Notice on application of legal provisions on time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19 pandemic

The Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (IP Viet Nam) issued Notice No. 7581/TB-SHTT dated August 2, 2021 on application of legal provisions on time limits for applicants affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

The acute respiratory infection disease caused by a new strain of Corona virus (Covid-19 pandemic) continues to seriously affect all aspects of the socio-economic life of countries in the world in general and the activities of industrial property right acquisition in particular. Henceforth, with the aim of minimizing the inconvenience caused by the Covid-19 for applicants/owners in the procedures of acquiring industrial property rights, IP Viet Nam would like to inform as follows:

Time limits of all procedures related to industrial property right acquisition (requesting for priority right, supplementing documents, responding to IP Viet Nam decisions/notifications, renewal, pay any fee or charge, filing a complaint) expiring between June 30, 2021 and August 31, 2021 shall be automatically extended until the end of September 30, 2021.

In case that their proceedings for intellectual property right acquisition before IP Viet Nam are still affected by Covid-19 pandemic, the applicants have right to request the application of regulations on objective obstacles and force majeure specified at Points 9.4, 9.5 of Circular No. 01/2007/TT-BKHCN, as amended and supplemented by Circular No. 16/2016/ TT-BKHCN.

During the implementation process, please contact IP Viet Nam for guidance and resolution if any issue arises.

Notice No. 7581/TB-SHTT could be downloaded here.

Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (IP Viet Nam)