Vietnam gov’t issues decree delegating, decentralizing IP tasks to provincial-level agencies
11 July 2025
Credit by Aoshi VN / Shutterstock.com.
The Vietnamese government issued Decree 133/2025/ND-CP on June 12, 2025. Among others, the decree delegates and decentralizes certain IP-related tasks from the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam to the Provincial People’s Committee (PPC).
The PPC is a local state administrative agency that oversees the different departments and agencies operating in every province.
Among the tasks delegated to the PPC are: recognition of organizations and individuals qualified to practice as industrial property representatives; processing of applications for registration of licence agreements relating to industrial property objects and issuance of compulsory licence decisions for patent use.
The decentralized tasks are the following: issuance and reissuance of certified copies and protection titles as well as certificates of registration for licence agreements; organization of professional examinations for industrial property representatives; issuance, reissuance and revocation of practicing certificates for industrial property representation services as well as examiner cards for industrial property examiners; recording of changes to information of organizations providing representation services; termination of patent use rights under compulsory licencing decisions; recording of amendments, extensions or early terminations of licence agreements; and organization of professional examinations for industrial property examiners.
Decree 133/2025/ND-CP took effect on July 1, 2025. The pilot phase will run until March 1, 2027.
“In our cautious view, this short timeframe for a pilot phase of the decentralization of IP procedures shall require tremendous efforts and intensive coordination between central and local authorities in order to turn this bold step into a breakthrough instead of creating overlap and delay to the current IP system,” said Dang Hong Son, director of the trademarks and design department at D&N International in Hanoi.
“It is too early to say about the pros and cons of this change,” he added. “The authorities’ upcoming regulations and guidance are expected to give us a clearer view of the matter.”
- Espie Angelica A. de Leon
