On June 25, 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) issued Notice No. 2343/TB-SHTT, which outlines the method for calculating the deadlines for responding to office actions of industrial property applications (IP applications). This applies to digitally signed documents as well as documents that are sent late or misdelivered to applicants amidst the ongoing digital transformation and administrative reform.
In the context of rapid digital adoption, the IPVN has begun delivering all results of administrative procedures concerning industrial property in electronic form to the email addresses declared by applicants, effective from January 1, 2025. Cases where email addresses are unavailable or email delivery fails will receive physical documents by postal service.
The notice specifies that the response deadline will be determined based on the following conditions:
- For office actions issued by the IPVN that are digitally signed and sent via email to applicants, the start date of the response period is the date on which the document is digitally signed.
- In cases where technical issues cause delays in sending the document beyond the signing date, such as system errors or email delivery problems, the deadline for response to office action will start from the date the email was sent or the date indicated by the postal stamp on the envelope, rather than the signing date. Applicants in such cases are required to provide explanations and evidence, such as screenshots of email correspondence or the original stamped postal envelope submitted during the official process at the IPVN.
This notice aims to enhance the rights of applicants and facilitate smoother responses and handling of intellectual property procedures. Compared to previous methods based solely on the date indicated in official actions, this new approach is better suited for a digital environment, ensuring transparency and accuracy for all involved parties.
