VNIPO’s Notification dated 2 August 2021 on application of legal provisions relating to time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19
Considering the situation that the Covid-19 pandemic has been severely affecting all aspects of social-economic life in all countries around the world in general and the registration of industrial property rights in particular, 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, the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (VNIPO) has issued Notification No. 7581/TB-SHTT dated 2 August 2021 on application of legal provisions relating to time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19. The details there of are as follows:
All procedures related to the registration of industrial property rights, namely, requests claiming priority rights, provision of supplementary documents, responses to VNIPO’s decisions/notifications, requests for annuities/renewal of the validity of protection titles, payment of all types of fees and charges, lodgement of appeals, which are due in the period from 30 June 2021 to 31 August 2021, shall be automatically extended to 30 September 2021.
In other cases, applicants who are still suffering from impacts of Covid-19 pandemic which prevent them from exercising their rights and/or performing their obligations during the procedure for establishment of the industrial property rights with the VNIPO shall have the right to request the application of regulations on objective obstacles or force majeure provided for at Points 9.4, 9.5 of Circular No. 01/2007/TT-BKHCN amended by Circular No. 16/2016/TT-BKHCN.
VNIPO ask that issues arisen during the the implementation of this Notification, if any, should be informed to the VNIPO for further guidance.
View the Notification no. 7581/TB-SHTT in the original Vietnamese version at the VNIPO’s website:
https://ipvietnam.gov.vn/documents/20195/1166685/TB+7581.pdf/873d5b53-d778-4f21-8159-7d50126f0ac2