Good morning \u2014 or as Big Tech says lately, \u201cXin ch\u00e0o, Vietnam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vietnam might not be on your vacation list, but it should be on your IP strategy map. Why? China\u2019s getting expensive, and companies are craving better IP protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In just two years, Vietnam has climbed from #48 to #44 in the Global Innovation Index \u2014 and now, it\u2019s gunning for IP glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And companies are noticing. Huawei and Qualcomm aren\u2019t just assembling products in Vietnam \u2014 they\u2019ve filed 3,000+ and 2,600+ patent families, respectively, since 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
📌 Fun fact: Over 79,000 patents have been published in Vietnam between 2019 and 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
IAM recently featured our analysis in their coverage of Vietnam\u2019s patent surge. Read their take here and check out our full breakdown here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BUT\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite all this IP action, Vietnam still doesn\u2019t have a functioning specialized IP court. One was supposed to launch in Jan 2025 \u2014 but, as usual, bureaucracy had other plans. Until then, infringement cases often go through regular courts or administrative enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a proper IP court is coming (eventually), and local IP lawyers have big hopes it will clean up the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we have a specialized court, then we have a specialized job,\u201d says veteran IP litigator Loc Xuan Le. \u201cI have big expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So do the multinationals betting big on Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n