Design copying and copyright disputes are the biggest problems for Vietnam-made handicrafts, hindering the development of fine arts production and export.
According to Nguyen Van Quang, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Industry Department, the copying of products’ pattern has become alarming. He related a story from a recent fine arts exhibition in Germany. Visitors at the exhibition said that they saw the same products being displayed at the booths of three different enterprises.
In fact, the laws stipulate that enterprises can register their designs at the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) in order to be protected by the laws. However, Vietnamese enterprises do not have the habit of registering trademarks and designs, while they even copy the each others’ designs, leading to uninterrupted disputes and lawsuits.
According to Dinh Manh Hung from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (VCCI) Centre for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Support, all enterprises just run after profit in the short term; they do not have long-term development strategies.
Moreover, he said enterprises did not want to spend time registering trademarks or designs. “The Law on Intellectual Property has become effective, but the procedures to register at NOIP prove to be complicated to follow,” Mr Hung said. Despite the complicated procedures, the management and law enforcement remains not good – this discourages enterprises.
Meanwhile, most Vietnam-made handicrafts are being exported to the US, Japan and EU, which are difficult-to please markets. The consumers there not only require good and beautiful products, they want products of diverse designs.
According to the General Department of Statistics, in 2006, the total export turnover of fine arts was $630.4mil, quite low if compared to the big labour force of 10mil workers in this industry.
Experts have pointed out that Vietnamese enterprises always export what they have, not what the consumers want. They export products which do not appeal to the tastes of the consumers in the target markets.
In fact, Vietnamese enterprises lack information about the tastes of consumers, prices, rivals and tendencies in the world, information vital for exporters.
However, enterprises hope that the situation will improve as the Prime Minister has approved the setting up of the Fine Arts Producers’ Association, which will act as trade promoter and information provider, helping enterprises to boost exports and popularise images of Vietnam-made handicrafts.
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