HCM CITY — Enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) at Viet Nam’s borders was discussed yesterday at a half-day seminar in HCM City attended by some 70 local lawyers, government officials, and law school faculty. Peter Fowler, senior counsel of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s enforcement agency, spoke about international best practices and gave an overview of trade-related aspects of IPR required under bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

Thomas Treutler, managing partner of the law offices of Thomas Treutler based in Da Nang, reviewed the legal basis for IPR enforcement at Viet Nam’s borders.

The deputy manager of the professional competencies office of HCM City Customs Department, Nguyen Minh Thu, reviewed the role and responsibilities of Viet Nam’s Customs Department in enforcing IPR at border areas, including the need to coordinate with other government agencies.

Thu and Treutler joined a panel discussion with Truong Thi Thuy Trang, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, and Nguyen Van Vien, an IP Attorney with Frasers Law firm and director of the Centre for Intellectual Property and Investment Consultancy in Viet Nam.

The General Sciences Library, where the seminar was held, is home to the IPR Reference Collection, the most comprehensive collection of IPR books and materials in Viet Nam. The seminar is part of an IPR series organised by the US-Viet Nam Trade Council, which has worked on economic and political normalisation between the two countries since 1989.

Its educational affiliate, the US-Viet Nam Trade Council Education Forum, has helped provide technical assistance to Viet Nam since 1997 on issues relating to the US-Viet Nam Bilateral Trade Agreement, WTO accession and international global integration. — VNS