Intellectual property protects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

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Protection of products and industrial designs of enterprises is very important. In the photo, automatic machinery systems at a start-up enterprise in the supporting industry field in Bien Hoa city.

Small businesses' brands are easily affected

According to statistics of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), small and medium-sized enterprises are the mainstay of the economy, accounting for about 90% of enterprises in the world, employ about 50% of the global workforce, create up to 40% of national income in many emerging economies. In Vietnam, small and medium enterprises account for 97% of the total number of enterprises, contribute to 45% of GDP, 31% of total budget revenue, create more than 5 million jobs.

The journey to bring ideas, inventions and innovations of enterprises to market can be very risky. When businesses begin to reap results, they will have to face problems such as products, services, solutions that are copied, counterfeited, counterfeit but there is no way to protect. Heaviness can lead to losses, bankruptcy. These can be reduced if enterprises focus on IP rights. Dong Nai is a locality with a large and diverse amount of intellectual property. To exploit and develop intellectual property in the area, over the years, Department of Science and Technology (Science and Technology) has advised the province on policies to support enterprises. Especially, innovative start-up enterprises through the implementation of experimental production topics and projects with practical value and high commercialization ability; Support enterprises to develop ideas, perfect technology, develop new products.

Support enterprises to enforce intellectual property rights

For SHHT, in Dong Nai, the Department of Science and Technology has promoted state management of intellectual property in the province to support businesses and individuals to build, exploit and develop and protect intellectual property to improve competitiveness. According to Mr Le Xuan Truong, Head of Specialized Management Division, Department of Science and Technology, Science and technology program to support enterprises to improve their competitiveness, apply an advanced quality management system, and protect intellectual property. During the integration process in the period 2016-2020, 225 enterprises have been supported in IP protection. Along with supporting registration for grant of industrial property protection titles on inventions, utility solutions, industrial designs and trademarks, the Department has supported the building of a brand identity system, Design and register for trademark protection, website for Dau Giay Agricultural Food Wholesale Market. Develop guidelines to implement the criteria of the Program, one product per commune, support registration of certification of collective marks for specific products such as Vinh Cuu green-skinned pomelo, giant freshwater shrimp in Tra Co commune, Tan Phu district, etc.

From the above initiative, Dong Nai is considered to enforce IP rights quite well. According to information from the Department of Intellectual Property, in the period 2011-2020, the unit received 350,237 applications for establishing industrial property rights for Vietnamese subjects. Dong Nai is in the list of 10 localities with the highest number of industrial property registration applications in the country and Dong Nai is also in the top 10 provinces/cities with the highest number of diplomas. Regarding patent registration, in the period 2011-2020, Dong Nai has 96 applications (behind Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau). These solutions also partly help brands and products of enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises in Dong Nai to come closer to the market and consumers.

Vi Quan