1. Why should you register the inventions in the area lighting?
2. What are the inventions in the area lighting?
3. How to register inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?
4. The process of registration for inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?
5. Where to register inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?
6. Contact to register inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?

1. Why should you register the inventions in the area lighting?

In a developing country like Vietnam, the protection of intellectual property in general and of invention, in particular, has not been paid adequate attention. It leads to the situation that many companies or individuals always try to copy, use or even steal inventions of others for making profit based on unfair competition. There are many ways to protect an invention but one of the most effective ways is to register the invention with the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) for a patent. A patent can bring not only the protection but also great advantages for the owner of the inventions as below:

- The patented invention will give the owner of the invention a huge competitive advantage in the market. The patent will be entitled to exclusively use the invention to produce particular products. This will prevent other third parties like companies, organizations or individuals from using or copying the invention, unless they have the owner’s permission.

- The patent will provide a legal basis for proving ownership of the owner over the invention. When the owners discover acts of counterfeiting or imitation of inventions for the purpose of unfair competition, they will have the right to request competent state agencies to consider, investigate and handle violations.

- The invention creates a new source of income for the owner by transferring or licensing the invention. The grant of an invention protection title makes it easy for the owner to exploit the commercial value of the invention. When legal ownership of the owner has been recognized by the State, the owner will receive the buyer's trust when transferring the invention.

- The invention helps the owner to raise capital and attract potential investors. Patents can be purchased, sold or transferred, to help owners raise capital easily, quickly and effectively. Patents can also be used as collateral for bank loans.

- Having an important role in combined sales. When a customer goes to the store to buy a product, he or she often wants to buy additional related products. Similarly, when a customer is intrigued by the innovation of patent-protected products, sales of non-patentable products may also increase. This happens when the patented product is an integral part of a more complex product or the patented proprietary product is sold with other products.

- The patent extends the freedom of operation of enterprises in the market, protecting themselves against the invention portfolio of competitors.

- Owners can use patents to transmit signals about higher technological competence, greater creativity and higher performance in marketing, advertising and branding strategies.

2. What are the inventions in the area lighting?

In the simplest sense, an invention is a product, a technological process, created by humans based on the application of laws of nature. The basic attribute of an invention/utility solution is a technical specification because an invention/utility solution is a technical solution, that is, a technical measure that solves a problem.

To be protected by law as an invention, a technical solution is required to meet the following conditions:

- Be new compared to the technical level in the world;

- Have a creative level, and;

- Be capable of industrial application.

In accordance with the International Patent Classification (IPC), established by the Strasbourg Agreement 1971), inventions are classified into different classes based on their characteristics. Inventions in the area lighting are sorted out into Class F21, which mainly contains products or processes as below:

- Incandescent mantles; other incandescent bodies heated by combustion;

- Non-electric light sources using luminescence; light sources using electrochemiluminescence; Light sources using charges of combustible material; light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements; light sources not otherwise provided for;

- Lighting devices or systems thereof, being portable or specially adapted for transportation;

- Non-portable lighting devices; systems thereof; vehicle lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors;

- Functional features or details of lighting devices or systems thereof; structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for;

3. How to register inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?

When owners of inventions want to register their inventions in Vietnam, it is important to prepare a proper patent registration dossier with the documents as below:

- Registration applications for invention according to the prescribed form (02 copies);

- Detailed descriptions of invention (02 copies);

- Protection requests for invention (02 copies);

- Power of attorney, if the application is filed through a representative;

- Receipt of payment of state fees (in case of paying charges and fees via postal service or paying directly to the NOIP's account);

- Other related papers for some particular cases.

4. The process of registration for inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?

After preparation, the patent registration dossier can be directly or indirectly submitted to the NOIP in Ha Noi or NOIP's representative offices in Da Nang city or Ho Chi Minh city. The competent state agencies will examine the application through the following stages:

First stage: The NOIP will determine whether the application is valid in terms of formal requirements. The processing time of the formal appraisal stage is about 01 month.

Second stage: The NOIP will publish the application in Industrial Property Official Gazette after 18 months from the submission date if the application is determined as a valid application.

Third stage: The NOIP will appraise the content of the application. The processing time of the content appraisal stage usually is about 18 months from the publishing date.

Final stage: The NOIP will grant an invention protection title for the invention after the owner paid all state fees promptly and properly.

5. Where to register inventions in the area lighting in Vietnam?

Under the Vietnamese law on intellectual property, foreign invention owners (including companies, organizations or individuals) can only apply their inventions in Vietnam through industrial property representative organizations like Minh Khue Law Firm. Minh Khue Law Firm was licensed and certified as an industrial property representative in Vietnam from August 2017, with the representative code is 226. We helped a lot of clients register their inventions successfully in Vietnam as well as in other countries in the world.

The Intellectual Property Department of Minh Khue Law Firm will carry out all the procedures for the client. Our office based in Room 2007, 20th Floor, C2 Building, Vincom Tran Duy Hung, Tran Duy Hung Street, Trung Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi city.

The person in charge of the Intellectual Property Department of Minh Khue Law Firm:

Lawyer: To Thi Phuong Dzung

Email: dung@luatminhkhue.vn;

Phone number: + 84986 386 648

The completed register dossier will be submitted at: National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam.

Address: 384-386 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan Trung, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi