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TRADE ISSUES & RECOMMENDATIONS

2010CAC VN THNG MAI VA KIN NGH


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Contents/Mc lc

Chairman's Introduction

Progress Report 2008 / 2009

Overview White Book 2010

Implementation of WTO-Commitments

Intellectual Property Protection

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

Pharmaceuticals

Energy

Banking

Branded Consumer Products

Telecommunications

Human Resources

Transport and Logistics

Tax

Transfer Pricing

Wine and Spirits

Building Materials Supply

Tourism

Automotive

Retail

03

04

12

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44

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74

84

94

100

Li gii thiu

Tm tt hin trng kin ngh 2008/2009

Tng quan v n bn nm 2010

Tuyn b thc hin cam kt - WTO

Bo h quyn s hu tr tu

Mua bn v sp nhp doanh nghip (M&A)

Dc phm

Nng lng

Ngn hng

Sn phm tiu dng c thng hiu

Vin thng

Vn ti v giao nhn

Ngun nhn lc

Thu

Chuyn gi

Ru vang v ru mnh

Cung cp vt liu xy dng

Du lch

t

Bn l

03

05

13

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27

39

45

55

75

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101

106

114

126

132

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Li gii thiuIntroduction

I am very pleased to present to you our second edition ofEuroCham's White Book of Trade Issues andRecommendations. Like the first edition, the book aims tosummarize some of the key issues affecting the businessclimate for European businesses in Vietnam. Even thoughthe book remains sector-specific in nature, we haveincluded in the second edition some key areas that covermost - if not all - industries doing business in Vietnam, like

for example Intellectual Property protection, Mergers andAcquisitions (M&A) and the state of Vietnam'simplementation ofWTO-commitments.

Despite the ongoing impact of the global economic crisis,we believe that Vietnam is back on track already: Growthwill reach around 5% in 2009 and is projected to be ataround 6,5% in 2010. However, the government should notget sidetracked by this short-term rebound, but focusinstead on the fundamental constraints to Vietnam'scompetitiveness: That not only means opening up thetelecoms-, energy-, pharmaceutical- and retail industriesto foreign competition. But it also means equitizing thestate-owned enterprises, and tackling bureaucracy andcorruption which affect many of our European businesses.

Without such reforms,Vietnam will find it hard torise aboveits present niche as a low-costmanufacturing base into themore diversified, richer economy it could become.

In particular, EuroCham believes that the full and timelyimplementation of Vietnam's WTO-commitments in 2010will be a fundamental factor for Vietnam's attractiveness toEuropean investors and should therefore be high on theVietnamese government's agenda. 2010 will constitute akey period as many limitations both in terms of investmentforms and foreign ownership limits in committed servicesectors shall be lifted. EuroCham believes that almostthree years after WTO-accession, it is a good opportunityto examine what has been achieved and where there arestill improvements to be made. We also strongly believethat reducing bureaucracy, avoiding over-regulation andcarefully watching signs of discrimination between foreignand Vietnamese companies will help keeping Vietnam anattractive investmentdestination in thefuture.

In this edition, we have included for the first time aProgress-Update that will show specifically the progressthat has been made over the last year in the particular sectors. As one example of good progress we areparticularly proud to say that we were able to convince theVietnamese government to cancel thepersonal income taxon allowances for expatriate employees in Vietnam, thereby avoiding significant increase of cost of doingbusinessfor ourmembers in Vietnam.

Once again, we hope that you will read our White Book

2010 with interest and that its publication will serve tostimulate discussion on some of the lead issues facing theforeign business community in Vietnam. As always,EuroCham is ready to further discuss and advise on theimplementation of any of the changes proposed here. Wehopethat the White Book2010 will bewell received bytheVietnamese Government and can contribute to Vietnam'ssuccess story in thefuture!

Yours faithfully,

AlainCany,ChairmanEuropeanChamber ofCommerce in VietnamNovember2009

Ti rt hn hnh gii thiu vi qu v tp sch Cc vn Thngmi vKinnghcEuroCham xut bn ln thhai. Ging nh ln xut bn th nht, tp sch ny nhmtm tt cc vn chnh hin ang nh hng n mitrng kinh doanh ca cc doanh nghip Chu u ti VitNam. Mc d v c bn, danh mc cc ngnh trong cunsch l ging vi ln xut bn trc, nhng trong ln xutbn ny chng ti a vo mt vi kha cnh chnh bao

trm hu ht, nu khng phi l tt c, cc ngnh cngnghipang hot ng ti Vit Nam, v dnhbo v quynshu tr tu,mua bnv sp nhp doanhnghip (M&A)vtnhhnh thchin cc cam ktWTO ca VitNam.

Mc danghng chu nhhng cakhng hong kinh ttoncu, chng ti tin rngnn kinht Vit Nam hi phctr li: tng trng s t mc 5% trong nm 2009 v don s t khong 6.5% nm 2010. Tuy nhin, Chnh phkhng nn ng bn l bng s phc hi kinh t trongngn hn ny,m thay vo l tp trung gii quyt nhngro cn cn bn nh hng n tnh cnh tranh ca VitNam. iu c ngha l khng ch m ca cc ngnh vinthng, nng lng, dc phm v bn l cnh tranh vinc ngoi, m cn phi c phn ha tt c cc doanh

nghip nh nc ln, v gii quyt nn quan liu, thamnhng ang nh hng n nhiu doanh nghip Chu u.Khng c nhng ci cch nh vy, Vit Nam s kh c thvt ln khi mt th trng hin ti da trn nn sn xutc chi ph thp c th tr thnh mt nn kinh t phnthnh hn,adnghn.

EuroCham c bit tin tng rng vic thc hin y vkp thi cc cam kt WTO ca Vit Nam trong nm 2010 sl mt nhn t c bn Vit Nam thu ht cc nh u tChu u v v vy phi t u tin cao trong chng trnhngh s ca Chnh ph Vit Nam. Nm 2010 s l mt nmquan trng v Vit Nam s d b cc hn ch c v hnhthc u t v v gii hn quyn s hu ca nc ngoitrong cc ngnh dch v cam kt. EuroCham tin rng saugn 3 nm gia nhpWTO, y l mt c hi tt nh ginhng g t c v lnh vc no cn c ci thin.Chng ti tin chc rng vic gim nn quan liu, trnh thtc rm r v c bit lu n vic phn bit i x giacc doanhnghip Vit Namvncngoi s gipVitNamlun lmt im uthp dn trong tng lai.

Trong ln xut bn ny, chng ti cng b sung ln u tin PhnCpNht ch yu a ra nhng tin trin t ctrong nm qua trong mt s lnh vc c th. Mt v d v stin trin l chng ti c bit vui mng khi Chnh phVit Nam xa b thu thu nhp c nhn nh trn tin trcp ca cc lao ng nc ngoi ti Vit Nam, do gimng k chi ph hot ng kinh doanh cho cc cng ty hivincachng ti ti VitNam.

Mt ln na chng ti hy vng qu v s c Cc vn Thng mi v Kin ngh 2010 ca chng ti v n phmny s thc y cc cuc tho lun v cc vn ch chtm cngng doanh nghipnc ngoi ti Vit Nam anggp phi. EuroCham lun sn sng tho lun thm v thamvn v vic thc hin bt k thay i no c xut tiy.

Chng ti hy vng Cc vn Thng mi v Kin ngh2010 scChnh ph VitNam n nhn tch cc v cth gp phn vothnh cng ca VitNam trong tng lai!

Trn trng,

AlainCany

Ch tchPhng Thngmi Chu utiVitNamThng 11, 2009


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PROGRESS REPORT 2008/2009

trade issues & recommendations04

SECTOR PROGRESS 2008/2009 RATING

Implementationof WTO -

Commitments

Vietnam continuously passes new laws, decrees and circulars toimplementWTOcommitments.

Retail and distribution in practice remains a protected industrywhereVietnam imposes limitations by applying an Economic Needs Testbasedon soft criteria.

No clear guidance has been issued to foreign ownedpharmaceutical companies to establish 100% foreign owned

stsubsidiaries in VN. Despite clear WTO commitment effective 1 January 2009 so far no pharmaceutical company has been grantedan import license.

New Law on Intellectual Property (IP) and reform of the criminalcode as regards IPR infringement addresses many key issues.

The National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) continues toissue inconsistent decisions on whether one trademark infringesanother.

The administrative and criminal enforcement of IP-rights still fallsshort in a number ofaspects.

Speculative and abusive registration and maintenance of .vndomain names remains a problem inVietnam.

Intellectual

PropertyProtection

Despite clear rules, acquisition of shares in Vietnamese enterprisesaccording to WTO rules is often prevented or delayed by provincialDepartments of Planningand Investment (DPIs).

Consistent regulations, registration procedures and training of localDPIs to execute such regulations and procedures have still to beimproved.

Mergers andAcquisitions

(M&A)

Pharmaceuticals

Legal and administrative requirements to bringing new andinnovativemedicines to Vietnam remain burdensome.

Law ondata exclusivity yet to be issued.

The printing requirements of expiry date (for both drugs andvaccines) and compulsory information on small label in the primarypackaging (for vaccine) has to be improved in a number of aspects.

Good progress / AchievementIn progress / ImprovementNo progress / Not addressed

The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam


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TM TT HIN TRNG KIN NGH 2008/2009

Cc vn th-ng mi v khuyn ngh 05

Trin khai c hiu qu/ Thnh tuang trin khai/ Ci thin

Khng ci thin/ Cha trin khai

Thc hincc cam ktvi WTO

Vit Namv ang ban hnh cc thng t, nghnhvlutmi thchincccamktviTchcThngmi Th giiWTO.

Lnh vc phn phi v bn l vn l ngnhc bo h do Vit Namvn p dng ThmnhNhucuKinhttheomtstiuch.

Cha c quy nh r rng cho cc cng ty dc nc ngoi v victhnh lp cc chi nhnh 100% ch s hu nc ngoi ti Vit Nam.Mc d nhng cam kt vi WTO bt u c hiu lc t ngy 01thng 01 nm 2009, cho n nay vn cha c cng ty dc ncngoi no c cp giy php nhp khu.

Lut mi v Quyn s hu tr tu (IP) v sa i B Lut Hnh s,phn ti phm lin quan n quyn s hu tr tu gii quyt c

nhiu vn trng yu.Cc S hu Tr tu (NOIP) vn a ra nhng quyt nh cha nhtqunvvicviphm thng hiu ca cc doanhnghip.

Vic x l hnh chnh v x l hnh s i vi cc trng hp viphm quyn s hu tr tu vn cnhn chmt s mt.

Vic u c v lm dng ng k v qun l tn min .vnvncnlmtvn VitNam.

Mcd cquynh rt r rng, vic mua li c phn trong ccdoanh nghip Vit Nam theo quy nh ca WTO vn thng b ccSKhochvut khng cho php hoc tr hon tin hnh.

Cc quy nh nht qun, th tc ng k v cng tc tp hun cacc S K hoch v u t trong vic thi hnh cc quy nh v thtcvncnc ci thinhnna.

Cc yu cu v hnh chnh v php l i vi vic a cc snphm thucmi vo th trngVitNam vn cn l mt ro cn.

Lut cquyndliuvnchac ban hnh.

Vic yu cu in hn s dng trn bao b (i vi c thuc v vc xin)v cc thng tin bt buc trn nhn nh dn trn bao b trc tipng sn phm cncci thin trn mt smt.

L NH VC H I N T RNG T I N 2008/2009 NHGI

Bo v quyns hu tr tu

Mua bnv Sp nhp

cng ty (M&A)

Dc phm

Phng th-ng mi chu u ti vit nam


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Energy

Adjusting energy prices towardsmarket levels.

Maintaining government guarantees in order to encourage foreigninvestment and lessen the perception of high risk in relation tomajorprojects.

Although recent revised bidding regulations seem to requirecompetitive bidding for infrastructure projects if there is more thanone interested party, projects to date have been largely undertakenwithout a competitive bidding process. For each such project, thereis no efficient mechanism in place to agree a PPA tariff withEVN andno independent body to mediate between EVN, the Ministries andthe power producer.

A forward looking roadmap for the banking industry.

Efficiency and clarity in the way the market and the regulationsshould work so as to ultimately reduce the cost of delivery ofbankingproductsand services to businesses and consumers.

Clear guiding principles and removal of major impediments for theConsumerBankingandConsumerFinance industries.

Banking

No progress has been made towards the establishment of a legalframework thatwould allow for electronic invoicing.

Exaggerated registration requirements for promotional campaignscause tremendous administrative burdens and paper work for bothenterprises and the authorities, givenVietnamhas 63provinces.

There is no legislation that simplifies and synchronizes advertisingprocedures for all categories/forms of advertising whilst respectingspecific requirements of differentiation.

BrandedConsumerProducts

Telecommunications

HumanResources

A new draft Labor Code Draft was issued in August 2009 and is dueto be valid from 1st January 2011.

Within this Code, certain rules relating to probation period, workingtimes and overtime should be adjusted to meet companies'demands.

The new Telecommunication Law provides a transparent andupdated regulatory framework to cope with globalization and the fastdeveloping telecommunication landscape in Vietnam. The newRadio Frequency Law will regulate the issuing and use of frequency

bands and provide guidelines to developing, issuing andimplementing radio frequencyplans.

Opening of the state owned telecommunication companies to strategic investors is not going forward, no clear timeframe for this.



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iu chnh ginng lng tin gn ti mc gi nim yt trn th trng.

Gi vng cc cam kt ca Nh nc khuyn khch vn u tncngoi v gim thiu ri ro cho cc d n quan trng.

Mc dnhng quynh vu thugny ciu chnhchouthu cnh tranh i vi cc d n v c s h tng trong trng hpc nhiu bn tham gia u thu, tuy nhin nhng d n c nhnthu cho n thi im ny vn cha tun theo ng cc quy trnhca vic u thu cnh tranh. i vi cc d n nh th, khng cmt c ch hiu qu kp thi thng nht thuquan PPA vi EVN vkhng c c quan c lp no thm nh gia EVN, cc B v nhcung cpin.

Ngnh ngnhngang c nhiu tn hiu ngmng.

Cn nng cao tnh hiu qu v minh bch trong vn hnh c ch ththng gim bt chi ph cung cp i vi cc sn phm v dchv ca ngnh ngn hng cho c doanh nghip v ngi tiu dng.

Cn c nhng quy nh hng dn c th v loi b nhng tr ngichnh cho ngnh Ngnhng tiu dng vTi chnh tiu dng.

Vn cha c ci tin no trong vic thit lp mt khung php l chophp lu hnh honin t.

Nhng yu cu phc tp trong vic ng k cc chin dch qungco to nn nhiu gnh nng hnh chnh v cng vic giy t cho cdoanh nghip v cc c quan chc nng, khi m Vit Nam c ti 63tnh thnh.

Vn cha c c ch n gin v ng b v th tc qung co chott ccc loi hnh/ danh mc qung co, vam bo tn trng ccyu cu ring ca tng qung co.

Mt d tho ca B lut Lao ng c cng b vo thng 08nm2009 v sc hiu lc tngy 01/01/2011.

Vi b lut ny, nhng quy nh lin quan n thi gian th vic,khung thi gian lm vic chnh thc v quy nh v lm vic ngoigi sciu chnh pngnhucucacccngty.

Lut Vin thngmi banhnh cung cpmt khung php l c thv minh bch i mt vi nhu cu ton cu ha v mt bng phttrin vin thng nhanh chng Vit Nam. Lutmi ban hnh v tns v tuyn s iu chnh vic cp pht v s dng cc nhm bng

tnvnhm nh hng cho cc khoch pht trin, cp pht vsdng tn s v tuyn.

Cc cng ty vin thngNh nc vn cha thc s m ca cho ccnhutchinlcvvnchacmtkhungthigianrrng

Nng lng

Ngn hng

Ngnhsn phmtiu dng

c thng hiu

Vin thng

Nhn s



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Tax

New Personal Income Tax (PIT) law with reduced tax rates from 5%to 35%, postponing and then eliminating Personal Income Tax (PIT)for the first six months of 2009, cancelling taxation of certainallowances for expatriate employees.

Reduction of the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate to 25%.

New CIT law has only increased the cap on deductibility of

advertising and promotional expenses from 10% to 15%, and onlyfor companies during the first 3 years of operations.

While the services of airlines and shipping lines are considered to beinternational transportation subject to 0% VAT, freight forwarding issubject to VAT at 10%. For freight forwarders the transportation costis zero rated for VAT purposes but the profit element is subject to10% VAT.

Transfer Pricing

No clear guidance in relation to transfer-pricing related auditprocedures and potential penalties in the new draft circular on

Transfer Pricing.In particular, it is not completely clear if the audit procedures will beexactly the same as a tax audit or if they may differ in materialrespects.

No safe-harbor provisions for late preparation of transfer pricingdocuments provided they are made available to the tax authoritieswithin the normal period allowed during an investigation.

No coordinated approach with regards to coordinating customsvaluations with other valuations of other authorities.

Transport&

Logistics

Constant development in infrastructure and transportation matters;however further significant improvement is needed.

Port and road infrastructure has improved since 2008, but someissues like accessibility of ports by road/rail still urgently needs to beimproved.

Infrastructure investment has increased compared to 2008,howevermuchmore needs to be done.

Safety and security in the sector have improved compared to 2008.

Customs rules and EDI/E-customs: test phase and planned actionseen, however, final roll-out not yetdone.

Payment procedures:Cash payment of taxes and duties still the onlyway to get shipment released immediately. Setting up funds to drawfrom not possible yet.



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BuildingMaterialsSupply(Cement)

Competitive market pricing is not yet allowed so not all producerscan have a fair chance to supply the market based on faircompetition and their true costs to operate.

Removing preferential treatment for local companies, as well asState Owned Enterprises (SOEs) who are supposed to be goingthrough equitization, in gaining access to financial capital for large-capacity investments.

Wine and Spirits

VietnameseGovernment'smove towards a single rate for all distilledspirits above 20 abv.

Reducing the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on imported spiritsabove 20 abv from 65% to45%.

However, the 45% SCT rate should be applicable on the CIF pricefor importers, excluding customs duties.

Elimination of all discrimination in the advertising activities and anaccess on equal terms for all products.

Tourism

Limited Visa-exemptions only for ASEAN passport holders for staysof 30 days or less, or passport holders from Denmark, Norway,Finland, Sweden, Japan, Korea and Russia for a period of 15 days

or less.Moreover, the present Visa-On-Arrival system is a complicatedprocess: In fact, a Visa-On-Arrival can only be issued if certaindocumentation is provided before arrival, making it a misnomer in

Reducing the importduty onCKD parts.

Definition of used cars in CBU importation often abused as anillegal channel to import almost new CBU but with a lower importduty.

Automotive

Retail in practice remains among a protected industry whereVietnam imposes limitations by applying an Economic Needs Testbasedon soft criteria.

Retail



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Vic cnh tranh bng gi c trn th trng vn cha c chophp, do khng phi tt c cc nh cung cpucc hi ngangnhau cung cp vt liu cho th trng trn c s cnh tranh cngbng v hotngdatrngicthct.

Loi b vic i x u i i vi cc cng ty trong nc, cng nhcc doanh nghip nh nc thuc i tng s c phn ho trongvic tip cn vn ti chnh cho nhng khon utln.

Chnh ph VitNam chuyn sang ch dng mt t l nhtnh cho ttcccloirumnhcchngctc cn trn 20.

Gim thu tiu th c bit cho cc loi rumnh nhp khu ccn trn 200: t65% xung cn 45%.

Tuy nhin, mc 45% thu tiu th c bit ny nnnh trn gi CIFi vi nhnhp khu, chabaogmthuvphhiquan.

Xo b s phn bit i x trong hot ng qung co v tin ncc iu khonquy nh nh nhau i vimi sn phm.

Du lch

Hin ti, ch nhng cng dn mang h chiu ASEAN c min trTh thc nu lu tr 30 ngy hoc t hn, v ch nhng ngi mangh chiu an Mch, Na Uy, Phn Lan, Thy in, Nht, Hn Qucv Nga c vo Vit Nam trong vng ti a 15 ngy th khng cnTh thc.Hn na, h thng th thc ti ca khu l mt qu trnh rt phctp. Trn thc t, th thc ti ca khu ch c cp khi c mts giy t nht nh c np ti Vit Nam trc khi ngi ncngoithcsnVitNam, l mt quy trnh kh thc hin.

Gimbt thu nhp khu cho linh kin CKD.

nh ngha t qua s dng trong nhp khu CBU thng bhiu sai l mt knh bun bn bt hp php nhm nhp khu huhtccCBUvimcthunhpkhuthphn.

Ngnh bn l vn l mt ngnh c bo h trong Vit Nam pdng mt s gii hn bng cch thc hin Thm nh Nhu cu Kinhttrncsmtstiuch.

Bn l

Ru vangv

ru mnh

Cung cpvt liuxy dng(Xi-mng)

t



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OVERVIEW

We have seen over the past few months the mild recovery ofmost industry sectors: Credit hasbecome accessible, cheap and flowing more easily, and the stock market has more thandoubled within 2009. This can largely be attributed to the Government's first stimulus package,which reduced by 30% corporate income tax rates for small and medium-sized enterprises forthe fourth quarter of 2008 and for 2009, and cut by half the value-added tax on certain goodsand services until end of 2009. It also decided to give one-time additional financial assistanceto poor households and to firms a 4 percentage point interest rate subsidy on their short-term(up to 8 months) loans contracted and disbursed in February-December 2009. As a result, theVietnamese economy is now projected to grow at 5% in 2009 and at 6,5% in 2010. Inflation is

projected to be relatively low both years.However, at the same time, economists are still concerned about the sustainability of therecovery, fuelled as it is by government spending and cheap credit. The Asian DevelopmentBank predicts that Vietnam's budget deficit will widen from 4.1% of GDP in 2008 to 10.3% in2009. Financing the gap may not be easy. Investors these days are averse to risky emerging-market government debt. With foreign-currency reserves covering only around three months'of imports and an expected weakening of capital inflows (FDI, portfolio and private remittancesinflows), vulnerability on the balance of payments front is constraining the degree of monetaryeasing and fiscal stimulus available to the authorities. This calls for particular attention to bepaid to the financing of government budget deficits. The main near-term challenge now is tolimit the slowdown in growth while keeping the fiscal and current account deficits in check.

In the medium term, the Government needs to balance growth without fueling inflation orwidening the current account deficit. The Vietnamese Economy is still relatively small in scaleand businesses are very reactive tomonetary or fiscal policies. Therefore, EuroCham believesthat the subsidized interest scheme was very effective but seems now a bit too generous andtoo general. With the five-yearly Communist Party congress to be held in 2011, pressure tocontinue the stimulus is likely to be intense. If the Vietnamese government decides to continuethe stimulus, it should bewell-targeted, to alleviate poverty and enhance efficient infrastructureprojects, rather than general tax and interest-rate relief for small-medium enterprises.Beneficiaries of subsidized interest loans should be narrowed down for supporting exports andgoodequipments investments (machinery, trucks, etc.).

On a broader perspective, the focus on the government's fiscal stimulus may have distracted

Vietnam from general reform processes: We believe that the government should not getsidetracked by the short-term rebound, but focus instead on the fundamental constraints tothe economy's competitiveness. In a general sense, we feel the correct course for thegovernment in the present climate is to accelerate the structural changes within the economyso as to enhance productivity and maximize the nation's retention of its growth potential. Thatmeans continuing reform processes on all levels: First, micro reforms such as opening up thetelecom-, pharmaceutical- and retail industries to foreign competition. Second, streamliningthe state-owned enterprises, and, more generally, tackling the scourges of corruption and redtape. In particular, EuroCham believes that pushing on with state-owned enterprise reform(particularly state-owned commercial banks reform) has an important role to play in thestrengthening of the economy as a whole. EuroCham recommends that the Governmentaccelerates the equitization process and announces a clear roadmap and timetable to



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TNG QUAN


Ti Vit Nam, trong vi thng qua, s phc hi nh ca hu ht cc ngnh cng nghip cngc ghi nhn: tn dng tr nn d tip cn, r v lun chuyn d dng hn, th trngchng khon tng gp i trong nm2009. iunyphnlnlnhgikchcukinht utin ca Chnh ph, trong gim 30% mc thu sut thu nhp doanh nghip cho cc doanhnghip nh v va cho qu IV nm 2008 v c nm 2009, v bng cch ct gim 50% thu gitr gia tng i vi mt s hng ha v dch v nht nh n ht nm 2009. Chnh ph cngquyt nh h tr ti chnh b sung mt ln cho cc h ngho v cho cng ty bng hnh thc trcp li sut 4% i vi cc hp ng vay vn ngn hn (n 8 thng) v gii ngn t thng 2n thng 12 nm 2009. Kt qu l, nn kinh t Vit Nam hin nay d kin tng trng5%nm

2009 v6,5%nm2010.Lmphtcdbostngi thp trong c hainmny.Tuy nhin, cng thi gian ny, cc nh kinh t vn cn lo ngi v tnh bn vng ca s phc hikinh t bng bin php tng chi tiu Chnh ph v tn dng r. Ngn hng Pht trin Chu dbo rng thm ht ngn sch ca Vit Nam s tng t 4,1% GDP nm 2008 ln 10,3% nm2009. B p cho khon thm ht ny khng d. Cc nh u t ngy nay u khng munmo him vi tri phiu Chnh ph ti th trngmi ni. Vi d tr ngoi t ch trang trikhong ba thng nhp khu v d bo s suy yu ca cc lung vn (t u t trc tip ncngoi, u t gin tip n chuyn tin t nhn), cn cn thanh ton yu ang cn tr Chnhph thc thi chnh sch ni lng tin t v kch thch ti chnh. iu ny ku gi Chnh ph cnch trngc bitn bp cc khon thm ht ngn sch. Nhng thch thc ch yu trcmt l hn ch s tr tr trong tng trng trong khi vn theo di thm ht ti khon vng lai vthm ht ngn sch.

Trong trung hn, Chnh ph cn cn i tng trng m khng gy ra lm pht hoc m rngthm ht cn cn ti khon vng lai. Nn kinh t Vit Nam vn tng i nh v quy m v ccdoanh nghip phn ng rt nhanh vi cc chnh sch tin t v chnh sch ti kha. V vy,EuroCham tin tng rng chng trnh tr cp li sut pht huy rt hiu qu nhng hin naydng nh qu rng ri v qu chung chung. Vii hi ng nhim k 5 nm s t chc vonm 2011, p lc tip tc gi kch thch dng nh rt cng thng. Nu Chnh ph Vit Namquyt nh tip tc kch thch, chng trnh ny phi c nh hng tt nhm gim ngho vthc y cc d n c s h tng c hiu qu, hn l gim thu v li sut ni chung cho ccdoanh nghip nh v va. Cn thu hp nhng i tng c hng cc khon vay h tr lisut dnh cho h tr xutkhuvuttrangthit b tt (my mc, xe ti,v.v.).

ng trn quan im rng hn, vic Chnh ph ch trng kch thch ti chnh lm chchhng ca Vit Nam trong qu trnh ci cch chung: chng ti tin rng Chnh ph khng nn ichch ng bng vic phc hi mnh trong ngn hn, m thay vo phi tp trung vo vicgii quyt cc ro cn cn bnnh hng n kh nng cnh tranh ca nn kinh t. Theo cmnhn chung, chng ti cho rngnghng ng n caChnh ph trong tnh hnh hin nayl thc y thay i c cu kinh t sao cho c th tng nng sut v pht huy ti a cc timnng tng trng cn tim n ca quc gia. iu c ngha l tip tc qu trnh ci cch trntt c cc cp: Trc tin, ci cch vi m, chng hn m ca ngnh vin thng, dc phm vbn l cnh tranh vinc ngoi.Th hai, c phn ha cc doanh nghip nh nc, v hnna l gii quyt nn tham nhng v quan liu. C th, EuroCham tin tng rngvic ymnhci cch doanh nghip nh nc(c bit l ci cch cc ngn hng thng mi nh nc) sc vai tr quan trng trong vic y mnh ton b nn kinh t. EuroCham khuyn ngh Chnh



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potential strategic partners, in particular in the banking and telecommunications sectors.Without these reforms, Vietnam will find it hard to rise above its present niche as a low-costmanufacturing base into the more diversified, richer economy it could become.

With regards to infrastructure, we have observed troubling delays in many importantinfrastructure projects, serving as an impediment to both growth and productivity. We thereforeencourage the government to involve the private sector to speed up completion of those keyprojects underway and pending.With container shipping demand already challenging terminalcapacity, the state of the nation's ports remains an issue of the utmost importance and one

which risks having a severely limiting effect on future investment if not addressedcomprehensively and as amatterof urgency.

EuroCham notes that in this context, consumption of electricity has been growing by 15%annually, hence substantially surpassing the economic growth rates, and is expected to reach3.5 times the current 2009 figure by 2020. Compared to some other countries in the region,Vietnam has fallenbehindwith respect to developinga competitive electricitymarket. This issuehas not yet been settled due to a number of problems, of which electricity pricing is probably themost significant. This key problem is leading to a shortageof investment capital and threateningto perpetuate the slower growth in power capacity. Until the regulatory environment in Vietnamhas reached an internationally competitive level, EuroCham recommends adjusting energyprices and maintaining government guarantees in order to encourage foreign investment andlessen the perceptionof high risk in relation tomajor energyprojects.

We also encourage the Vietnamese government to full and timely implementation of Vietnam'sWTO commitments: Over the past years, Vietnam has greatly benefited from significantForeign Direct Investments (FDI) influxes triggered upon its accession to the WTO. Theresulting liberalization in significant service sectors has offered promising opportunities forbusiness development to foreign investors, notably in the fields of distribution, banking andtelecommunications. Vietnam now needs to demonstrate to the international community itswillingness to comply with its WTO commitments.Therefore the full and timely implementationof these commitments represents a fundamental factor for Vietnam's ongoing attraction ofsignificant levels of FDI. 2010 will constitute a key period as, in accordance with Vietnam'sWTO commitments, many limitations (both in terms of forms of investments and foreignownership) in committed sectors of services shall be lifted.

This is particularly true with regards to retail- and distribution: Even though Decision 10 hasopened the distribution sector to foreign service providers as of January 1st, 2009, theestablishment of 100% foreign-owned capital companies in the distribution sector remainssubject to significant administrative and procedural obstacles at local and central level. Inparticular concerning to foreign investors remains the requirement of an Economic NeedsTest (ENT) bywhich local authorities assess local conditions before issuing anauthorization toestablish any additional retail sales outlets. Few explanations on the scope of the ENT are to befound in Circular 9, guiding the implementation of Decree 23. Moreover, the establishment offoreign companies in the banking sector remains subject to burdensome and lengthyprocedures, and to date only a limited number of licences have been issued.



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TNG QUAN


ph nn y nhanh qu trnh c phn ha v cng b mt l trnh v thi gian biu r rng chocc i tc chin lc tim nng, c th l trong ngnh ngn hng v vin thng. Khng cnhng ci cch nh vy, Vit Nam s kh c th tng trng vt ln khi mt nn sn xutda vo chi ph thp hng timt nn kinh t phn thnhhn,adnghn.

V vn c shtng, chng ti chng kin s chm trnglongi nhiu dn csh tng quan trng, lm cn tr n tng trng ln hiu qu. Do chng ti khuynngh rngChnh ph nn ku gi s tham gia ca khu vc t nhn y nhanh tin hon thnh ccd n trng im ang thc hin v ang b tr hon. Vi nhu cu vn chuyn container ang

thch thc l cng sut cng, tnh trng ca cc cng ca quc gia vn l mt vn ht scquan trng v l mt trong nhng ri ro c nh hng hn ch nghim trng v u t trongtng lai nu khng c gii quyt ton din v cp bch.

EuroCham lu rng trong bi cnh ny, mc tiu th in tng 15%mi nm, vt tc tng trng kinh t ng k, v d kin s gp 3,5 ln vo nm 2020 so vi con s ca nm2009 hin nay. So vi mt snc khc trong khu vc, Vit Nam tt li pha sau v phngdin pht trin th trng in cnh tranh. Vic ny vn cha c gii quyt do mt s vn ,trong gi in c l l quan trng nht. y l vn chnh dn n thiu vn u t v eda ko di s chm tin trong vic tng cng sut cung cpin. Chonkhimitrng phpl ti Vit Nam t n mc cnh tranh quc t, EuroCham khuyn nghiu chnh gi nnglng v duy tr bo lnh ca Chnh ph khuyn khch u t nc ngoi v lm gim kh

nng rirocaolin quan nccd nnnglng ln.Chng ti cng khuyn ngh Chnh ph Vit Nam thc hin y v kp thi cc cam ktWTO ca Vit Nam:Trong nhng nm qua, Vit Nam hng li rt nhiu t dng vn uttrctipnc ngoi (FDI)ngk tngmnh t khi gia nhpWTO.Tdo ha cc ngnh dch vch cht to ra nhngchi pht trin kinh doanh y ha hn i vi cc nhutncngoi, c bit l trong lnh vc phn phi, ngn hng v vin thng. Vit Nam by gi cn phicho cng ng quc t thy s sn sng tun th cc cam ktWTO camnh. V vy vic thchin y v kp thi cc cam kt ny s l mt yu t c bn Vit Nam tip tc thu htngun vn u t trc tip nc ngoi., Nm 2010 s c coi l mt nm quan trng v theocam kt WTO ca Vit Nam nhiu hn ch (c v hnh thc u t v quyn s hu ncngoi) trongcc ngnh dchv scdb.

iu ny c bit ng i vi ngnh bn l v phn phi: Mc d Quyt nh 10 m cangnh phn phi cho cc nh cung cp dch v nc ngoi t ngy 01/1/2009, vic thnh lpcc cng ty 100% vn nc ngoi trong lnh vc phn phi vn cn phi chu nhng cn trng k v mt hnh chnh v th tc cp a phng v trung ng. C th lin quan ncc nh u t nc ngoi vn duy tr yu cu "Kim tra nhu cu kinh t" (ENT) theo chnhquyn a phng nh gi iu kin a phng trc khi cp php thnh lp thm bt c mtim bn l no.Thng ts 9 hng dn thc hinNghnh 23 ch nu vi gii thch v phmvi ca Kim tra Nhu cu Kinh t (ENT). Hn na, vic thnh lp cc cng ty nc ngoi tronglnh vc ngn hng vn cn chu nhiu th tc phin h v ko di, v cho n nay ch c rt tsgiyphpc cp.

EuroCham lu rng mc d Vit Nam tham gia vo Hip nh v Cc Kha Cnh Thng

Mi Lin Quan n Quyn S Hu Tr Tu ( "TRIPs"), vic bo h v thc thi quyn s hu tr



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OVERVIEW

EuroCham notes that despite Vietnam's accession to the Agreement on Trade RelatedAspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), protectingand enforcing intellectual propertyrights remains a problem in Vietnam:A broad range of counterfeit products continue to be soldin the Vietnamese market, and a significant number of retailers in both Hanoi and Ho Chi MinhCity openly admit that they expect the business of trading in counterfeit products to grow, andmany plan to continue selling counterfeit products in the years to come. EuroChamrecommends that the Vietnamese Government should increase its efforts to raise awarenessabout the value of intellectual property protection, in particular that it serves as an incentive formany European and foreign companies to research and develop their products further and

thereby benefitting the consumers in the long run. On the legal side, sanctions for sellingcounterfeit productsmust be increased and rigidly enforced in practice.

With regards to growing activities in the area of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Eurochamnotes that Vietnamese laws generally allow foreign investors to acquire shares in Vietnameseenterprises at unrestricted levels, unless specific restrictions are provided by the WTO andother Vietnamese laws. However, some local Departments of Planning and Investment (DPI)have shown resistance to this general principle and in some cases have tried to prevent suchacquisitions from being made, or have indefinitely delayed registering such acquisitions. Webelieve that such practice jeopardizes the attractiveness of Vietnam as an investmentdestination. The Vietnamese government should therefore implement clear and consistentregulationswith regards to scopeand limits toM&A activities.

Also of ongoing concern is the scope for deductibility of advertising and promotional (A&P)expenses under the new CIT law, effective as of the beginning of 2009: Whilstwe welcome theincrease in the cap on deductable expenditure from 10% to 15% of total expenses during thefirst three years of operations, the new regulations still fall short of the expectations of the widerbusiness community: A&P expenses are fully deductible in the vast majority of jurisdictions,and so this lack of material progress towards the eventual full abolition of theA&P tax cap onlyserves to reduce Vietnam's attraction as an investment destination for leading internationalbrands.

Further, we like to re-emphasize the opportunities for the government to increase its focus onsustainable energy use, and in particular electrical efficiency:With power demand significantlyoutpacing production and Vietnam one of the countries most at threat from global warming,

enhanced electrical efficiency stands to bring both important short and long-term benefits toVietnam. Along with adjustments in electricity pricing policy, and the expansion of the marketfor energy service companies, we highly recommend the creation of an Energy EfficiencyBoard in charge of promoting specific action plans and standards (i.e. green buildingstandards) on this vital topic.

With regards to human resources, we would like to point out increasing difficulties of ourmembers to obtain work permits for their staff in a timely manner. In particular, the formalrequirement of having a university degree often results in timely and costly efforts of ourmembers to evidence other experience in case an employee does not have such degree.Alsowe note that with regards to compulsory health insurance for foreign employees, the vastmajority of our members' employees are already covered by an existing health plan. It is



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TNG QUAN


tu vn l mt vn Vit Nam: Hng lot hng nhi tip tc c bn ti th trng VitNam, v rt nhiu cc nh bn l c H Ni v TP H Ch Minh cng khai tha nhn rng hmun vic kinh doanh hng gi pht trin, v ln k hoch tip tc bn hng gi trong nhngnm ti. EuroCham khuyn ngh rng Chnh ph Vit Nam nn n lchnna trong vic nngcao nhn thc v gi tr ca bo h s hu tr tu, c bit khi n l ng lc cc cng ty chu u v nc ngoi nghin cu v pht trin cc sn phm ca mnh hn na v do mang n li ch cho ngi tiu dng v lu di. V mt php lut, cn tng cng v thc thimnhmquy nh x pht bn hng gi.

Lin quan n cc hot ng ngy cng pht trin trong lnh vc mua bn v sp nhp doanh nghip (M &A), Eurocham nhn thy rng php lut Vit Nam ni chung cho php cc nh ut nc ngoi mua c phn ca doanh nghip Vit Nam mc khng hn ch, tr khi c cchn ch theo quy nh caWTO v trong cc lut khc ca Vit Nam. Tuy nhin, mt s S Khochvu t (DPI) khng p dng nguyn tc chung ny v trongmt s trng hp cgng ngn chn vicmua li doanh nghipangc tin hnh, hoc tr hon khng c thihn vic ng k mua li. Chng ti tin rng vic lm ny s nh hng nghim trng n shp dn ca Vit Namnhmt imnut.Do,Chnh ph Vit Nam cn phi thc hinccquynhrrngvnhtqunvphmvivccgiih n i vi hot ngM&A.

Bn cnh , vn quan tm khc l phm vi khu tr thui vi cc chi ph qung co vkhuyn mi (A & P) theo lut Thu Thu nhp Doanh nghip mi, c hiu lc tu nm 2009:Trong khi chng ti n nhnmctrnchiphA&Ptng t10%n 15% trn tng chi ph trongba nm u tin hot ng, cc quy nh mi ny vn cha png c k vng ca c cngng doanh nghip. Cc chi ph A & P c gim tr hon ton khi tnh thu trong a s ccphn quyt v nh vy vic thiu i s tin b thc cht khi hng ti vic bi b hon tonmc trn thu A & P ch lm gim bt sc hp dn ca Vit Nam nhmt im n u t chocc thng hiuhngu th gii.

Hn na, chng ti mun nhn mnh mt ln na cc c hi cho Chnh ph tng cng tptrung vo vic s dng nng lng bn vng, v c th l trong hiu qu s dng in: Vi nhucu nng lng vt xa sn lng v Vit Nam l mt trong nhng quc gia b e da nht ts nng ln ton cu, nng cao hiu qu s dng in s mang n li ch quan trong trongngn hn v di hn cho Vit Nam. Cng vi nhngiu chnh trong chnh sch gi in v vicm rng th trng cho cc cng ty cung cp dch v nng lng, chng ti khuynngh nn to

ra mt Hi ng in nng ph trch vic a ra cc k hoch hnh ng c th v cc tiuchun (chng hn tiu chun ta nh xanh) v ch quan trngny.

V ngun nhn lc, chng ti mun ch ra nhng kh khn ngy cng gia tng ca cc hi vinca chng ti trong vic nhn vin ca h c giy php lao ng kp thi.c bit, yu cuchnh thc v bng i hc thng khin hi vin ca chng ti mt nhiu thi gian v chi ph chngminh cc bng cp khc trong trng hpmt nhn vin khng c bng cpnhvy.V vn v bo him y t bt buc cho ngi lao ng nc ngoi, chng ti cng lu rngi a s nhn vin ca cc cng ty hi vin ca chng ti c bo him y t. Do , kh mbt h hy chng trnh bo him y t hin ti ca h mua bo him y t bt buc ti VitNam m trong nhiu trng hp, phm vi bo him khng bao trm rng nh chnh sch bohim hin c ca h. Theo , thc tbo him y t bt buc lm tngchi ph kinhdoanhi vi



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OVERVIEW

therefore unlikely that any foreigner is willing to cancel their existing health insurance in favourof a compulsory Vietnamese health insurance scheme that will in most cases not cover asbroad as existing policies. Accordingly, the compulsory health insurance in fact is an additionalcost of doing business for most of our members. EuroCham therefore recommends thatcompulsory health insurance for foreign employees to be cancelled with immediateeffect.

We also strongly believe that carefully watching signs of discrimination between foreign andVietnamese companies will help keeping Vietnam an attractive investment destination in thefuture: It is important to realize that most of our member companies contribute greatly to the

employment of many Vietnamese citizens and their families, upgrade the infrastructure andenvironment and are solid and reliable tax-payers. It is therefore highly important that foreigncompanies are treated equally to Vietnamese companies onall levels.

We finally note that whilst EuroCham represents the European private sector in Vietnam, theresolution ofmany of the issues addressed here could be supplemented by starting Free TradeAgreement negotiations between theEuropeanUnion andVietnam.

The above are only a few of the key issues of concern to our members and further and specificrecommendations on these and other key topics are detailed in the following papers.Wehighlywelcome any comment on the suggestions contained in this book and are happy to providefurther advice or expertise to aid in the consideration or implementation of the changesproposed here.EuroChamand its members have a firm belief in the great potential of Vietnam,both as a regional leader and as a destination for European investment. EuroCham and itsmembers are happy to contribute in any way we can to help the nation consolidate and build onits success.We look forward to working with the Government of Vietnam and all our membersand partners, both Vietnamese and European, to maximize their success in an ever morevibrant Vietnam!



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hu ht cc cng ty hi vin ca chng ti. V vy, EuroCham khuyn ngh nhanh chng loi bquynhbohimytbtbuc i vi cc nhn vin nc ngoi.

ng thi, chng ti cng hon ton tin rng vic theo di tt nhng du hiu phn bit i xgia cc doanh nghip Vit Nam v nc ngoi s gip Vit Nam tip tc l mt im u thp dn trong tng lai: iu quan trng l cn phi nhn nhn rng hu ht doanh nghip hivin ca chng ti ng gp rt nhiu trong vic to vic lm cho lao ng Vit Nam, nng cpcshtng v mi trng v l nhngnv nghim tc thc hin ngha v np thu. Do ,iu quan trng l doanh nghip nc ngoi phi c i x bnh ng nh doanh nghip

VitNammicp .Cui cng, chng ti nhn thy rng trong khi chngti i din cho khu vc kinh t tnhncaChu u ti Vit Nam, vic gii quyt nhiu vn c nu trong n bn ny cng sc bsung xem xt khi cc cuc m phan v Hip nh T do Thng mi gia Lin minh Chu uv Vit Nam bt u.

Trn y ch l mt vi trong s nhng vn quan ngi chnh ca cc hi vin ca chng ti.Cc khuyn ngh tip theo v c th hnv nhng vn ny v cc ch khc c cpchi tit trong cc trang sau. Chng ti rt hoan nghnh mi kin ng gp v nhng khuynngh nu trong tp sch ny v sn lng tip tctvngip v chuyn mn xem xt hocthc hin nhng thay i c xut y. EuroCham v cc hi vin ca mnh tin tngchc chn vo timnngtoln ca VitNam,nhlmtnc dn u trong khu vc v l mtim n ca ut chu u. EuroCham v cc hi vin camnh sn lng ng gp bngmicch c th gip Vit Nam cng c v pht trin trn nhng thnh cng ca mnh. Chng timong mun c lm vic vi Chnh ph Vit Nam, vi tt c cc hi vin v cc i tc cachng ti, c Vit Nam v Chu u, ti a ha thnh cng ca h ti mt Vit Nam nngnghnbaogiht.

TNG QUAN




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STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) COMMITMENTS



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TNH HNH THC HIN CC CAM KT VI T CHC THNG MI TH GII (WTO)


I. TNG QUAN

II. CCNGNHC TH

Vic Vit Nam gia nhpWTO tong lc cho vic imi ton din h thng php lut VitNam, c bit trong lnh vc lut u t v lut cng ty. Vic Quc hi thng qua Ngh quyt s71/2006/QH11 ph chun Ngh nh th gia nhpHip nh thnh lp TchcThngmi Thgii (WTO) ca nc Cng ha X hi Ch ngha Vit Nam m ng cho vic thc hintrc tip nhng cam kt ca Vit Nam theo php lut Vit Nam.Vit Nam sau tng cngh thng php lut camnh bng cc vn bn lut v quy nh c th nhm tun th cc nghav quc t v cam kt ring m mnh cn phi hon thnh trong ngnh dch v.n nay, mcdbanhnhmtslng ng k cc vn bn lut c th, cc c quan nh nc vn chanm bt c hi lm r mt s thut ng chung ang c s dng vn khng c nh nghati cc cam kt WTO v ghi nhn gi tr php l ca nhng thut ng ny mt cch nht qungia cu ch v tinhthncatchc.

Vit Nam cn nhn mnh v th hin r vic mnh sn sng tun th cc cam kt khi gia nhpWTO, c th l trong vic thc hin y v ng hn cc cam kt ny: Nn kinh t Vit Namc hng li rt nhiu tvic thu htut trc tip nc ngoi (FDI) rng ri bt u tkhigia nhp WTO v s t do ha trong cc ngnh dch v quan trngmang li nhiu c hi hahn cho vic pht trin kinh doanh ca nh u t nc ngoi, c bit l trong cc lnh vcphn phi, ngn hng v vin thng. Do , vic thc hin y v ng hn nhng cam ktny l mt nhn t c bn bo m vic Vit Nam tip tc thu ht mt lng lnut trc tipnc ngoi. Nm 2009 v 2010 l giai on quan trng bi v, theo cc cam kt ca Vit Namkhi gia nhp WTO, nhiu hn ch (c v hnh thc u t ln t l vn nc ngoi) trong cclnhvcdchvccamktscdb .

Vic nh gi thc t tin trnh ang thc hin cc cam ktWTO k t khi gia nhp d dng l cc vn v tr ngi chnh cn c xem xt v gii quyt cng nh pht hin s khngng nht gia cc cam kt WTO v vic thc hin cc cam kt ny, c bit l cc c quanchnh quyn a phng. i vi hot ng u t trong cc lnh vc kinh doanh c iu kin,cc c quan c thm quyn cp php him khi tun th thi hn x l h s xin cp giy chngnhn u t, lm cho thi gian x lkodihn d nh v cc nh u t kh c th tin hnhng tin . Thng thng, giy chng nhn u t cp cho doanh nghip c vn u tnc ngoi trong cc ngnh dch v c thi hn rt ngn (thng l 5 nm). Do thiu ccThngt v Ngh nh hng dn thi hnh cc cam kt WTO, cc c quan c thm quyn cp phpthng ch da vo cng vn t cc B c lin quan (B K hoch v u t, B Ti chnh, BCng thng v.v.). Tuy nhin phn ln l khng c cng vn hng dn. Nu c, cc cng vnny cng khng c ph bin cng khai v hiu lc php lut ca cc cng vn ny cng

cha r rng.

1. Bn l v Phn phi:Phn phi tip tc lmt trong nhng ngnh Vit Nam t ra cc hnch. Tuy nhin, cc c quan nh nc hon thnh mt s giai on trong tin trnh bi bton b hn ch i vi cc hot ng phn phi (ch cho cc mt hng c php phn phi)i vi cc nh cung cp dch v nc ngoi theo lch trnh sau y:

- C th kinh doanh nc ngoi c php tin hnh hot ng u t di hnh thccngty100%vnncngoiktngy1thng1nm2009 .

- K t ngy 1 thng 1 nm 2010, t chc nc ngoi hot ng trong lnh vc phnphi, nh i l hoa hng, bn bun v bn l c th m rng phm vi kinh doanh camnh i vi tt c cc sn phm sn xut ti Vit Nam v nhp khu hp php vo

Vit Nam, bao gm xi mng, lp xe, giy, st thp v ru vn b hn ch trc y.



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Vic thc hin nhng quy nh ny c nu c th ti Ngh nh s 23/2007/N-CP ca Chnhph hng dn chi tit Lut Thng mi v hot ng mua bn hng ha v hot ng phnphi ca doanh nghip c vn u t nc ngoi ti Vit Nam (Ngh nh 23) v Quyt nh s10/2007/Q-BTM ca B Thng Mi ngy 21 thng 5 nm 2007 cng b l trnh thc hincc hot ng mua bn hng ha v hot ng phn phi. Tuy nhin, vic thnh lp cng ty100% vn nc ngoi trong lnh vc phn phi vn chu nhiu tr ngi v th tc hnh chnh cp a phng v trung ng. Tng t, hot ng cung cp dch v i l v cc hot ngtrunggian thngmi khcvn cn chu nhiu hn ch.

Mt vn quan ngi khc cho nh u t nc ngoi gn lin vi vic thc hin Thm nhNhu cu Kinh t (Economic Need Test - ENT) m thng qua cc c quan chnh quyn aphng nh gi cc iu kin ca a phng trc khi quyt nh xem c cho php mt cng

ty c vn u t nc ngoi ang hot ng c thnh lp thm c s bn l hay khng.Thng t 09/2007/TT-BTMngy17 thng7 nm 2007hng dn thi hnhNgh nh23 (Thngt 09) c a ra mt s hng dn v Thm nh Nhu cu Kinh t. Trn c s cc quy nh nuti Biu Cam kt, Thng t 09 quy nh rng Thm nh Nhu cu Kinh t s c nh gi datrn ba tiu ch sau y: (i) s lng cc c s bn l trnmt khu vc a l, (ii) s n nh cath trng, v (iii) quym cakhu vc a l .Sau khi Thng t 09 c ban hnh, vn chac thm bt k hng dn chi tit no c ban hnh tip sau , v vy vic din gii cc tiuch ny vn hon ton ph thuc vo kin ch quan ca cc c quan nh nc. Mt vn khc c lin quan l vic mt s c quan c thm quyn xem vic m cc vn phng giao dchng ngha vi vic thnh lp thm cc c s bn l. Theo Ngh nh 23, c s bn l l mtn v thuc s hu ca doanh nghip thc hin vic bn l. Tuy nhin, vn phng giao dchc th c cc chc nng khc nh l trung tm dch v hoc bo hnh cho cc sn phm cadoanh nghip, v khng nht thit thc hin vic bn l. Trong trng hp ny, nu vn phng

giao dch khng tin hnh bn l, cc c quan nh nc c thm quyn khng nn gn lin hs xin m vn phng giao dch vi vic thc hin Thm nh Nhu cu Kinh t. Ni tm li, vothi im ny, Thm nh Nhu cu Kinh t c v nh l mt ro cn i vi nh u t ncngoi trong vic thm nhp th trng v vic m cc c s bn l tip theo ph thuc vo nhucu kinh t ca khu vc trn thc t. iu ny tri vi cam kt ca Vit Nam cho phpmrng th trng hon ton vo nm 2009 i vi cc nh u t nc ngoi mong mun thamgia vo lnh vc phnphi.

2. Thuc v dc phm:Cc sn phm thuc v dc phm c loi tr khi cc cam ktcaVit Nam khi gia nhp T chcThngmiTh gii.Doanh nghip nc ngoi ni chungb cm phn phi bt k loi thuc no. Tuy nhin,Quyt nh s 10/2007/Q-BTM,mt phnca hot ng m ca kinh doanh v hot ng phn phi, cho php cng ty c vn u t

nc ngoi nhp khu thuc trc tip k t ngy 1 thng 1 nm 2009. Cc cng ty nhp khuc vn nc ngoi sau s bn bun li sn phm nhp khu cho cc nh phn phi VitNam. Tuy nhin, vo thi im hin nay vn c cc quy nh c th hng dn th tc nhpkhu. Tuy cc th tc cp giy php nhp khu kh r rng, Vit Nam vn cha ban hnh quynh vcc iu kin cc cng ty c vn u t nc ngoi nhp khu dc phm vo VitNam. Trn thc t,Thng t 06/2006/TT-BYT ngy 16 thng 5 nm 2006, hng dn vic xutkhu, nhp khu thuc v m phm vm t cc iu kin tin quyt tin hnh th tc nhpkhu, khng p dng i vi cc cng ty c vn u t nc ngoi. Vic gii quyt th tc hiquan cng c th kh khn do thiu cc hng dn ng tin cy p dng cho cc nh nhpkhu nc ngoi. Vn ny hin ang c B Y T tho lun v c th mt nhiu thi gian c quyt nh cui cng. T gi n lc , B Y T khng nh rng vic nhp khu sc gii quyt trn c s tng trng hp c th. Chng ti xut Chnh ph y nhanhtin trnh ny.



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3. Ngn hng: Cc t chc nc ngoi c php tin hnh cc hot ng ngn hng dihnh thc cng ty lin doanh v cng ty 100% vn nc ngoi. Vo ngy 16 thng 7 nm 2009,Chnh ph ban hnhNgh nh 59/2009/N-CP (Ngh nh 59) a ra mt khung php l chungv t chc v hotng cho cngnhng thngmi trongnc v ngnhng thngmi cvn nc ngoi ti Vit Nam (FOCBs). Trong nm 2009, c nm ngn hng nc ngoi thnh lp chi nhnh thuc shu 100%vn nc ngoi ti VitNam.

Th tc thnh lp cc ngn hng 100% vn u t nc ngoi lmt qu trnh phin toi v kodi i vi cc nh u t nc ngoi. Do , ch c mt vi ngn hng c cp giy php).TheoNgh nh69/2007/N-CP, tng mc s hu c phn cacc nh u t ncngoi trongcc ngn hng thng mi Vit Nam vn ch gii hn 30% vn iu l ca cc ngn hngthng mi Vit Nam .Nu nh u t nc ngoi khng phi l ngn hng th tng mc s

hu c phn ny c gii hn ch cn 5% v nu l ngn hng th cn 10%. Tuy nhin, i vinh u t chin lc, tng mc s hu c phn ny ti a l 15% v c th ln n 20% nhngphi c ph chun c bit ca Th tng. Chng ti ngh cn phi tng thm tng mc shu c phn ca cc nh u t nc ngoi trong cc ngn hng thng mi Vit Nam. DoQuyt nh 88/2009/Q-TT v vic ban hnh Quy ch gp vn, mua c phn ca nh u tnc ngoi trong cc doanh nghip Vit Nam khng quy nh v vn mua bn & sp nhpdoanhnghip, chng ti nghbanhnhThng thng dn thi hnh Quyt nh 88vvnmua bn vsp nhp trong lnhvc ngnhng.

4. Vin thng:Chng ti xin lu rng cc cam ktWTO cho php cc nh u t nc ngoil mt bn trong Hp ng Hp tc Kinh doanh c chuyn sang hnh thc u t khc cngnh c thnh lp cng ty lin doanh vi t l gp vn (ca pha nc ngoi trong lin doanh)ln lt l 49% vn php nh ca lin doanh trong cc cng ty vin thng c h tng mng v

51% trong cng ty vin thng khng c h tngmng.Gii hn t l phn vn gp ca pha ncngoi c tun th nghimngt ti Ngh nh s 121/2008/N-CP ca Chnh ph v hot ngu t trong lnh vc bu chnh vin thng. Hin nay, Vit Nam vn cha c quy nh v vicchuyn i t hnh thc Hp ng Hp tc Kinh doanh sang cc hnh thc u t khc. Chngti xin kinnghban hnhquy nhvccphng thc chuyni trong lnhvc ny.

Kin nghCng ng doanh nghip Chu u khuyn ngh thc hin cc cam kt ca Vit Nam vi TchcThngmi Th gii mt cch ton din v ng hn. Trn ht, cc th tc xin cp phpp dng cho cc lnh vc c m ca vn l mi quan tm hng u ca cng ng doanhnghip nc ngoi v cc nh u t tim nng. Cc c quan nh nc ph trch v u t vthng mi cp a phng thng ngn ngi trong vic cp php nu khng c quy nh r

rng do c qu t hng dn ton din t ccB chuyn trch.ThtcthuthpkintccBv c quan lin quan mt nhiu thi gian v khng chc chn. Chng ti ngh:- Gim st cht ch vic thc hin cc cam kt n nm 2012. C quan nh nc Vit

Nam nn xem xt nhng bin php b sung nhm m ca th trng thm na bi vcccamktWTOlmtbc pht trin tch cc tin n hi nhp quc t su rng.

- Nu khngcnbtk gii thch haychuynig trong cc vn bn php lut quc gia,cam ktWTO trong tng ngnh c thnn c trc tippdng.

- i vi ngnh bn l v phn phi, cng ng doanh nghip Chu u xin kin nghrng: 1. L trnh thc hin cc hot ng kinh doanh phn phi nn c theo di vhon chnh khng tr hon; 2. Chnh ph cn quy nh r phm vi hot ng ca ccvn phng giao dch v c s bn l v khng a ra cng yu cu trong trng hpcc cng ty nc ngoimun m vn phng giao dch; v 3.Chnh ph cn quy nh rv c th cc tiu ch ca vic Thm nh Nhu cu Kinh t v khuyn khch cc c quanc thm quyn a phng c mt cch hiu thng nht v ton din v vn ny.



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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION IN VIETNAM

I. OVERVIEW

II PROTECTIONOF TRADEMARKAPPLICATIONS/REGISTRATIONS

Despite Vietnam's accession to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of IntellectualProperty Rights (TRIPs), protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights remains aproblem in Vietnam. A broad range of counterfeit products continue to be sold in theVietnamesemarket, including garments, accessories (e.g., sun glasses, hand bags, etc.), foodproducts, wines and spirits, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, computer software, vehiclespare parts, engine lubricants, electro-mechanical products and consumer electronics. Counterfeiters in Vietnam are becomingmore sophisticated in their methods and practices, aswell as in their use of counterfeiting technology to produce counterfeit products that are easierto pass off as genuineproducts toVietnamese consumers.

Equally troubling is the apparent attitude of Vietnamese retailers toward selling counterfeitproducts. According to a recent Nielsen survey, a significant number of retailers in both Hanoiand Ho Chi Minh City openly admit that they are benefitting significantly from the sale of counterfeit products. In fact, many say they expect the business of trading in counterfeitproducts to grow, and many plan to continue selling counterfeit products in the years to come. The same poll showed that Vietnamese consumers, though aware of the poor quality ofcounterfeit products, continue to buy them mainly because of the lower price. Sometimes,Vietnamese consumers are also unable to differentiate between counterfeit and genuineproducts.Overall, Vietnamese retailers and consumers seem to lack sufficient awareness thatcounterfeiting not only results in the delivery of low quality and, in some cases, dangerousproducts to Vietnamese consumers, it has also been shown that the trade in counterfeitproducts often funds various criminalactivities.

Recommendation: Relevant Vietnamese governmental bodies should increase their effortsto raise awareness among both Vietnamese businesses and consumers about the value ofprotection for intellectual property rights (hereinafter referred to as IPR). In particular, strongprotection for IPR serves as an incentive for many European and foreign companies to research and develop their products further, thereby benefitting consumers in the long run.Also, the Vietnamese public must be made more aware of the dangers of counterfeit productswith regards to safety (spare parts) and health (pharmaceuticals, wine and spirits). On thelegal side, sanctions for selling counterfeit products must be increased and rigidly enforced inpracticeas a deterrent to counterfeitingactivity.

1. Decisions of NOIP on trademark infringements: The National Office of IntellectualProperty ("NOIP") continues to issue very questionable decisions on whether one trademarkinfringes another. This situation, which often arises in the context of opposition andcancellation proceedings, is especially troubling for research-based pharmaceuticalcompanies whose popular and well-known trademarks are systematically imitated by someVietnamese manufacturers of pharmaceutical products. In many cases, those manufacturerssimply manipulate or change a few letters in another party's registered trademark to createtheir own new marks. This situation requires the real trademark owners to incur considerablecosts attempting to prevent and/or cancel the registration of marks that should have beenrefused registration in the first place. Moreover, in some cases, the NOIP does not sufficientlyconsider evidence that a trademark application has been filed in bad faith. This may be thecase where an applicant has a history of (i) filing applications that imitate the trademarks of



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BO V QUYN S HU TR TU TI VIT NAM


I. TNG QUAN

II BOV N/ NG K NHN HIU HNG HA

Mc d Vit Nam gia nhp Hipnh v Cc Kha Cnh Lin Quan n Thng Mi caQuyn S Hu Tr Tu (TRIPs), vic bo v v thc thi quyn s hu tr tu vn cn l mt vnnn VitNam.Nhiu chng loi hng ha gi mo tip tc c by bn ti th trng Vit Nam,bao gm hng may mc, ph kin thi trang (v d: mt knh, ti xch, v.v.), hng thc phm, ruv thc ung c cn, hng m phm, sn phm dc phm, phn mm tin hc, ph tng xe, dunhn ng c, cc sn phm c in v in t tiu dng. Cc i tng sn xut hng gi VitNam ang tr nn ngy cng tinh vi hn trong phng php v cch thc thc hin, cng nhtrong vic ng dng cc cng ngh sn xut hng gi, khin khin ngi tiu dng Vit Nam ngycngdnhm ln hnggi vi hng tht.

Mt vn tng t l thi mc nhin ca ngi bn l Vit Nam i vi vic bn hng gi.

Theo mt kho st gn y caNielsen,mt s lng ln ngi bn l c H Ni v Thnh phH ChMinh cng khai tha nhn rng h ang khai thc li nhun ng k t vic bun bn hnggi. Thc t, nhiu ngi cho bit rng h mong vic bun bn hng gi s pht trin, v c nhiudnh tip tc bn hnggi trong nhngnmti.Mt kho st tng t cho thy ngi tiudngVit Nam, mc d nhn thc c cht lng km ca hng gi, vn tip tc mua hng gi chyu bi v gi r.i khi ngi tiu dng Vit Nam cng khng c kh nng phn bit hng gi vhng tht. Ni chung, ngi bn l v ngi tiu dng Vit Nam dng nh khng nhn thcc rng vic kinh doanh hng gi khng ch cung cp hng km cht lng v, trong mt strng hp, gy nguy him cho ngi tiu dng, m cn thng tip tay cho cc hot ng tiphmhnhs.

Kin ngh: Cc c quan nh nc Vit Nam lin quan cn tng cng n lc nng cao thc ca

c cng ng kinh doanh ln ngi tiu dng Vit Nam v gi tr ca vic bo v quyn s hu trtu (sau y c gi l QSHTT). C th l vic bo v mt cch quyt lit QSHTT s khuynkhch nhiu cng ty ca Chu u v nc ngoi nghin cu v ci tin sn phm ca h t mang li li ch cho ngi tiu dng trong di hn. ng thi, cng chng Vit Nam phi ctuyn truyn hiu r hn v cc ri ro pht sinh t hng ha gi mo v an ton (i vi linhkin ph tng) v sc khe (i vi dc phm, ru v thc ung c cn). V phng din phpl, cc ch ti i vi hnh vi bn hng gi mo cn c tng nng v thc thi nghim tc trongthc tinnhm rn evickinhdoanh hnggi.

1. Quyt nh ca Cc SHTT v vic xm phm nhn hiu hng ha: Cc S Hu Tr Tu("SHTT") vn tip tc ban hnh cc quyt nh gy tranh ci khi xc nh liu rng mt nhn hiu

np n c xm phmmt nhnhiu khc hay khng.Tnh hung vn thng pht sinh trong ccth tc phn i n ng k nhn hiu v hy b hiu lc vn bng bo h ny l cc k rc rii vi cc cng ty dc phm chuyn nghin cu sn phm mi m cc nhn hiu ph bin vni ting ca h b bt chc mt cch c h thng bi mt s nh sn xut dc phmVitNam.Trong nhiu trng hp, cc nh sn xut ny chngin l bt chc hoc thay i mt t k ttrong nhn hiu ng k bo h ca mt cng ty khc to ra cc nhn hiu mi ca h.Tnh hung ny khin cho nhiu ch s hu nhn hiu hng ha tht s phi tn km chi ph ngk nhm c gng ngn cn v/ hoc hy b hiu lcvnbng bo h cc ng k nhnhiu hngha m l r a phi b t chi ngay t ban u. Hn na, trong mt s trng hp, Cc SHTTkhng xem xt y cc chng c th hin rng n ng k nhn hiu c np vi mcch khng ngay tnh. Trng hp ny c th xy ra khi ngi npn c tin s (i) np n ngk nhn hiu hng ha bt chc cc nhn hiu ca cc cng ty khc, (ii) bt chc bao b nggi sn phm ca cng ty khc hoc (iii) np nhiu n cng lc cho cc nhn hiu bt chc gn

ging nh mt nhn hiu ca mt cng ty khc. Theo php lut ca nhiu quc gia khc, hnh vi



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other companies, (ii) imitating another company's product packaging or (iii) simultaneouslyfiling multiple applications for marks each of which closely imitates a mark of another company.In many jurisdictions outside of Vietnam, such behavior is compelling evidence that theapplicant is trying to tradeon the goodwill of another party's trademark.

Recommendation: The NOIP should issue more reasonable decisions on confusingsimilarity in trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings. Such decisions shouldreflect in detail all relevant facts and circumstances so that the parties can understand thereasoning underlying the decision.TheNOIP should be more critical of filings in bad faith.

2. Decisions of NOIP on opposition proceedings: Under current Vietnamese law,oppositions to trademark applications are permitted. However, the opposer's arguments and

supporting documents are treated as mere "evidence" on the issue of registrability of thechallenged trademark. The NOIP can therefore still deny the opposition, even in cases where,for example, an applicant who has filed its application in bad-faith does not respond to theopposition. Trademark applicants seeking to exploit another party's trademark will often filemultiple applications for confusingly similar marks. Applications that are filed in bad faith oftenmature to registration without the applicants ever having to defend the registrability of any of thechallenged trademarks, even when their applications are opposed. This puts the real trademark owners at a significant disadvantage.

Recommendation: Applicants for trademarks should always be required to defend theirtrademark applications in response to oppositions. The NOIPmust look closer into the issue ofmultiple filings in bad faith.

Vietnam's Intellectual Property Law (IP Law), Civil Code, Commercial Law, Law onCompetition and related implementing legislation together provide a reasonably good legalframework for protecting intellectual property rights. However, legal rights are only as good asthe ability of the IP owner to enforce them. In this regard, Vietnam still falls short in a number ofrespects. The following issues need the Government'sattention:

1. Justifiable Administrative Raid Action: Under Article 211 of the Amended IntellectualProperty Law 2009, IPR owners can request administrative sanctions if an act of infringementcauses damage to consumers, society, the author or the IPR owner. The burden of proof isplaced on the IPR holder to prove such damages prior to launching an action. No guidance

has been issued on themeaning of causing damage. It is not clear whether actual loss needsto be proved or whether a likelihood of causing loss is sufficient; whether damage can beinferred from consumer confusion or whether actual physical/fiscal damage must be shown.Without this guidance, it will not be clear when an IPR holder can pursue administrative actionagainst infringements of its IPR.

Recommendation:Drafters of the legislation should look to more established jurisdictions forassistance on this complex issue prior to issuing detailed guidance and in any event before theLaw becomes effective on 1 January 2010.

2. CriminalLiability :Only a few criminal cases involving IPR have been brought to trial in thelast two years. The Amended Penal Code was passed by the National Assembly on 19 June

2009 and will take effect on 1 January 2010. Article 170a provides a criminal penalty of up to

III. ENFORCEMENTOF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYRIGHTS INVIETNAM



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ny l bng chng r rng cho thy rngnginpnangc kinh doanh trn c slidng uytn thnghiu t nhn hiu camt ch th khc.

Kin ngh: Cc SHTT cn ban hnh cc quyt nh hp l hn trong vic xc nh nh th no ltng t n mc gy nhm ln trong cc th tc khng chp nhn n ng k nhn hiu vhy b hiu lcvnbng bo hnhnhiu. Cc quyt nh ny cn phn nhmt cch chi tit mitnh tit v tnh hung lin quan nhm bo m rng cc bn c th hiu c c s l lun caquyt nh . Cc SHTT cn kht khe hn i vi cc h s np n ng k khng ngay tnh.

2. Cc quyt nh ca Cc SHTT v th tc khng chp nhn n ng k nhn hiu:Theolut php Vit Nam hin hnh, vic n phn i cc n ng k nhn hiu l hp php. Tuynhin, cc l l phn bin v ti liu h tr ca ngi phn i ch thun ty c xem l "chngc" cho vic xem xt kh nng ng k ca nhn hiu ang b phn i. V vy, Cc SHTT vn c

th t chi vic phn i n ng k nhn hiu, ngay c trong cc trng hp, chng hn nh,khi ngi np n khng ngay tnh khng trnh c kin phn bin i vi vic phn ing k nhn hiu. Cc ch th np n ng k nhn hiu c mun khai thc nhn hiu cangi khc thng ng thi np nhiu n cho cc nhn hiu tng t gy nhm ln. Cc ncnp khngngay tnh thng cxemliukinngkbohvnhngnginpn ny khng b buc phi a ra quan im bo v kh nng ng k ca cc nhn hiu np,thm ch ngay c khi n ng k ca h b phn i. iu ny khin cho cc ch s hu nhnhiu tht sgp phibt li ln.

Kin ngh: Trong mi trng hp, cn yu cu ch th np n ng k nhn hiu hng ha ara quan im phn bin trc cc phn i ng k nhn hiu. Cc SHTT phi xem xt thu ovn np ng lotnhiunngkmt cch khngngay tnh.

Lut S Hu Tr Tu ca Vit Nam (Lut SHTT), B Lut Dn S, Lut Thng Mi, Lut CnhTranh v cc vn bn thc thi lin quan hnh thnh mt khung php l tng i tt v thang bo v quyn s hu tr tu. Tuy nhin, quyn php l ch tht s tt khi ch th nm giquyn s hu tr tu c kh nng thc thi cc quyn . V vn ny, Vit Nam vn cn yu kmtrongmt vi phngdin. Cc vn sau ynn cChnhph lu:

1.Binphpx lhnhchnh chnhng:Theoiu211 ca LutSHuTrTusainm2009, ch s hu QSHTT c th yu cu p dng cc ch ti hnh chnh numt hnh vi vi phmgy ra thit hi cho ngi tiu dng, x hi, tc gi hoc ch s hu QSHTT. Ngha v chngminh thuc vch th QSHTT trong vic xc nh cc thit hi va nu trc khi yu cu thc hinbin php x l hnh chnh. C quan nh nc vn cha ban hnh bt k hng dn no v ngha ca vic gy thit hi. Quy nh hin hnh thiu gii thch chi tit v vn liu c cn phichng minh thit hi thc t hoc liu kh nng gy ra thit hi l c s yu cu x l haykhng; hay liu rng s nhm ln ca khch hng c th l c s suy on thit hi, hoc liu rngvic chng minh thit hi vt cht/ ti chnh thc t l bt buc. Thiu hng dn v cc vn trn, ch th QSHTT s khng r khi no h c th yu cu p dng cc bin php x l hnhchnhi vi hnhvi xm phmQSHTT ca ch thQSHTT.

Kin ngh:Cc c quan son tho vn bn php lutcn tham kho cc h thng php lut phttrin hn v vn phc tp ny trc khi ban hnh hng dn chi tit v, trong mi trng hp,nn tinhnh trc khi LutSHTT sa i chiu lc vo ngy1/1/2010.

2. Trch nhim hnh s: Rt t v n hnh s lin quan n QSHTT c a ra xt x trong

vng hai nm gn y. B Lut Hnh s sa i c Quc hi thng qua vo ngy 19/6/2009

III. THC THIQUYNS HU TR TU TI VIT NAM



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IV. RESOLUTIONOFDOMAIN NAMEDISPUTES

V. LIABILITYOF INTERMEDIARIESFORCOPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Speculative and abusive registration and maintenance of domain names remains aproblem in Vietnam. This mainly takes the form of (i) Vietnamese or foreign individuals ororganizations registering or domain names that contain or closely imitate thetrademarks of European and other foreign companies or (ii) a Vietnamese or foreign companycontinuing to maintain a domain name after its license or business relationship with thetrademark owner expires or is terminated or (iii) the registrant may point the domain (or threaten to point the domain name) to a derogatory website. In each case, the registrant oftenacts in bad faith, seeking to exploit the good will of the foreign party's trademark and/orseeking to extort a payment from the trademark owner and/or trying to benefit the trademarkowner's competitor.

According toArticle 130 (d) of the Intellectual Property Law of Vietnam (IPLaw), the foregoingactivities constitute acts of unfair competition for which an aggrieved party make initiate alawsuit in Vietnamese court.Meanwhile, Circular No. 10/2008/TT-BTTTT Dated 24 December2008 (Circular 10) provides a basis for challenging another party's ownership of a forwhich an aggrieved party may seek relief under Circular No. 9/2008/TT-BTTTT (Circular 9),which states that domain name disputes shall be resolved through (i) informal negotiations orconciliation, (ii) arbitration, or (iii) civil proceedings in Vietnamese court. However, theseoptions for resolving domain names disputes are problematic because in the absence of anagreement to negotiate or arbitrate the domain name dispute (which is often the case), theaggrieved party has no choice but to file a formal action in a Vietnamese court to recover thedomain name.This can bea time consuming and expensive process.

Recommendation: We recommend revising the law to provide a procedure for prompt andeffective resolution of domain name disputes. For example, requiring the owner of a domain name, as a condition for registration and maintenance of the domain name, to agree tosubmit all disputes regarding the domain name to a tribunal such as the World IntellectualPropertyOrganization (WIPO)would provide the parties with a prompt and effectivemeansofresolving disputes over domain names that are alleged to be violating one of the party'strademark rights. Alternatively, Vietnam could develop its own procedure for settling domain name disputes (similar to WIPO's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy(UDRP)) which could be set up to allow parties to a domain name dispute to participate inVietnamese aswell asEnglish and/or another widely used foreign language.

Vietnamese law needs to be clearer on the issue of when and under what specificcircumstances intermediaries such as Internet Service Providers (ISP) will be liable forcopyright infringement. On the one hand, the Law on Intellectual Property provides thatconduct constituting copyright infringement includies duplicating, producing copies of,distributing, displaying or communicating a work to the public via a communications network ordigital means without permssion from the copyrright holder. (see Article 28, paragraph 10) However, certain provisions of the Law on Information Technology, including, for example,Article 16 and 17, appear to exempt ISPs and possibly others from liability for certain acts, suchas the transmission of copyrighted subject matter over their networks, or storage ofcopyrighted subject matter on their networks. Accordingly, it appears that service providers willnot be responsible for copyright infringement in respect of copyrighted subject matter that is



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IV. GIIQUYT CC TRANHCHP VTNMIN

V. TRCHNHIMCABN TRUNGGIANI VI HNHVIXMPHMQUYN TCGI

Vic ng k v duy tr cc tn min vi mc ch u c v lm dng vn cn l mt vnnn Vit Nam. Hin tng ny ch yu xy ra di hnh thc (i) t chc hoc c nhn Vit Namhoc nc ngoi ng k tn min hoc cc tn min cha ng hoc gn nh bt chccc nhn hiu hng ha ca Chu u v cc cng ty nc ngoi khc hoc (ii) mt cng ty VitNam hoc nc ngoi tip tc duy tr mt tn min sau khi kt thc hoc chm dt quanh hp ng li-xng hoc quan h kinh doanh gia h vi ch s hu nhn hiu hng ha hoc(iii) ngi ng k c th kt ni/ tr/ dn tn min (hoc e da kt ni/ tr/dn tn min) n giaodin mt trang web cung cp cc thng tin bt li. Trong mi trng hp va nu, ngi ng kthng hnh x khng ngay tnh, tm cch khai thc uy tn ca nhn hiu ca pha nc ngoiv/ hoc tm cch tng tin ch s hu nhn hiu v/ hoc c gng thu li t i th cnh tranh cach s hu nhnhiu.

Theo iu 130 (d) ca Lut SHTT Vit Nam, cc hot ng trn y cu thnh hnh vi cnh tranhkhng lnh mnh m bn b thit hi c th khi kin ra ta n Vit Nam. Trong khi , Thng Ts 10/2008/TT-BTTTT ngy 24/12/2008 (Thng T 10) quy nh c s khiu kin i viquyn s hu ca ch s humt tnmin m bn b thit hi c th c bi thng theoThng T s 9/2008/TT-BTTTT (Thng T 09), trong quy nh rng cc tranh chp tn mins c gii quyt thng qua (i) thng lng hoc ha gii, (ii) trng ti, hoc (iii) t tng dn sti ta n Vit Nam. Tuy nhin, cc phng thc gii quyt cc tranh chp tn min ni trn gpvn bi v khi khng c tha thun v vic thng lng hoc khng c tha thun trng ti ivi tranh chp tn min (trng hp ny thng xy ra), bn b xm phm quyn thng khngc la chn no khc ngoi vic np n theo trnh t th tc thng thng ti ta n Vit Namnhm thu hi tnmin.y c th l mt qu trnh tn km v mt thi gian.

Kin ngh: Chng ti khuyn ngh sa i lut php nhm to ra mt quy trnh gip gii quytnhanh chng v hiu qu cc tranh chp tn min. V d, vic yu cu ch s hu ca tn min phi ng chuyn tt c cc tranh chp tnminnmt c quan ti phn, chng hn nhTchc S hu Tr tu Th gii l c quan gii quyt tranh chp tnmin trong trnghp tnmin b quy kt l xm phmmt trong cc quyn i vi nhn hiu hng ha camt bnmtcch nhanh chng v hiu qu. Mt la chn khc l Vit Nam c th xy dng th tc ca ringmnh gii quyt cc tranh chp tn min (tng ng vi Quy tc Gii quyt Tranh chptn min Thng nht ca WIPO (UDRP)) qua cho php cc bn tranh chp tn min s dngting Vitv tingAnh v/ hocmt ngnng ncngoi khc csdng rng ri.

Lut php Vit Nam cn phi r rng hn v vn khi no v trong nhng trng hp no bntrung gian chng hn nh nh cung cp dch v Internet phi chu trch nhim i vi vic vi phmquyn tc gi trn mng. Mt khc, Lut SHTT quy nh rng hnh vi xm phm quyn tc gi baogm nhn bn, sn xut bn sao, phn phi, trng by, hoc truyn t tc phm ra cng chngquamng truyn thng hoc cc phng tin k thut s m khng c s cho php ca ch shu quyn tc gi (xem khon 10 iu 28). Tuy nhin mt s iu khon ca Lut Cng NghThng Tin, chng hn nh iu 16 v iu 17, dng nh min tr cc nh cung cp dch vInternet v c th l cc i tng tng t khc khi trch nhim php l i vi mt s hnh vinht nh, nh vic truyn ti cc tc phm c bo h quyn tc gi trn mng ca h hoc lutr cc tc phm ny trn mng ca h. Theo , cc nh cung cp dch v s khng phi chutrch nhim v hnh vi xm phm quyn tc gi i vi cc tc phm c bo h quyn tc gic truyn ti hoc lu tr trn mng ca h, bt k l cc nh cung cp dch v c bit nhnh vi xm phm hay khng, tr khi (i) chnh h khi xng vic truyn ti cc thng tin; (ii) chnh

h ch ng la chn ngi tip nhn thng tin; hoc (iii) h ch ng la chn v hiu chnh ni



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transmitted over or residing on their networks, despite their knowledge of the same, unless (i)they themselves initiated the transmission of the information; (ii) they themselves proactivelyselected recipients of transmitted information; or (iii) they proactively selected and modified thecontent of the transmitted information. ISPs and others must remove infringing content onlywhere they are so requested by competent authorities. There is no provision pursuant to whichan copyright owner may notify an ISP of an act of copyright infringement and procedures bywhich an ISP must remove infringing subject matter following such notice. The lack of appropriate provisions on the liability of service providers with respect to copyright infringementtaking place over their networks makes it difficult for copyright holders to protect their rightsover the internet. Such a deficiency is inconsistent with Vietnam's treaty obligations, includingArticle 41 of the TRIPS Agreement, which requires member countries to create a procedurethat permits effectiveenforcement actions against intellectual property infringements.

Recommendation: The Law on InformationTechnology and related Vietnamese laws shouldbe amended to provide for liability of ISPs and others for copyright infringement in certainsituations, for example, when they continue to engage in the transmission or storage ofcopyrighted subject matter even after notice by the IPR owner. Such amendments could besimilar, for example, to corresponding 'safe harbor' provisions of U.S. law with adjustmentsappropriate for Vietnam. Compliance with such 'safe harbor' provisions could exempt serviceproviders from liability for acts of copyright infringement that take place over their networks incertain circumstances and will provide them with incentives to co-operate with copyrightowners to prevent or stop online infringement of copyrights. This will also help prevent thepossible abuse of discretion by state authorities in taking enforcement action against onlineinfringements, especially when they do not have sufficient knowledge to deal with copyrightinfringement in the sophisticated context of the digital world.

The Intellectual Property Law prohibits persons from circumventing technological protectionmeasures to obtain access to copyrighted works. The aim of this prohibition is to protectholders of copyrights against persons who circumvent such protection measures for thepurposeof copying.However, the wording of the current legislation is so broadas to cover evenpublic interest userswho mightwish tomake fair use of copyrighted works.

Recommendation: The Intellectual Property Law should include a clear definition of technological protection measures. It should also include a specific provision that allowscircumvention of technological protection measures for limited purposes under certain

specifically defined circumstances in the following cases for example: circumvention bylibraries and education institutions for specific acquisition purposes; reverse engineering inorder to develop interoperable computer programs; circumvention for encryption researchconducted in good faith; circumvention in order to protect children from harmful content on theInternet; circumvention of technological protection measures in order to protect personalprivacy; and circumvention of technological protection measures for the purpose of securitytesting.

1. Court Proceedings: Though provisional remedies are available under the law, obtainingsuch relief in a practical, effective and expeditious way is very difficult if not impossible: Under

Vietnamese laws, a formal court action must be commenced and accepted by a Vietnamese

VI. PROVISIONSREGARDING TECHNOLOGICALPROTECTION

VII. PROTECTIONOF IPRIGHTS INVIETNAMESECOURTS



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dung ca thng tin c truyn ti. Cc nh cung cp dch v Internet v cc i tng tng tch phi d b cc ni dung xm phm QSHTT khi b bt buc theo lnh ca c quan nh nc cthm quyn. Php lut hin hnh khng c quy nh no m trn c s , ch s hu quyn tcgi c th gi thng bo khuyn co nh cung cp dch v Internet v hnh vi xm phm quyn tcgi v th tc php l nh cung cp dch v Internet tin hnh d b cc ni dung xm phm saukhi nhn c thng bo . Vic thiu vng cc quy nh ph hp v trch nhim ca cc nhcung cp dch v i vi hnh vi vi phm quyn tc gi c thc hin trn mng ca h khin chocc ch s hu quyn tc gi gp kh khn khi bo v quyn ca ch s hu trn Internet. S btcp ny khng ph hp vi cc ngha v ca Vit Nam theo cc iu c quc t, bao gm iu41 ca Hip nh TRIPS, vn i hi cc quc gia thnh vin phi quy nh th tc cho php tinhnh cc hnh vi php l thc thi QSHTT chng li cc hnh vi xm phm QSHTT.

Kin ngh: Lut Cng Ngh ThngTin v cc lut lin quan ca Vit Nam cn c sa i thhin cc quy nh v trch nhim ca cc nh cung cp dch v Internet v cc i tng tng ti vi hnh vi xm phm quyn tc gi trongmt s trng hp nht nh, chng hn nh, khi hvn tip tc vic truyn ti hoc lu tr cc tc phm c bo h quyn tcgi ngay c sau khi nhn c thng bo ca ch s hu QSHTT.Nhng sa i ny c th tng t vi, v d, ccquy nh tng ng v min tr trch nhim trong trng hp ngay tnh trong lut php Hoa K,c iu chnh ph hp vi bi cnhVitNam.Vic tun th cc quy nh v min tr trch nhimnh trn s min trch nhim cho nh cung cp dch v i vi cc hnh vi xm phm quyn tcgi c kh nng pht sinh trn mng ca h trong cc trng hp nht nh v c tc dng khuynkhch h hp tc vi ch s hu quyn tc gi trong vic ngn chn hoc nh ch cc hnh vi xmphm quyn tc gi trn mng. Vic ny cng gip ngn nga s lm quyn c th xy ra ca cquan nh nc khi tin hnh cc bin php thc thi chng cc hnh vi xm phm QSHTT trnmng internet, c bit khi c quan nh nc khng c kin thc x l cc hnh vi xm

phmquyn tc gi trong bi cnhphc tp ca th gii k thut s.

Lut S huTr tungncm cctchcvc nhn ph v cc bin php cng ngh s dngbt hp php cc tc phm c bo h quyn tc gi. Mc ch ca vic ngn cm ny l bov cc ch th nm gi quyn tc gi khi cc i tng b kha cc bin php cng ngh nhm sao chp bt hp php. Tuy nhin, t ng c s dng trong quy nh php lut hin hnhc ni hm qu rng n mc bao gm c cng chng s dng cc tc phm c bo h quyntc gi v mcch chnh ng.

Kin ngh: Lut SHTT cn phi quy nh mt nh ngha r rng v cc bin php cng ngh.Lut cng cn phi c mt iu khon c th cho php ph v cc bin php cng ngh cho mt

s mc ch hn ch trong mt s trng hp c quy nh c th nh cc trng hp sau: chophp th vin v vin gio dc ph v cc bin php cng ngh v ccmcch trng dngc th;cho php thchink thut phn tchngc pht trin cc chng trnh tin hc c th vn hnhni b; cho php ph v cc bin php cng ngh v mc ch nghin cu m ha c thc hinmt cch ngay tnh; cho php ph v bin php cng ngh nhm ngn cn tr em truy cp cc nidung c hi trn mng Internet; cho php ph v cc bin php cng ngh nhm bo mt thngtin c nhn; v cho php ph v cc bin php bo v cng ngh vmcch kim tra anninh.

1. Th tc t tng ti ta n: Mc d cc bin php ch ti tm thi c quy nh sn trongvn bn php lut hin hnh, vic thc thi cc bin php ny theo cch thc thc t, hiu qu vnhanh gn l rt kh khn, thm ch gn nh l khng th: Theo lut php Vit Nam, mt v kin

VI. QUYNH V VIC BOV CNG NGH

VII. BOVQUYNS HU TR TUTI TAN VIT NAM



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court before such remedies as seizure of counterfeit goods and evidence of infringement caneven be sought from the court. In practice, preparing and submitting a complaint in a form thatwill be accepted and acted on by a Vietnamese court can be very onerous and tedious due tothe requirement that complaints be supported by evidence that has been notarized and/orlegalized (in a foreign country). Meeting such onerous formal requirements can often takemonths, making it virtually impossible for owners of intellectual property rights to act quickly toprotect themselves against counterfeiters who are often capable of suspending or hidingtheir illegal activities at the slightesthint action is being takenagainst them.

Recommendation: The Civil Proceedings Code should be revised to permit an owner of intellectual property rights to expeditiously seek and obtain provisional relief on the basis ofproof of ownership of the intellectual property rights in question and, for example, a sworn

declaration of the alleged facts or other a lower threshold of evidence. Further, suchprovisional relief should not be subject to a notarization/legalization requirement. Simplecopies of ownership documents should be accepted initially by the court, subject to thesubmission of certified copies within a reasonable period of time thereafter.

2.Educationof judges in charge of IP cases in Vietnamesecourts:Vietnamese courts andjudges often have very little experience in dealing with intellectual property disputes. However,the ability of intellectual property rights owners to enforce their rights is largely dependent on aknowledgeable andexperiencedVietnamese judiciary.

Recommendation: Vietnam should take steps to expedite the training of more Vietnamesejudges in intellectual property matters. Training on the determination of compensation fordamages together with the calculation of damages is also essential for civil judges. Further, theVietnamese Government should consider establishing specialized tribunals to handle IPmatters.

IP assessment organisations including The

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