A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security had a working session with the Advisory Committee on Enforcement of the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

GENEVA — A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security had a working session with the Advisory Committee on Enforcement of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, seeking to strengthen cooperation in combating intellectual property rights violations.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation briefed WIPO representatives on this year's campaign against intellectual property-related crimes, with a focus on copyright and related-rights infringements in cyberspace.

After three months of intensive enforcement, Vietnamese police had identified and verified 600 cases, initiated legal proceedings in 205 cases involving 293 suspects, and seized goods worth more than VNĐ300 million (US$11,400).

Of the cases prosecuted, 30 involved 96 suspects accused of infringing copyright and related rights, while 175 involved 197 suspects accused of infringing industrial property rights. Authorities also imposed administrative penalties on 1,374 individuals.

The Vietnamese side noted that the rapid development of the digital economy, e-commerce and artificial intelligence (AI) has been accompanied by increasingly sophisticated and transnational intellectual property violations, often linked to other forms of crime.

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Public Security expressed its desire to step up information sharing, exchange law-enforcement experience, strengthen enforcement capacity and expand multilateral cooperation between national law-enforcement agencies and international specialised organisations.

The ministry affirmed that combating intellectual property crimes is an important part of safeguarding national security and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of organisations and individuals. It also reaffirmed its readiness to receive information and coordinate in handling suspected intellectual property violations involving Việt Nam.

A WIPO representative introduced long-term cooperation programmes to support member states in legal reforms under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), based on individual countries' commitments.

The WIPO said it is ready to cooperate with Việt Nam according to its practical needs, including providing online intellectual property training, sending experts to support capacity building for Vietnamese police and sharing watchlists of websites suspected of intellectual property violations.

The Vietnamese delegation said closer cooperation with the WIPO would help improve the effectiveness of intellectual property crime prevention in Việt Nam, while enabling the country to make more practical contributions to international efforts to protect intellectual property rights and combat cross-border violations. — VNA/VNS