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World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 underscores not only the celebration of creative achievements but also the growing role of the IP system in driving economic and social development. In Vietnam, IP activity has shown clear momentum in both scale and quality.
Data from the National Office of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology) show positive growth in Vietnam’s IP activity during 2021–2025. The office received over 423,000 industrial property applications, up 26.5% versus the prior period; processed over 436,000 applications, up 69%; and granted more than 255,000 protection titles, up 55.4%.
The average annual growth rates were 4.6% for applications received, 15.4% for applications processed, and 18.6% for titles granted.
For inventions and utility models, Vietnamese organizations and individuals filed over 8,900 applications, up 65.8%, and more than 3,100 rights were granted, up 91%, indicating rising domestic innovation capacity. The results are linked to the effectiveness of strengthening IP-related institutions and policies in recent years.
The Intellectual Property Law, first enacted in 2005 (effective 1 July 2006) and amended in 2009, 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2025, provides the legal framework for organizations and individuals to establish, exploit, and protect IP rights, supporting a healthier business environment and fostering innovation and investment.
On 10 December 2025, the National Assembly passed amendments to the IP Law (Law No. 131/2025/QH15), effective 1 April 2026. The amendments are viewed as a significant step in codifying government and party directions on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
The 2025 amendments emphasize reforming administrative procedures and accelerating digital transformation in IP activities. Processing times for industrial property applications have been shortened notably: patent examinations reduced from 18 months to 12 months; trademark applications from 9 months to 5 months; industrial design applications from 7 months to 5 months; and publication time from 2 months to 1 month.
A fast-track mechanism for examining patent and trademark applications within 3 months is introduced when specific conditions are met—a mechanism currently adopted by only a few countries.
The amendments also expand digital transformation by applying new technologies and artificial intelligence in processing applications, simplifying procedures, and strengthening post-grant checks, aiming to improve the efficiency of state governance and meet growing demand for IP services.
Beyond procedural reform, the 2025 amendments broaden protection to new objects, including industrial designs of non-separable parts of products, and intangible outputs such as graphical user interfaces and icons. Copyright protection also extends to encoded program signals.
For the first time, AI-related IP issues are explicitly addressed in the law. Data use for training AI is allowed but must ensure it does not infringe the rights and legitimate interests of owners. The law also states that protection applies only to human-created works, rejecting rights if the creator is not human.
A key feature of the amendments is the shift from “protecting rights” to “exploiting and using IP rights as valuable assets,” to promote economic and social development. The law establishes a framework to support creation and commercialization of IP as an investable asset. Owners may use IP rights in civil, commercial, and investment transactions and are encouraged to exploit IP through forms such as capital contribution or collateral for loans.
To facilitate commercialization, the law requires a database of IP rights transaction prices to increase market transparency and to develop intermediary services such as valuation and brokerage.
The law also adds provisions to establish internal management registers for IP rights that do not yet qualify as assets for accounting purposes. The article notes that many Vietnamese enterprises have not yet adopted IP as a strategic asset, and practices such as not maintaining or renewing protection titles remain common.
Alongside efforts to promote IP exploitation, IP violations in Vietnam remain complex, particularly with the rapid growth of e-commerce. Violations tend to migrate to the digital environment, exploiting anonymity and difficulties in tracing.
Counterfeits and trademark and geographic indication infringements are increasingly produced at scale through cross-provincial and cross-border networks. The article also cites the use of advanced technologies, including AI and deepfakes, to create fake images and videos to mislead consumers.
Livestream selling that leaves no trace after the event also challenges enforcement authorities. Methods such as fake origin seals and misleading product information are described as becoming more sophisticated.
To address these issues, IP enforcement has been strengthened with the participation of the IP Office, police, market surveillance, customs, and the courts, including information sharing and expert support in handling cases.
During 2021–2025, the IP Office actively advised on improving the legal framework and participated in drafting important decrees related to administrative penalties and IP protection. Directive No. 02/CT-TTg dated 30 January 2026 from the Prime Minister further strengthens the legal basis for IP enforcement.
However, implementing specialized inspection functions remains challenging due to inconsistent penalties during the transition period, requiring ongoing policy refinement and governance improvements.
The achievements and challenges point to the need to continue refining policy and improving enforcement effectiveness. In the context of intensifying global competition, IP is not only a tool to protect rights and legitimate interests but also a strategic lever for a knowledge-based economy.
The direction going forward is to continue improving the regime, accelerate digital transformation, strengthen enforcement, and promote greater exploitation and commercialization of IP assets.
On World Intellectual Property Day, unlocking IP resources is increasingly urgent to drive innovation, improve competitiveness, and sustain growth for the economy, and to support Vietnam’s deeper participation in global value chains based on knowledge and innovation in the digital era.
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