Asset Publisher Asset Publisher

In the morning of 12 August 2011, the NOIP’s Director General Tran Viet Hung, his Deputy Tran Huu Nam and trademark examiners had a meeting with Mr. George Chan – a Consultant of the International Trademark Association (INTA). The purpose of the meeting was to introduce INTA’s Model Guidelines for Trademark Examination to NOIP.

In his presentation, Mr. George Chan spoke about the latest development of signs that could be protected as trademarks, trademark examination procedures of IP offices over the world, legal and practical aspects related to the trademark registration, trademark searches, preparation of trademark applications, filing and examination of trademark applications, including formality and substantive examinations, grounds for refusal, pre-grant and post-grant opposition procedures, etc.

Mr. George Chan presented INTA model guideline for trademark examination

Some types of new and non-traditional signs that have been protected as trademarks in many countries around the world but are not currently protected in Viet Nam such as sound marks, scent marks, position marks, touch marks, etc., and experiences of such countries in the protection of such types of marks were also mentioned his presentation.

At the meeting, the expert and NOIP’s staff had interesting and useful exchanges of views and discussions on some specific cases of which the protection is granted or not shall mainly depend on position of each country, based on cultural factors, languages, awareness and consumption habits of people in that country.

On behalf of the Office, Director General Tran Hung thanked Mr. George Chan for his informative presentation and said that such information was helpful for the Office and its staff during their works of policy development and examination of trademarks, particularly in the context that the Office is finalizing its Trademark Examination Guideline. The Director General expected that in future the Office and INTA would have further cooperation activities in the field of trademark, as well as others.

INTA is a non-profit organization founded in 1878 and has headquarters in New York and Representative Offices in Shanghai, Brussels, Geneva, Mumbai and Washington, with more than 5,700 organizations and individual members around the world, specializing in supporting and advancing trademarks and intellectual property toward a fair and effective global commerce.

International Cooperation Division