Hotel Accommodation Services Trademarks Registration in Vietnam

 Nowadays, hotels are often combined with many business functions such as accommodation, entertainment, catering, massage,… However, when it comes to hotels, people often think of them as a place to stay. For business entities who want to register for trademark protection for their services, they can follow the following process:

Trademark registration classification:

         According to the Nice Classification, accommodation services are under class 43.

Documents need to preparing:

• A trademark registration declaration;
• 01 trademark sample with dimensions bigger than 3 x 3 cm and smaller than 8 x 8 cm;
• A list of goods/services intended to register;
• A power of attorney Viet An Law to submit (in case the owner apply to the representative of Viet An Law);
• Receipts of fee payments.

Before applying, the owner should carry out search procedures to evaluate the possibility of protection. Customers can use the search services of Viet An Law including preliminary search and in-depth search. After having the result, Viet An Law will consult, have a plan to amend, supplement trademark in case necessary, or quickly complete and apply as soon as possible.

Apply and monitor the process:

         This process includes these stages: Form appraisal; Publish the application on the gazette; Content appraisal; Grant and Publish the protection title. After the publication of the trademark registration application before the decision to grant the protection, the title is issued, the applicant may have to reply in writing to the opinion of the third party (if the Intellectual Property office issues a notice).

         Under current law, a trademark registration certificate is valid for 10 years from the submitting date (the submitting date is the date on which the application is received by the competent state management agencies in charge of industrial property or date of internation submitting for an application submitted under international treaties).

         The protection title can be renewed many times, every 10 consecutive years. To renew, within 06 months before the title is invalid, the owner shall submit a renewal application at the Intellectual Property office. The renewal application can be submitted later, but not later than 06 months from the date of expiration, or the owner is required to pay a renewal fee plus a 10% renewal fee for each month of late payment.

Notices: The list of goods/services cannot be amended after being granted the protection title. The owner only can amend the name, address, reduce the scope of protection and supplement the description of nature/quality/reputation of the product bearing the geographical indication, the map of the geographical area corresponding to the geographical indication, the regulations on the use of the collective trademark, the regulations on the use of the certification trademark.