Protecting brands in the digital environment is the goal that businesses in Hue are aiming for.

Many challenges

The development of e-commerce opens up great opportunities for businesses but also comes with many risks. The online environment is becoming a "hot spot" for counterfeit goods, fake goods and intellectual property rights infringement. Many subjects take advantage of digital platforms to trade in infringing products, causing damage to consumers and undermining the reputation of many Hue branded products.

According to Mr. Phan Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, local intellectual property rights holders need to be more proactive in protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights in the e-commerce environment. Many “made in Hue” products are asserting their reputation in domestic and foreign markets, but the appearance of counterfeit and fake goods not only causes damage to businesses but also reduces the value of the local image.

At the recent training conference on improving e-commerce applications organized by the Department of Industry and Trade in collaboration with EUBIZ Vietnam Joint Stock Company, many delegates said that the impact of 4.0 technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), on intellectual property rights is huge. While AI is developing rapidly, the current legal framework has not kept up in establishing, managing and protecting intellectual property rights for assets created by AI.

The leader of the Department of Science and Technology commented: The digital environment, cross-border intellectual property infringements, copyright infringements, co-authorship or AI-generated products are posing many new challenges. Therefore, businesses and management agencies need to quickly build legal and technical capacity to manage and handle violations, while enhancing the ability to respond appropriately to legal issues in the digital age.

According to the report of the National Steering Committee 389, in the third quarter of 2025, the authorities arrested and handled more than 31,000 cases of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and infringement of intellectual property rights; collected over 3,600 billion VND for the budget; prosecuted 462 cases with 915 subjects. These numbers are a warning to businesses and local authorities in protecting their brands.

Strengthening business support

In recent times, Hue City has implemented many programs to support businesses in developing intellectual property in association with the local branding strategy. Brand recognition is increasingly becoming a top concern for businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, craft villages, cooperatives and OCOP business households.

In addition to improving product quality, many Hue enterprises have focused on building brand identity, perfecting the identification system and registering intellectual property protection for products, thereby enhancing competitiveness and limiting legal risks. Up to now, the city has supported intellectual property protection for dozens of typical products and craft village specialties, such as: "Hue Lotus", "Hue Ao Dai", "Pho Trach Bang Mattress", "Quang Tho Gotu Kola", "Loc Thuy Melaleuca Oil", "Hue Sesame Candy"...

In particular, the OCOP program in Hue City has become an important lever for local enterprises to develop brands associated with intellectual property. OCOP products that meet 3-star standards or higher are encouraged to register for trademark and design protection and are supported for promotion in the digital environment. Typically, Thuy Bieu pomelo, Phong Dien green-skin grapefruit, An Lo rice... after being supported for trademark registration have effectively expanded their markets.

Implementing the National Intellectual Property Development Program to 2030, the city has supported the registration of many specialty products such as Hue conical hats, Thien Huong sesame candy canes, Loc Thuy cajuput essential oil, Hue pomelos, Phu Thuan fish sauce, etc. At the same time, it has guided businesses to effectively exploit intellectual property and build domestic and international brands. As of the second quarter of 2025, the number of applications for industrial property protection in Hue increased by an average of 12-15% per year, of which trademarks accounted for the majority; especially, inventions and useful solutions from universities and research institutes have appeared.

The city also promotes activities to support innovation, register collective trademarks and geographical indications; organize training courses on intellectual property knowledge; organize conferences on technology transfer and intellectual property valuation consultancy. These efforts contribute to the formation of an innovation ecosystem associated with effective management and exploitation of intellectual property.

Currently, Hue City is one of the pioneering localities in digital transformation at the provincial level, not only in the administrative field but also in supporting businesses in digitalizing their business activities. Integrating IP into the digital transformation process helps local businesses accelerate brand development on platforms such as e-commerce platforms, social networks, websites and livestreams.

Through the program "100 enterprises transforming digitally in 100 days" launched in 2021, Hue City continues to support many enterprises to access digital, online marketing, smart order management and digital brand protection, helping Hue specialty products conquer domestic and international markets.

Song Minh

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/bao-dam-quyen-so-huu-tri-tue-trong-thoi-dai-so-160589.html