[:en]Vietnam has recently circulated a new circular regarding amendment of IP law, in which the changes took effect on 15 January 2018.
[:ja]ベトナム知的財産法が改正され、2018年1月15日より新法が発効となりました。
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Below are some of the key changes for your information.
| Previous requirements | New requirements | |
| GENERAL MATTERS | ||
| 1) Deadlines to response to office actions in relevance to formalities | 1 month | 2 months |
| 2) Appeals and appeal settlement | New facts/details are generally acceptable | New facts/details will not be acceptable unless upon requests by the applicant or appellant.
Opinions from independent advisory experts and councils can be used for the appeal department – depending on the complexity of the appeal case to specify the functions, qualifications, sources and operating principles. |
| 3) Decisions on refusal | Normally, decisions on refusal are issued after considering the respective responses to office actions. | Once a refusal is issued, the application may submit new details (which have not yet been considered in the examination) in which may affect the examination results, hence the NOIP will consider withdrawing the decision on refusal. |
| 4) Termination and invalidation of a granted protection title | No time limit for the NOIP to send notice for termination/validation proceedings | The notice now must be sent within one month |
| 5) Withdrawal of application | – | Upon requesting for withdrawal, it is impossible to revive the application later – it is advisable to let the application lapse due to failure to meet a deadline rather than voluntary withdrawal. |
| 6) Font and size | – | All patent specifications must be in 130point or larger and in Times New Roman font type. |
| 7) Nationality of inventor | – | Nationality of inventor is required when filing an application. |
| 8) Excuses for missing deadlines | Excuses such as natural calamity, enemy-inflicted destruction, etc.) and cannot be surmounted despite all necessary and possible measures having been taken and objective obstacles for circumstances such as business trip, learning at a distant place that eventually lead to a late submission can be excused if the applicant submits a petition and proper evidence demonstrating said events and the NOIP approves, after consideration. Such events are not common and it remains to be seen how late submissions will be treated. | |
| 9) Settlement of third-party opposition | NOIP is required to inform the opposing party the decision/results; however they are not obliged to do so. | NOIP is obliged to inform the opposing party of the examination results/decision. However, it is unclear whether the NOIP will inform the opposing party of any later stages (appeal proceedings) of the application |
| Previous requirements | New requirements | |
| PATENTS | ||
| 1) Time limit for entering the Vietnamese national phase of PCT applications | Time limit of entering national phase is 31 months under both PCT Chapter I and Chapter II. A late entry within 37 months was possible with an extra fee. | At time of filing: – Vietnamese translation of the specification is required – Applicants are advised to submit filing instructions earlier prior to the 31-month deadline. |
| 2) Deadline for requesting examination | – | – 42 months from the priority date (or the filing date if no priority is claimed) for patent applications for invention – 36 months from the priority date (or the filing date if no priority is claimed) for utility model. – The deadline can be extended by six months if the applicant submits proper reasons if there is a “force majeure event” or “objective obstacle” – evidence must be provided. |
| 3) Features of function or purpose | Only specifies that features of function/utility can be the essential features of an invention. Therefore, use inventions should not be objected to, because they are always based on features of function/utility which, as specified, can be the essential features of an invention (constituting an invention); and thus a use invention is a statutory invention. | This is further clarified that the function/utility of a subject-matter is not an essential feature, but may be only the purpose/result of that subject-matter. |
| 4) Amendment to specification | Expansion of the protection of coverage beyond the contents disclosed in the description through an amendment is not allowed.
If the applicant wished to amend a claim, for instance, the content of the claim amendment would have to be already disclosed in the description. It was not sufficient for the content to be disclosed in the original claims. This could be considered not to comply with other Vietnamese legal documents. |
In the amended circular, the word “description” was amended to “specification,” covering both the description and the original claims, as in international practice. |
| 5) Annuity payment | – | Power of Attorney is required for the annuity payment and payments will be published in the official IP Gazette. |
| Previous requirements | New requirements | |
| DESIGNS | ||
| 1) Specification in design applications | When filing a design application, a specification is required which basically describes the appearance-forming features of the design in words. | An amendment must not go beyond the specification and set of figures/photos. |
| 2) Amendment to granted patent | A granted patent can be amended to delete one or more embodiments and/or to exclude some non-essential appearing-forming features | Limited to amendments to deleting embodiments only. |
| 3) First-to-file principle | – | For the same designs of the same product, naturally, only one patent will be granted. When considering a design of an article that is a part of an integrated product and a design of an integrated product including that same part, a patent will be granted for the application with the earlier priority date (or the filing date if no priority is claimed), but the circular is silent in the case that the priority dates of the two applications are the same. |
| 4) Renewal of design patents | If a patent owner renewed a design patent and wished to mark the renewal event on the last page of the patent, the original patent had to be filed together with the request for renewal. If an owner did not wish to mark the renewal, the owner would file a request for renewal without the original patent. | The applicant may request for an amendment to mark the renewal event on the last page of the design patent if this is not done during the renewal procedure. |
| Previous requirements | New requirements | |
| TRADEMARKS | ||
| 1) Rights to object to disclaimers | Not available | The NOIP may object to the disclaimer(s) of an element of some elements of the mark. If the applicant disagrees, an objection must be filed within three months from the notification date. |
| 2) Response to office action regarding international application | If a Madrid application is provisionally refused by the NOIP, the applicant has only 90 days to appeal.
However, if a national application is refused, the applicant will have two months to respond, followed by an additional 90 days to appeal the decision on refusal if the first response is not successful. Obviously, the applicants of Madrid applications had fewer chances to overcome a refusal than for national marks |
If an international application is provisionally refused by the NOIP, the application holder is entitled to respond within three months of the refusal be considered date. (It is noted that this response will by the Geographical Indication Division of the NOIP, while the response for national applications will be handled by the Trademark Divisions.)
If the response is not justified, the NOIP will then issue a decision on refusal and the holder can appeal such decision within 90 days according to regular procedures. |
| 3) Recognition of well-known marks | According to a civil procedure, a mark might be recognized as a well-known mark and it would be recorded in the list of well-known marks kept at the NOIP. | When a well-known mark is recognized in the course of a decision on settlement of infringement of such well-known mark, or a decision on refusal of another mark, such well-known mark will be recorded in the list of well-known marks kept at the NOIP, for reference for registration/protection of IP rights. |
| 4) Organizations entitled to register certification marks and collective marks | – | The type of organizations that are entitled to register collective marks; namely, organizations composed of two members or more, with each member having independent business activities, including cooperative coalitions, cooperatives, group companies, associations, and other organizations.
Organizations that can register certification marks; namely, organizations with the function of controlling and certifying the characteristics of goods/services which implement the control and certification themselves, or other organization(s) which are empowered by these certification organizations. |
主な変更点は、以下の通りです。
| 改正前 | 改正後 | |
| 一般事項 | ||
| 1) 方式審査における拒絶応答期間 | 一月 | 二月 |
| 2) 審判及び審判調停 | 審理中に新たな事実・事項に関する主張を行うことができる。 | 審理中に新たな事実・事項に関する主張は認められない。
なお、技術面等において案件が複雑となる場合、専門家等にアドバイスを求めた上、再検討が行われることがある。 |
| 3) 拒絶査定不服審判の請求 | 拒絶査定が不服である場合、出願人は拒絶査定不服審判を請求することができる。 | 拒絶査定不服審判の請求を行うほか、出願人は審査結果に影響を及ぼし得る新たな事実（審査段階では考慮されていないもの）を提出することができる。特許庁はこれに基づいて拒絶査定の取り下げを行うかどうか検討する。 |
| 4) 権利の消滅又は無効に関する通知 | 通知期間に関する規定は特に設けられていなかった。 | 一月以内に権利者へ通知を行う。 |
| 5) 出願取下げ | – | 出願人により出願が取下げられた場合、取下げ後の回復は認められない。 |
| 6) 対庁提出書類の形式 | – | 対庁提出書類における文字は、Times New Romanにより13ポイント以上の大きさで記載しなければならない。 |
| 7) 発明者（創作者）の国籍 | – | 出願書類において発明者（創作者）の国籍を明記しなければならない。 |
| 8) 期限徒過の救済 | 自然災害や戦争等の不可抗力な事情において、できる限りの対応を講じても回復が困難な場合、また、出張等の客観的な障害が生じた場合には、申請書および当該事実に関する証拠を提出することにより、必要に応じて救済が認められる。 | |
| 9) 異議申立てにおける決定の通知 | 特許庁は異議申立人に対し、審理結果を通知しなければならない（ただし、義務ではない）。 | 特許庁は異議申立人に対し、審理結果を通知する義務を負う。 |
| 改正前 | 改正後 | |
| 特許 | ||
| 1) PCT国内移行期限 | 三十一月（六月の延長が可能）
明細書のベトナム語翻訳文は後出し可能。 |
三十一月（延長は一切認められない）
国内移行時に明細書のベトナム語翻訳文が必要。 |
| 2) 審査請求期限 | – | 特許は優先日より四十二月、実用新案は優先日より三十六月以内に審査請求を行う必要がある。上記「期限徒過の救済」で述べたケースに該当する場合、六月の延長が認められる。 |
| 3) 用途発明 | 機能又は有用性に関する特徴は発明の本質的特徴となり得るものであり、かかる特徴に基づく用途発明は認められる。 | 機能又は有用性に関する特徴は、単なる目的又は結果にすぎないため、発明の本質的特徴とはなり得ず、用途発明は認められない。 |
| 4) 補正の範囲 | 明細書記載の範囲を超えて補正することは認められない。例えば、クレーム補正を行う場合でも、補正後のクレームは明細書に記載されている範囲内でなければならない。 | クレーム又は明細書の範囲内であれば、補正は認められる。 |
| 5) 年金納付 | – | 代理人は年金納付手続きにかかる委任状を提出する必要がある。また、年金納付に関する記録は公報に掲載される。 |
| 改正前 | 改正後 | |
| 意匠 | ||
| 1) 出願意匠に関する記載 | 願書に出願意匠の形状等表す記載をしなければならない。 | 願書に記載した出願意匠の形状等に関する記載を超えるような図面補正は認められない。 |
| 2) 登録意匠の補正 | 多意匠出願における一又は二以上の意匠を削除することができる。また、意匠構成中の重要な要素でない部分を削除することもできる。 | 多意匠出願における一又は二以上の意匠の削除は認められるが、意匠図面における削除・変更は認められない。 |
| 3) 先出願主義 | – | 同一物品における同一意匠に対しては、一つの意匠権が付与される。部品意匠と当該部品を含む製品意匠との関係では、優先日（出願日）が先の出願に対して意匠権が付与される。なお、同一の優先日（出願日）にかかる二以上の出願に関する規定はない。 |
| 4) 存続期間の更新 | 権利登録書の最終ページにおける権利存続期間の更新に関する記録をアップデートする場合、当該更新申請手続きと同時に行う必要がある。 | 権利登録書の最終ページにおける権利存続期間の更新に関する記録のアップデートは、いつでもすることができる。 |
| 改正前 | 改正後 | |
| 商標 | ||
| 1) ディスクレームの要求に対する反論 | 認められない。 | 審査官による権利不要求の指令に対し、通知日から3ヶ月以内であれば反論を行うことができる。 |
| 2) 実体審査におけるオフィスアクションへの応答 | マドプロ経由の場合、暫定拒絶通報への応答期間は、当該通知日より九十日以内である。
一方、国内出願の場合、二月の応答期間が与えられ、それでも拒絶理由が解消しなければ、特許庁からの通知日より九十日間の拒絶査定不服審判請求が認められる。 |
マドプロ経由での出願に対して暫定拒絶通報が発せられた場合、三月の応答期間が与えられる。 もしかかる応答により拒絶解消が認められない場合、国内出願と同様、九十日の間に拒絶査定不服審判請求を行うことができる。 |
| 3) 著名商標の認定 | 商標の著名性は、民事訴訟手続きにおいて認定され、特許庁は著名商標の記録を行う。 | 商標の著名性は、商標権侵害訴訟、異議申立て又は審査の過程においてのみ認定される。特許庁は著名と認定された商標を記録し、以後の審査に活用する。 |
| 4) Organizations entitled to register certification marks and collective marks | – | 団体商標の登録が認められるようになった。主体的要件として、二以上の構成員により組織される団体であり、各構成員が商標組合、生活協同組合、企業連合、社団法人、その他の団体を含む事業を営む者であることが求められる。
証明商標の登録が認められるようになった。主体的要件として、商品役務に関する特質を自ら管理及び証明することのできる団体であること、又は、かかる証明団体により権限を付与されている団体であることが求められる。 |