Hanoi-based Vietnamese law firm Bross & Partners has sent a report to the Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association in Kien Giang Province about an infringement of their brand name by a Hong Kong-based company.
According to Le Quang Vinh, Director of the Intellectual Property Department, Bross & Partners, the Viet Huong Trading Company Limited in Hong Kong applied to register a patent brand name ‘Phu Quoc’ (a geographical location in Vietnam) on May 11 under number 9448516 for products which contained the ‘Phu Quoc’ fish sauce ingredients.
In case this brand name is patented by the above company, it will create much misunderstanding amongst the public about the factual geographical location of ‘Phu Quoc’, which is an Island District in the southern Province of Kien Giang in Vietnam.
So far the brand name ‘Phu Quoc’ on the fish sauce product is protected by the trademark and licensing laws of Vietnam.
Vinh said the Hong Kong company has just submitted its application for patenting the brand name domestically, which is awaiting approval.
However, if Vietnam fails to react in time, the Chinese government will grant the company patent rights to the brand name, which certainly will be a huge loss for Vietnam, he added.
