The validity and enforceability of asymmetrical dispute resolution clauses has been an open question in Vietnam due to a lack of statutory guidance. An ongoing case related to a distribution contract may shed some light on this matter.

Moral rights are non-transferable under Vietnam’s laws on copyright, but the issue of whether they can be waived is unsettled. The amended Intellectual Property Law, now in draft form, may bring clarity to this issue.

With the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand becoming more severe and widespread, travel restrictions and social distancing measures may prevent applicants for patents, petty patents, and design patents from submitting documents or amendments by the required deadline. In order to ease the burden on applicants, the Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has issued a notification, effective on April 16, 2021, extending the deadline for submission of documents and amendments in response to office actions with the DIP. According to the notification, any office action deadline which was due to fall from April 16 to May 31, 2021 will now automatically be postponed to May 31, 2021. Applicants may submit their responses to office actions from June 1 – June 30, 2021. The extended deadlines apply to the following procedures: Amendments in response to office actions; Submission of documents per an office action or examiner’s instructions; and, Requests for extensions of time for amendments or document submission in response to office actions. Applicants who are able to do so may still choose to submit any documentation, amendments, and requests for extensions within the original deadline stipulated in an office action.

Laos’ Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) published its Decision on Patents and Petty Patents No. 1714/MOST, dated December 15, 2020, in the Official Gazette on December 23, 2020. The decision is a replacement for and comprehensive revision of a similarly named 2012 decision, and it is the latest step in the country’s steady efforts to strengthen its patent regime. The new decision clarifies and simplifies many key points, the most significant of which are detailed below. Priority date. Applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty have a 31-month time limit for entering the national phase, counting from the priority date. This improves on the 2012 decision, which set the time limit at 30 months. Submission of original documents. If the pre-filled, unsigned form for the power of attorney and deed of assignment is submitted, scanned copies of the notarized power of attorney and deed of assignment must be submitted within 15 days (down from 60 days under the 2012 decision). However, the original documents still must be submitted within 60 days. International classification. Applicants can ask the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) to indicate the international class of patent and petty patent applications. If there are amendments to the class, applicants can file an amendment form with the DIP free of charge. International classification was not mentioned in the 2012 decision. Publication timeline. Applications for patents or petty patents will be published in the 19th month after the application filing or priority date. The 2012 decision, in contrast, did not mention the publication timeline. Opposition. The procedures for an opposition to a patent or petty patent application are clear and concise under the new decision, whereas opposition was not mentioned in the 2012 decision. Examination request period. While the 2012 decision gave only a broad description of examination, the