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WTO members praise
Vietnam’s commitment execution
Hanoi -
World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries have praised
Vietnam for implementing WTO commitments one year after
gaining membership.
During a
regular meeting of the WTO’s TRIPS (Intellectual Property)
Council in Geneva, representatives from the European
Commission, the US, Switzerland, Australia and Japan
congratulated Vietnam on its economic and intellectual
property achievements.
They said
they hoped Viet Nam continues developing the legal system in
this area.
During the
meeting, the TRIPS Council discussed activities related to
WTO’s intellectual property rights and reviewed its member
countries’ legal systems on the area, including Viet Nam ’s
implementation of its commitments.
Ambassador
Ngo Quang Xuan, head of the permanent Vietnamese mission to
the United Nations, WTO and other international
organisations in Geneva , said one year is not a long time
but Vietnam has fulfilled the remaining WTO entry
commitments.
He said that
with intellectual property legislation on increased software
copyright protection and dealing with violations Vietnam has
met WTO’s requirements and the country has completed its WTO
admission commitments.
He also
noted that Vietnam has been issuing and enforcing other laws
to improve the machinery for intellectual property
protection.
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(Source:
Vietnam News Agency - VNA)
Building trademarks
for craft villages
Ha Noi
– Functional agencies and local authorities have been called
on to assist handicraft villages to attend trade fairs to
build their trademarks and improve the quality and
competitiveness of the products.
According to
the Viet Nam Association of Craft Villages (Vicrafts) Vice
Chairman, Luu Duy Dan, it is important for Vietnamese craft
villages to build trademarks because most handicraft
products are easy to imitate. He says many craft villages
are not aware of the importance of registering industrial
property rights.
The Viet Nam
Intellectual Property Department reports that while Viet Nam
has more than 2,000 craft villages, very few have registered
their industrial property rights.
Registered
products such as Van Phuc silk, Phu Quoc fish sauce, Moc
Chau tea, My Long rice sheet cake, Son Doc sticky rice paper
cake and Cai Mon breeding plant have secured their place in
the market and brought in high earnings.
Van Phuc is
famous for its many silk products including Van and Sa silk,
tussore and brocade. Its special characteristics – soft,
light, crease-resistant and colourful – has seen Van Phuc
silk outshine other handicrafts, even winning the “Viet Nam
Quintessence” title.
Many
foreigners visiting Viet Nam say they will not forget Van
Phuc Silk Village in northern Ha Tay province. Roy Rober
from Canada said he was impressed by Van Phuc Village and
its products.
After
spending two months in Viet Nam , overseas Vietnamese in the
US Nguyen Phuong Thao says she’s added to her luggage some
silk from Van Phuc Village to give to her foreign friends.
In another
effort to promote trademarks for craft villages, Vicrafts
will host a craft village and street tourism week in Ha Noi
in mid-April.
Go top
(Source:
Vietnam News Agency - VNA)
Businesses
told to guard intellectual property
Ha Noi
–
Small- and medium-sized enterprises should pay more
attention to intellectual property protection, said experts
at a workshop in Ha Noi on March 10, adding that this would
help enhance their prestige and competitive edge in the
country’s integration process.
The workshop, which was jointly held by the Viet Nam Chamber
of Commerce and Industry and the US Embassy, pointed out
that local small- and medium-sized enterprises failed to
realise economic benefits from IP development and
protection, resulting in poor investment in research and
development activities.
The US Commerce Department’s regional IP officer for ASEAN,
Jennie Ness, stressed that IP protection will help
businesses avoid unexpected lawsuits.
Lawyer Thomas Treutler from Tilleke & Treutler said that
enterprises would have better access to financial support or
loans if they have exclusive IP rights, especially patents.
The Vietnamese government is taking a series of measures to
change the situation, including a 2005-2010 programme aimed
at improving businesses’ awareness on IP and helping them
develop, protect and exploit their IP.
Viet Nam already put in place a system of legal documents on
IP protection in an effort to implement its commitments
regarding intellectual property protection for software.
Go top
(Source:
Vietnam News Agency - VNA)
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