Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Vietnam - GIs,TMs and dragonfruit



In Vietnam the lunar new year called Tet starts next week, and this year there is a fruity IP reason to celebrate.


VN Economy News reported yesterday about the country's frustrations that its well known agricultural products have insufficient IP protection. See here for previous reports about Chinese companies registering Vietnamese GIs in bad faith. Some 53 GIs have now been registered at the National Office of Intellectual Property(NOIP) in Vietnam. But a recent NOIP report indicates that there are at least 800 well recognised agricultural GIs in Vietnam and the report says producers need to do more to secure IP protection, though trademarks, collective and certification marks and GIs.  


But in today's fruitnet.com, it is reported that Vietnam's largest dragon fruit exporter, Binh Thuan, has registered its trademark in the US - BINH THUAN for Vietnamese dragon fruit. The importance of this is that as we enter the Chinese New Year of the Dragon is that red dragon fruit are especially popular being lucky colour red as well as very healthy. Much of the company's exports of the dragon fruit are to the US.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi as they say for Happy Lunar New Year in Vietnam!

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