The arrest of the head of the Dutch Milk Company for allegedly selling counterfeit powdered milk is creating headaches for the Netherlands’ FrieslandCampina Vietnam Company which sells long-life milk in Vietnam under the Dutch Lady Brand. The suspect company and the Dutch Lady milk brand are unrelated, a representative of FrieslandCampina has said, amid confusion among consumers, according to Tuoi Tre.
Of note, it is not all that uncommon for local companies to choose names that could easily be associated with an existing firm or brand to high-jack their brand reputation. Though Vietnam has in recent years strengthened intellectual property laws, the reality is that enforcement has been challenging.
As of April 2024, Vietnam remained on the Office of the US Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report which found that despite intellectual property rights reforms, there were still ‘serious concerns remain regarding IP protection and, in particular, enforcement’.
Protecting a firm’s intellectual property in Vietnam can, therefore, be a challenge. That said, an understanding of how intellectual property protection works in Vietnam may be key to ensuring a brand’s assets are properly protected.
See: How to Start a Business in Vietnam: Intellectual Property Protection