Hair Care Services Trademarks Registration in Vietnam

Besides skincare and beauty, people are also very interested in hair care. For business entities of this type of service, it is possible to register for trademark protection to distinguish them from other’s services. When a protection title has been granted, the business entity can use or allow another person to use the service and earn profits. Moreover, being protected as a trademark will help the products to be promoted and attract more customers. 

         Trademark registration procedures can be summarized as follows:

Classify trademark registration groups:

         Haircare services are classified in Class 44 according to the Nice Classification. Haircare services include hair transplant services, hairdressing services.

Trademark samples:

         Enterprises can choose to register a trademark sample in the black-and-white or colored trademark. However, currently show that black-and-white trademarks have a wider range of protection because they can be used as colors or black-and-white. Customers should pay attention to ensure the distinctiveness of the trademark, the trademark is not allowed to be identical or confusingly similar to the trademark of others.

Prepare a dossier:

• A list of goods/services intended to register;
• A trademark registration declaration (if customers authorize Viet An Law to submit, this declaration will be signed by the representative of Viet An Law);
• A power of attorney to the representative of Viet An Law to apply;
• Receipts of fee payment.

The application process stage:

• Form appraisal (01 – 02 months): the Intellectual Property office considers the validity of the application and issues a notice to accept or refuse the validity of the application (if the applicants do not amend defects in the application).
• Publish the application on the gazette: the trademark registration application is published within 02 months from the date of application acceptance as a validity application and the applicant shall pay the publishment fee;
• Content appraisal (09 – 12 months): content appraisal helps to evaluate the possibility of the stated objects in the application to be protected according to protection conditions. This also helps to determine the corresponding protection scope. During the content appraisal, the Intellectual Property may request the applicant to explain the contents of the application and provide information within the nature of the stated objects in the application.
• Grant and publish the protection title (01 – 02 months).

In the application process stage, customers can use the trademark. However, if a dispute occurs, the trademark owner will find it difficult to protect certain interests.

A protection title is valid from the granting day to the end of 10 years from the date of applying, it can be extended many times consecutively every 10 years.

         For any information relating to trademark registration for services/goods, please contact Viet An Law to be given detailed advice.