U.S. Embassy and VCCI Hold IPR Seminar

September 7, 2007

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) sponsored a half-day seminar entitled "Practical Intellectual Property Strategies for Vietnamese Small to Medium Sized Enterprises" on August 31.
 
The Seminar featured expert patent attorneys from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as specialists from Vietnam's National Office of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology) and the law firm Baker McKenzie.  Unilever Vietnam also shared its experience in managing and protecting the company's intellectual assets in Vietnam.

Over 100 representatives of small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) from in and around Hanoi attended the seminar, which examined how SME's can identify intellectual property, take steps to protect it and enforce their rights against IP rights infringers.  They also learned about strategies for valuing intellectual assets and using them to improve company profitability.

An important strategic priority for the U.S. Government is strengthening intellectual property protection in Vietnam.  This workshop builds on the long-running relationship the United States Government has established with the Vietnamese business community to improve intellectual property rights initiatives here.