The Japan Patent Office (JPO) will assist the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology in implementing a project to comprehensively improve its ability in processing applications for industrial property (IP). IPD Director Dinh Huu Phi said, with its role as an intellectual property management agency, the department has devised many specific measures to promote intellectual property-related innovation activities, and deal with the backlog of industrial property applications. The IPD suggested the JPO continue to help it with processing industrial property registrations through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and retrieve intellectual property data through the Japan Funds-In-Trust under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Accordingly, Vietnam and Japan will establish a joint working group to discuss cooperation programs on rapid appraisal of patent applications, human resources development, and quality management of patents. The JPO’s experts will work with the IPD on specific contents before submitting to the Japanese Government for approval. It will also cooperate with WIPO and relevant partners to assist the department in issues related to retrieving intellectual property data. Recently, the Japan Funds-In-Trust helped the IPD upgrade its ability and IT infrastructure. A large number of Vietnamese staff working in the field has been trained under the support of the Fund. Phi said the JPO will aid the department in fine-tuning policies to improve the efficiency of intellectual property protection and exploitation; better its ability to appraise industrial property applications; accelerate the automation of industrial property registration management system; and promote cooperation in the work. At present, the number of industrial property applications submitted to the IPD is on the rise, while the processing ability remains limited, leading to the backlog of registrations. In 2017, the IPD received over 102,000 applications, including 58,800 applications for intellectual property rights. The department processed more than 80,000 applications, including 39,000 registrations for industrial property rights, up 1 % against 2016. (Vietnam Plus 13)
