Trademark Registration for Hand Tools & Hardware in Vietnam

In an increasingly diverse and competitive hand tools market, building and protecting a brand is crucial for helping businesses establish their position and reputation. Registering a trademark for hand tools not only provides owners with legal protection for exclusive use but also serves as a foundation for sustainable brand development and market expansion, both domestically and internationally. In the article below, Viet An Law Firm would like to share with clients information on trademark registration for hand tools & hardware in Vietnam in accordance with current legal regulations.

Types of hand tools trademark for registration

According to Article 72 of the Intellectual Property Law 2005 (amended and supplemented in 2022), a trademark is protected if it is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods and services of different organizations and individuals. Therefore, any hand tool product can be registered as a trademark if it is legally manufactured and traded, and the owner wishes to establish rights to the brand name, logo, image, or identifying symbol of that product.

Hand tools eligible for trademark registration can be divided into two main groups: manual tools and motorized or electric tools.

Hand tools (Non-Electric)

This group includes most common mechanical, repair, assembly, and machining tools. Specifically, businesses can register trademarks for the following types of products:

• Hammers, axes, pliers, wrenches, spanners, screwdrivers, hand saws, knives, scissors, hand cutting tools;
• Manual mechanical measuring and leveling tools;
• Non-electric tools for peeling, planing, grinding, screwing, or chiseling;
• Hand repair tool sets;
• Hand agricultural tools such as hoes, shovels, sickles, pruning shears, and gardening tools;
• Multipurpose knives, pocket knives, paring knives, bottle openers, and small repair tools;
• Tools used in carpentry, mechanics, plumbing, or manual construction.

Products in this category are often traditional mechanical tools, which are easily counterfeited, so trademark registration helps protect the brand name, typography, logo, color, or distinctive image of the product in the market.

Motorized or electric hand tools

For modern tools that use motors or electric/battery power, businesses can register trademarks for products such as:

• Electric drills, electric screwdrivers, grinders, cutters, and hand polishers;
• Paint sprayers, glue sprayers, nail guns, and hand welders;
• Electric saws, circular saws, tile cutters, and metal cutters;
• Hot air blowers, handheld vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, and hand milling machines;
• Multi-tool or cordless power tool sets.

This product group has high commercial value and is of interest to many domestic and foreign businesses. Therefore, trademark registration helps businesses prevent copying, counterfeiting, or unauthorized use of protected trademarks.

Registering for multiple classes will help expand the scope of trademark protection, ensuring maximum benefits when the business develops additional related products or services.

Product classification of hand tools trademark during registration

According to the Nice Classification of Goods and Services, version 12-2024, hand tools are primarily classified under Class 8 Vietnam – Hand tools and implements for manual operation; Knives, scissors, forks and spoons; Sidearms, excluding handguns; Razors. Specifically:

Class 8 Vietnam mainly includes hand tools and implements for manual operation to perform tasks such as drilling, shaping, cutting and punching.

Class 8 also includes:

• Manual agricultural, gardening and horticultural tools;
• Manual tools for carpenters, artists and other craftsmen, e.g., hammers, chisels and carving/carving knives;
• Handles of manual hand tools such as knives and sickles/scythes;
• Electric and non-electric hand tools for personal grooming and body art, for example, razors, hair curlers, tattooing tools, manicure and pedicure tools;
• Manual actuators;
• Tableware such as knives, forks and spoons, including those made of precious metals;
• Non-electric hand tools and implements such as screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, wrenches, knives, scissors, hand-held cutting, turning, sharpening or grinding tools.

For hand tools with electric motors or batteries, businesses need to register trademarks under Class 7, such as mechanical machines and equipment, power hand tools, drills, grinders, cutters,…

Trademark applicants should note the correct classification according to this classification table. If the declared product or service categories in the application do not conform to the classification table, the Intellectual Property Office will reclassify them and the applicant will have to pay additional fees as prescribed.

Procedure for hardware brand registration

To file a trademark application for hand tools, applicants who want a quick and easy process can simply contact an Intellectual Property Representative Organization for comprehensive support at a reasonable cost and with the highest chance of successful registration.

The trademark application process typically takes 15-24 months and includes the following processing times:

• Formal examination: 1 month
• Publication of the application: within 2 months from the date the application is accepted as valid
• Substantive examination: no more than 9 months from the date of publication.

Regarding form, it should be noted that from August 1, 2025, the Intellectual Property Office will prioritize applications submitted online through the Office’s public service portal. Applicants should pay attention to the procedures for creating an account, obtaining a digital signature, and submitting the application online to ensure prompt processing. The four main steps for online trademark registration are:

• Step 1: Log in to the system at: https://dichvucong.ipvietnam.gov.vn/
• Step 2: Declare the application.
• Step 3: Pay the fees.
• Step 4: Receive the results.

Note: Self-filing of trademark registration applications in Vietnam is only applicable to Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese companies. For applicants (individuals or organizations) with foreign nationality, the application must be processed through an industrial property representative company such as Viet An Law Firm.

State fees for trademark registration

Based on Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC and Article 3 of Circular 63/2023/TT-BTC, the state fees for trademark registration include:

• Application filing fee: VND 75.000/application
• Trademark registration certificate issuance fee: VND 60.000/01 group of products/services, an additional VND 50.000 must be paid for each group from the second group onwards;
• Industrial property registration application examination fee: VND 550.000 for 6 products/services in one group, an additional VND 120.000 must be paid for each product/service from the seventh group onwards;
• Search fee for application examination (no more than 6 products/services in one group): VND 100.000; Each group with more than 6 products/services (from the 7th product/service onwards) is 20.000 VND per product/service (in cases where the Intellectual Property Office assists the applicant in grouping).
• Application examination fee for priority rights (if any): 600.000 VND/application;
• Application publication fee: 120.000 VND.

Notes on Hardware brand registration

Trademark search before filing: This is the most important step to determine if the intended trademark is identical to or confusingly similar to already protected trademarks. This helps clients avoid wasting time waiting (usually about 2 years) only to receive a rejection notice.

• File your application as early as possible: Because Vietnamese law applies the “First to file” principle (prioritizing the first applicant). Therefore, as soon as you have a business idea, you need to file your application immediately to avoid the risk of competitors quickly registering your trademark.
• Register for future industry sectors: You should register protection for all the goods and services you intend to do business with in the future. Good trademark names are often sought after; if you don’t “reserve a spot” beforehand, when you want to expand your business, that name may have already been registered by someone else for a new industry sector.
• Accurate classification of goods/services: The product categories in the application must be accurately arranged according to the International Classification of Goods and Services (NICE Agreement). Incorrect classification can lead to the application being rejected or the scope of protection not meeting expectations.
• Prioritize registering black and white trademarks: When registering a trademark in black and white, you will have the right to use that trademark in any color in practice while still being legally protected. This is the optimal way to have flexibility in packaging design and brand identity later on.
• Monitor the expiration date and proactively renew: Trademark registration certificates are valid for 10 years from the date of application. Owners need to renew the certificate within 6 months before the expiration date to ensure continuous protection (renewable multiple times, each time for 10 years).

With many years of experience in industrial property consulting and representation, Viet An Law Firm provides comprehensive support to clients throughout the trademark registration process, including: checking registrability, advising on the types of goods and services for which the trademark is registered, drafting documents, filing applications, and monitoring the examination process until the protection certificate is granted.

If clients require consultation on trademark registration for hand tools & hardware in Vietnam, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the best advice and support!