Intellectual Property: A Crucial Requirement for Businesses

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - For businesses, intellectual property (IP) protection for their products is a critical factor for sustainable development.
Currently, most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are primarily focused on protecting intellectual property for trademarks and industrial designs, such as product packaging, logos, and brands. In the long term, businesses need to shift their mindset regarding this issue, and the government should implement more practical support policies. Inspecting products before shipment at Dong Nai Mattress JSC (Bien Hoa City).​

Inspecting products before shipment at Dong Nai Mattress JSC (Bien Hoa City). 

Only Paying Attention to Initial Steps
Mr. Dang Thai Son, Director of Dong Nai Mattress JSC (Bien Hoa City), shared that the company proactively monitors consumer preferences to develop new product designs. Recently, the company has introduced various mid-range and premium products such as compressed cotton mattresses, latex mattresses, feather pillows, folding mattresses, and health-protecting pillows.

“We prioritize product quality as well as designs that better align with customer preferences, especially young customers. Additionally, we focus on creating practical and convenient products for modern living," Mr. Son said.

Similarly, Mr Cong Coffee is a new brand that has entered the coffee market in the past two years. Mr. Le Thanh Cong, the owner, shared that the coffee market is currently very diverse in terms of suppliers and pricing. However, his brand is carving out a niche for itself. In addition to traditional roasted coffee, Mr. Cong is developing various coffee products with strong and mild flavors, as well as coffee designed for weight loss and fitness enthusiasts. This emerging coffee brand has also made efforts to secure intellectual property rights for its industrial designs and packaging labels, considering this a critical factor for entering the market.

While businesses have made efforts, their focus on intellectual property mostly remains at the stage of packaging, labeling, and design. Associate Professor Dr. Tu Diep Cong Thanh, Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Center (IPTC) under Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that intellectual property is vital for businesses, particularly as Vietnam deeply integrates into the global economy. These limitations need to shift toward greater attention to technological factors and products with high intellectual and creative value to elevate brands.

Implementing Support Solutions
For businesses, one of the challenges they face is exercising intellectual property rights through product registration. For example, the Mosla mosquito trap lamp product by Mr. Nguyen Van Khoe, Director of Solar Thermal Technology JSC (Bien Hoa City), took five arduous years to register. According to Mr. Khoe, based on favorable experimental results, he confidently submitted the product and its presentation for exclusive utility solution registration. However, the review process took an exceptionally long time. It was only after five years from the time of application submission that his product was finally granted exclusive utility solution rights. As a result, the company's investment in mass production was delayed.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Tu Diep Cong Thanh, when businesses create new technologies, products, or solutions but fail to register and protect them promptly, they risk losing their innovations and may face complicated legal issues later. The number of intellectual property registrations by businesses is gradually increasing, and IPTC, as an advisory and support unit, is committed to connecting with localities, including Dong Nai, to implement support solutions for businesses.

In Dong Nai, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the Dong Nai Intellectual Property Asset Development Program through 2030. Some key objectives include ensuring that at least 60% of recognized products are core or unique to the province, products associated with the “One Commune One Product" program receive support for registration, management, and development of intellectual property assets, and controlling origin and quality post-protection. Annually, the program aims to support the creation and registration of patents, industrial designs, trademarks, and new plant varieties for at least 30 units. The goal is for the number of trademark registration applications from businesses in the province to increase by an average of 8-10% per year.