Ben Tre Province’s green Xiem coconut, which received Geographical Indication certification from the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam.

The number of patents has increased by 56.7 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Dinh Huu Phi, director-general of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam, revealed the number at a recent working session with Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh on solutions to improve intellectual property work.

The office has carried out many activities to make intellectual property a tool for socio-economic development.

It issued nine certificates for geographical indication registration and 280 certificates for registration of collective marks and marks of local typical products last year.

The office has also deployed a project to build the national geographical indication (GI) logo, co-ordinated in building and managing GI between the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade and participated in the National Brand Programme and others for national and local key products.

In international relations, the office has participated in international co-operation forums and organisations such as APEC, ASEAN, WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and negotiated IP content in international trade agreements including the CPTPP and EVFTA.

Speaking at the meeting, Anh said he appreciated the efforts and success of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam.

The minister asked the office and related agencies to develop a plan to enforce the amended IP Law and the IP Strategy to achieve set goals, and study measures to shorten the time to process IP registrations. — VNS