex product, expressed by shape, line, color or a combination of these elements and visible during the process of exploiting the function of the product or complex product.

According to Mr. Dao Anh Dung, intellectual property provides the right to prevent/restrict others from exploiting new patented technology/products, specifically the activities of manufacturing, using, distributing, or commercializing the invention. The basis for proving ownership of the invention, especially when infringement occurs. Promoting research and innovation activities - one of the most important activities to attract investment capital.

At the same time, increase competitive advantage, market power and earn more profits, for example from licensing activities. Both self-protection and creating competitive barriers, expecting to achieve high profits, building image, enhancing value in the eyes of competitors, investors and consumers. Promote the creation of many new inventions to improve the efficiency of production and business activities, invest in technology development, promote competition to benefit the community and society. Create monopolies and if abused, will negatively impact the interests of society.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Head of the Legal Department, Vietnam Intellectual Property Association, some notable changes of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Intellectual Property on copyright have defined co-authorship more specifically, allowed the transfer of personal rights, supplemented and clarified a number of exceptions and limitations to copyright as well as related rights.

Regarding inventions, the scope of “previous technical solutions” has been expanded to include patent applications with earlier filing or priority dates but published on or after the filing date of the application under examination. Some new grounds for invalidating a patent have been added. Regulations on security control of inventions before filing applications abroad have been relaxed.

Regarding trademarks, the period of time during which an expired trademark can be used as a reference has been reduced from 5 years to 3 years, allowing the suspension of the trademark application examination procedure pending the outcome of the termination or cancellation of the reference trademark.

Regarding the enforcement of intellectual property rights, the enforcement mechanism is maintained with all three measures: administrative, civil, and criminal; allowing the active participation of customs authorities in cases of detecting counterfeit goods regarding intellectual property; intermediary service providers are initially bound to responsibility related to copyright and related rights; commercial legal entities are included in the subjects of criminal proceedings.

Sharing at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Bich San, a sociologist, said that with the current economic system, can science and technology be developed because only with science and technology can there be motivation to preserve intellectual property.

“Unfortunately, the country’s scientific and technological products are not many. Therefore, science and technology cannot be developed without respect for intellectual property,” Mr. San emphasized.

Meanwhile, MSc. Nguyen Huu Gioi (Chairman of the Vietnam Library Association) affirmed that the Intellectual Property Law aims to protect creative subjects by giving them the right to control the use of such intellectual properties. This right does not arise naturally but is regulated by law based on certain conditions regarding standards, procedures, time, etc. It is accompanied by protective sanctions against infringement or unfair competition by others.

Making a proposal, Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi said that national industry associations and the Vietnam Union of Associations need to raise awareness of intellectual property rights within their association system for members. At the same time, it is necessary to promote communication activities and disseminate knowledge about intellectual property rights.

In addition, national conferences (in scientific research and implementation of topics, projects, scientific works...) need to carefully comply with intellectual property rights and copyrights, to avoid violating the Law on Intellectual Property.

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