- International application based on ‘Madrid Protocol’ available from July 11th, 2006 -


With Vietnam’s enrollment in the ‘Madrid Protocol,’ an international agreement providing the protection of trademark in multiple countries through a singe trademark application, KIPO (Commissioner JUN, Sang Woo) announced that domestic trademarks in Vietnam will be protected by KIPO starting July 11th.

The trade amount between Korea and Vietnam has been increasing due to the ‘Korean Wave’ in Vietnam. As Korean products are becoming more popular in Vietnam, some local Vietnamese are appropriating Korean trademarks, as revealed in numerous trademark disputes, including the Choco-Pie Case.

However, many Korean companies are unfamiliar with the process of trademark application in Vietnam and are having problems in actively protecting their trademarks.

Vietnam’s enrollment in the ‘Madrid Protocol’ is expected to provide a convenient way for our companies to protect their trademarks. Instead of filing trademarks directly to the Vietnamese Industrial Property Office, Korean companies in Vietnam or companies that are planning to start business in Vietnam can file international trademarks with KIPO.