Businesses say bitter things when competitors give them similar names

Because of their popularity in the market, their intellectual property rights are infringed upon. As a result, businesses have to become lawyers and engage in protracted legal battles.

'Big guy' in plastic industry says bitter things

Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Company received many complaints from customers that the products were “fragile and leaky”. Upon direct inspection, the company discovered that the plastic pipes buried deep underground were actually damaged counterfeit goods.

Because they did not check the origin carefully, many consumers bought fake products. They relied only on the name “Binh Minh” and accidentally chose the wrong product of another company with a similar name.

“As a result, we lost customers, lost market trust, and most painfully, lost the right to own our own name,” said Mr. Bong Hoa Viet, Advisor to the Board of Directors of Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Company, at the forum "Improving intellectual property policies - Motivation for innovative businesses" held recently.

According to him, there have been cases where other businesses registered names similar to the company's name, then borrowed the name to approach agents and contractors to sign product supply contracts.

That is why this famous plastic company often has to sue to get its name back.

“We were born to produce, not to litigate. The bitter thing is that we have to become involuntary lawyers for our own businesses. We learned to become lawyers just to protect the name we have built for 48 years,” the business representative said indignantly.

A representative of Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Company talks about the legal battle to reclaim the name that has yet to end. Photo: Hoang Chau

Mr. Viet also said that since 2023, the company has had to establish a brand protection working group to implement many measures, such as appraisal at the National Intellectual Property Institute; sending complaints to competent authorities; filing lawsuits in court. The total costs involved amount to tens of billions of VND.

“If large, potential businesses are struggling to protect themselves, how will other businesses protect themselves?” he asked.

Another famous brand with a large number of counterfeit and fake products on the market is “ Khanh Hoa bird’s nest”. Ms. Le Thi Dong Phuong, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Bird’s Nest Company’s Branch in Ho Chi Minh City, shared that many units are using the phrase “Khanh Hoa bird’s nest” to confuse consumers.

Currently, bird’s nest products floating on the market are sold for only 9,000-15,000 VND/bottle. This price does not reflect the true value of the product, causing many consumers to question the quality and brand.

The 'knots' that need to be untied

The current situation of intellectual property rights violations in Vietnam is causing great losses to legitimate businesses and reducing consumer confidence.

According to Mr. Vo Tan Thanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, the rate of intellectual property rights violations in Vietnam remains high compared to many countries in the region. This not only causes economic damage but also affects the country's reputation, investment environment and international integration process.

At the forum, many experts and businesses talked about the difficulties in handling intellectual property violations. Photo: Hoang Chau

After hearing the story of Binh Minh Plastics, Lawyer Truong Anh Tu, Chairman of TAT Law Firm, commented that this is not just a dispute but a warning. A brand that is nearly half a century old is having to pursue a lawsuit for many years just because of a small difference in the brand name.

“It takes two decades to build a brand, but it can be copied in just two weeks. Therefore, if the protection mechanism is slow, even pioneering brands can fall,” said Mr. Tu.

In the first 6 months of 2025 alone, more than 3,270 intellectual property violations were handled, equivalent to nearly 20 cases/day. Behind that number are legitimate businesses being damaged, consumer confidence being eroded, and national competitiveness being challenged.

Citing the above data, Mr. Tu also pointed out 3 bottlenecks related to intellectual property protection, including: One, slow and monopolistic appraisal work, causing businesses to miss the golden time. Two, light sanctions, violations are only considered business costs. Three, lack of close inter-sectoral coordination, slow handling of cases.

On the business side, the representative of Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Company recommended that relevant agencies complete the specialized court on Intellectual Property, with a team of specialized judges. In addition, expand the independent appraisal mechanism, avoid long-term appraisal monopoly, and strictly control the ethics of the appraisal profession. Finally, issue standards for calculating non-material losses, such as brand reputation.

For Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Company, the business wants the management agency to increase inspection and supervision, especially for online sales channels. There should be mandatory regulations on identifying sellers on e-commerce platforms, with verification of legal information, tax codes and product origin.

In addition, the competent authority needs to develop and promulgate a national standard for all products, including bird's nest products, so that consumers are aware of products or companies that have standards to follow.

Registering for intellectual property protection takes several years, so businesses have to do it abroad. "In order not to miss the opportunity, we have to register abroad because the procedures are simple and quick," said the CEO of a business, considering this as evidence of the complexity of administrative procedures in Vietnam.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giam-doc-noi-dieu-cay-dang-khi-bi-doi-thu-dat-ten-gan-giong-2436526.html