Due to social distancing requirements of government to curb the spead of Covid-19, Vietnam government agencies including National Office of Intellectual Properties (NOIP) issues notification to provide instructions to related parties to ensure smooth business operation for not only government officers but also applications and Intellectual Property attorney representing clients in registration, and other IP related works at the NOIP.
In order to minimize the disadvantages caused by Covid-19 to applicants/industrial property right owners relating to procedures for registration of industrial property rights with NOIP, on March 13, 2020, NOIP has issued the Notification No. 5277/TB-SHTT on application of legal provisions relating to time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19 and transactions between applicants and the NOIP. The specific content is as following:
1. Extension of time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19 in carrying out procedures
All procedures for registration of industrial property rights which are due in the period from 30 March 2020 to 30 April 2020, namely requests for claiming priority rights, provision of supplement documents, responses to decisions/notifications of NOIP, requests for annuities/renewal of the validity of protection titles, payment of all types of fees and charges, lodgement of appeals/oppositions, shall be automatically extended to 30 May 2020.
In other cases, applicants who are still suffering from impacts of Covid-19 in perusing their applications for establishment of the industrial property rights with IP Vietnam, can request for the application of regulations on objective obstacles, force majeure provided for in Points 9.4, 9.5 of Circular No.01/2007/TT-BKHCN amended by Circular No.16/2016/TT-BKHC
2. Filing PPH requests PPH agreement between NOIP and the Japan Patent Office
The receiving date of PPH requests will be re-scheduled from May 4th 2020 instead of April 1st 2020 as announced earlier by NOIP.
3. Transactions between NOIP and applicants
From April 1st 2020, all transactions between NOIP (including Headquarters in Hanoi, Representative Offices in Da Nang City and Ho Chi Minh City) and applicants will only be conducted via the postal service or through online filing system until further notice. The payment of fees and charges by applicants is made via the postal service or by bank transfer to IP Viet Nam’s bank account at the State Treasury (pursuant to Notice No. 5241/TB-SHTT dated 27 March 2020) until further notice.
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