PRESS RELEASE

August 23, 2006

Vietnam's SPP to hold seminar on IP protection with support of USAID

The Supreme People’s Prosecution Office (SPP) of Vietnam with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will hold a training program on intellectual property rights protection on August 24 in Hanoi. The training program will be chaired by Dr. Khuat Van Nga, Deputy Prosecutor General of SPP. U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Marine will attend and give introductory remarks.

During the one-day Training Program for Prosecutors on the Impact of International Integration on the Supreme People’s Prosecution Office, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and U.S. Department of Justice officials will discuss the importance of effectively enforcing laws on protecting intellectual property rights with around 200 senior prosecutors from SPP and some northern provinces of Vietnam.

Protecting intellectual property rights is a key requirement in the the World Trade Organization and U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement. Vietnam recently passed a new Intellectual Property Law. Vigilant implementation of the IP Law should greatly enhance Vietnam’s capacity to protect the intellectual property rights of Vietnamese inventors and software creators, trademark holders, authors and performers, as well as those from other countries. This is critical to continue to develop the fast-growing U.S.-Vietnam economic bilateral relationship and to support Vietnam’s growing international trade.

A similar training program will be held in Ho Chi Minh City next Thursday for over 100 prosecutors from the southern region of Vietnam.

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