Since Directive No.38/CD-TTg was issued on May 5, total fines have exceeded VND12 billion ($480,000), according to Tran Le Hong, deputy director general of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST). The ministry has established a monitoring mechanism to compile daily reports on violations nationwide to support the guidance and management work of the government.

Tran Le Hong, deputy director general of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam. Photo: MST

Of the total cases, about 1,146 cases were handled administratively, and 28 cases were prosecuted criminally. Locak authorities also discovered nearly 30 cases of serious violations.

"Three weeks after the PM issued Directive 38 on focusing on decisively implementing solutions to combat, prevent, and handle intellectual property (IP) infringement, the number of administrative violations handled tripled the average monthly rate for 2025. The number of criminal cases initiated related to IP infringement was equivalent to approximately 60 per cent of the total number of cases initiated in 2025," he shared.

According to the IP Office, many localities have established inter-agency task forces, strengthening coordination among the police, market management, customs, and other relevant agencies in inspecting, detecting, and handling violations.

The office also strengthens support for enforcement agencies, providing expert opinions to assist in handling cases of infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR) and industrial property rights, and publicly announces a contact point for assisting in searches and coordinating the provision of information to support the handling work of enforcement agencies nationwide.

He stated that the MST is coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to build a national database on IPR enforcement by the end of 2026. Based on the compilation of daily reports, the ministry is gradually forming an initial data source on the detection and handling of IP infringements nationwide.

It is expected that this database will integrate information on administrative and criminal violations; typical, serious, or complex cases; and simultaneously update data on IPR, expert assessment results, and the process of handling infringements by enforcement agencies nationwide.

“Once built and operational, the database will support enforcement agencies in searching, sharing, and cross-referencing information more quickly, and coordinating the handling of cases more effectively. The database will be a powerful tool for statistical work and forecasting trends in IP infringement, serving as a basis for planning the activities of IP enforcement agencies nationwide,” he noted.