The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) reported that it has received more than 156,000 applications to establish industrial property rights of all kinds last year, a year-on-year increase of 11%.

The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) reported that it has received more than 156,000 applications to establish industrial property rights of all kinds last year, a year-on-year increase of 11%.

This includes 84,000 applications to register industrial property rights and 71,660 other types of applications and requests.

Notably, as the number of patent applications rose by 10.6%, industrial design applications rose by 11.8%.

With the high number of applications received last year, the IP Vietnam has processed 125,778 applications of all types, including 74,130 applications to register industrial property rights, up 13.2% year-on-year, and 51,648 other applications/requests, up 6.6%.

In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, intellectual property rights protection is a "hot" issue not only in Vietnam but also in many countries around the world.

Talking to the press, Luu Hoang Long, director of the IP Vietnam, said that intellectual property played an increasingly important role in the development of the country and localities.

Intellectual property activities in Vietnam were increasingly linked with economic and social development, he added.

The highlight of this field is the issuance of documents guiding the implementation of the Intellectual Property Law last year.

The IP Vietnam will promote international cooperation when participating in negotiations on intellectual property content within the framework of new generation free trade agreements this year.

At the same time, this office will preside over the development of a plan to negotiate documents on genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Along with negotiating new international treaties, the IP Vietnam has been coordinating with relevant agencies to implement international treaties that Vietnam has signed or acceded to such as the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)./.