Eligibility: Any individual or entity can apply for an industrial design in Vietnam. Foreign applicants must file through a local agent.

Required Documents:

• Applicant Information: Full name, address, and nationality.
• Set of Drawings or Photographs: Clearly showing the design from multiple angles.
• Brief Description of the Design: Highlighting its distinctive features.
• Power of Attorney (POA): A simply signed POA if filed through an agent.
• Priority Document (if applicable): A certified copy if claiming priority under the Paris Convention.

Language Requirement: All documents must be submitted in Vietnamese. Foreign documents require Vietnamese translations.

– The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) examines the application for compliance with formal requirements.

– Timeline: Typically completed within one to two months from the filing date.

– Timing: The application is published in the Industrial Property Gazette within two months from formality acceptance.

– Third-Party Opposition: Any party may file an opposition within five months from the publication date.

Examination Criteria:

• IP Vietnam assesses the design’s novelty and industrial applicability.
• Checks for potential conflicts with prior registered designs.

Timeline: Typically 9–12 months.

Office Actions: If objections arise, an Office Action is issued. The applicant must respond within two months (extendable once).

– Granting of Industrial Design: If no objections remain, a Certificate of Registration is issued.

– Validity: An industrial design is valid for five years from the filing date.

– Renewal: Renewable twice for a maximum term of 15 years.

• First-to-File System: Vietnam follows a first-to-file principle—early registration is crucial.
• Use Requirement: Not mandatory, but non-use for five consecutive years may make the design vulnerable to cancellation.
• International Registration: Industrial designs can also be protected in Vietnam via the Hague System.