Simplified filing and delayed publication of industrial designs in Vietnam

On May 21, 2025, the Vietnam Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) submitted a notification to amend the declaration made on September 30, 2019, to the Geneva Act (1999) of the Hague Agreement, involving the following changes:

• It is no longer necessary to include a request for protection in an international application designating Vietnam
• Requests for extensions of publication by up to 7 months are now permitted, but the standard 12-month publication period under the Hague System still applies
• When designating Vietnam for a Hague designation, applicants can now indicate which design is the principal design and which are considered variant designs, in line with Vietnamese national legal requirements.

The declaration will take effect on August 21, 2025.

Vietnam's recent changes to international Hague design application requirements demonstrate its commitment to enhancing flexibility and adaptability in global design protection cooperation. These adjustments undoubtedly provide businesses with greater convenience and options for design registration in the Vietnamese market. The elimination of the request for protection simplifies the application process and reduces the administrative burden on businesses. Furthermore, the option for delayed publication provides businesses with more time and flexibility to develop innovative products within a prudent market strategy.