Nguyễn Ngọc Tuyết Trinh, vice chairwoman of the Việt Nam Association Against Counterfeiting and Protecting and Intellectual Property Rights talks to Hải Quan (Customs) newspaper on how consumers can avoid buying fake goods

How do you respond to fake goods and violations of intellectual property rights in Việt Nam?

The problem of fake goods and violations of intellectual property rights on hand-carried goods (HCG) has become a headache for Vietnamese authorities and consumers.

Many goods that transgress intellectual property rights in Việt Nam have been illegally imported. Also, many fake goods are produced in Việt Nam or imported in the form of parts and then assembled here. In addition, they often don’t have either a batch code or a bar code. Meanwhile, hand-carried goods have been mushrooming in on-line sales. What is more, most foreign imported HCGs that come in by air are considered illegal.

Will you elaborate on the negative impacts of on-line HCGs on Vietnamese goods?

Basically speaking, HCGs are imported into the country via different routes - not in big volumes. Việt Nam now has up to one million on-line or facebook shops that mostly avoid paying Government taxes. This has created a big problem for the Government in creating a level playing field for all business enterprises.

Please explain the co-operation between the Việt Nam Association Against Counterfeit and Intellectual Property Rights (VACIP) and the General Department of Việt Nam Customs?

In recent years, VACIP has supported the General Department of Việt Nam Customs (GDVC) in organising training workshops on differentiating genuine goods from fake goods for our VACIP members.

More recently, Việt Nam Customs has come up with new customs procedures that have created many difficulties for VACIP members. So we have proposed that the GDVC and the VACIP should sit together to iron out administrative procedures in the fight against trade fraudulence.

Intellectual property rights not only defend the rights of the owner, but also protect the nation’s investment environment and the rights of the consumer. They also protect Government’s revenue and Vietnamese employment.

Does the VACIP want to send a message to consumers on how to differentiate between genuine goods and fake goods?

Nowadays, thanks to the rapid development of science and technology, it is not easy for buyers to differentiate genuine goods and faked goods. So VACIP advises consumers to buy goods at certified shops and agents listed on official websites. — VNS