Focus on intellectual property in the digital age

Many businesses want to support the building and development of brands and geographical indications for Bien Hoa ceramic products. In the photo: Product display area of ​​Viet Thanh Ceramics Joint Stock Company (Bien Hoa city). Photo: L. Phuong

At the same time, as science and technology, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications are increasingly developing, IP factors play an increasingly important role in creating a premise for Vietnamese enterprises to develop sustainably.

Many challenges when e-commerce, AI technology develop

The development of e-commerce is a global trend. Besides the positive aspects, many people also take advantage of this form to trade in counterfeit goods, causing damage to consumers, the healthy competitive environment, economic development and business activities of enterprises.

Phan Minh Nhut, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights of Foreign-Invested Enterprises (VACIP), said that intellectual property rights holders must further enhance and strengthen their activities of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights in the current increasingly developing e-commerce environment.

According to Mr. Phan Minh Nhut, “made in Vietnam” goods are prestigious brands, bringing great value to enterprises in Vietnam. Therefore, the production and trading of counterfeit goods of these brands will have a great impact on the reputation of the brand as well as the origin of the products in the market, especially when related to e-commerce activities.

In April 2025, the Department of Science and Technology organized the Conference on AI Products and IP: Opportunities for Discovery and Related Legal Issues. At the conference, in the face of the development of technology and AI applications, experts said that enterprises and localities cannot stand outside that trend, especially when AI development policies and the legal system are still not really clear. Authorities need to aim to build a legal framework to regulate legal relationships related to AI such as: property relations, ownership rights, IP, labor relations, and compensation for damages.

According to Tran Giang Khue, Head of the Representative Office of the National Office of Intellectual Property in Ho Chi Minh City, forms of intellectual property infringement arising in the digital environment, acts of intellectual property infringement across borders, etc., pose many legal issues regarding intellectual property for entities, enterprises and localities in the AI ​​era. These include issues related to authors, co-authors; protection of “intellectual property” created by AI; management and enforcement, exploitation of intellectual property rights, handling and prevention of violations related to counterfeit goods, etc.

According to statistics from the National Steering Committee against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods (National Steering Committee 389), in the first quarter of 2025, units and localities arrested and handled more than 30.6 thousand violations; of which about 1.1 thousand cases were related to counterfeit goods, intellectual property violations...

Strengthening business support programs

Brand recognition is always an issue that many businesses are concerned about in the context of increasingly fierce market competition like today. In addition to price, product quality, and service, businesses are increasingly developing their identity and conveying the core values ​​of their brand. Thereby, both enhancing competitiveness and limiting risks related to intellectual property...

When participating in production and business activities, enterprises are more or less related to intellectual property, brand development, identification for products, goods, services... Intellectual property is considered a large and useful asset of enterprises. Especially intellectual property rights related to industrial property rights, it has an increasingly important meaning in the production, business and circulation of goods of each organization, production and business unit.

Intellectual property rights, especially trademarks and trade names, increasingly play a key role in corporate brand development strategies, especially in the context of growing e-commerce and digital technology.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dao, owner of Minh Dao Honey Facility (in Hang Gon Commune, Long Khanh City), said that the facility's honey products have been recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) standards and have been registered for intellectual property. This creates conditions for the facility to focus on promoting the brand of its main product, Long Khanh rambutan honey, as well as expanding market development through e-commerce channels.

In Dong Nai, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the Intellectual Property Development Program of Dong Nai Province until 2030. In particular, by 2030, at least 60% of products are recognized as key and unique service products of the province; products associated with the OCOP Program are supported in registering for protection, managing and developing intellectual property, controlling origin and quality after protection; striving for the number of trademark registration applications of enterprises in the province to increase by an average of 8-10%/year.

In addition, the province will support the creation and registration of patents, industrial designs, trademarks and new plant varieties domestically and internationally; support the construction, management and development of certification marks, collective marks, geographical indications for specialties, craft village products, and local specific products. At the same time, strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of intellectual property rights enforcement, promote the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment...

Lam Phuong

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202505/chu-trong-so-huu-tri-tue-trong-thoi-dai-so-e5c5989/