Binh Minh Plastic JSC received numerous complaints from customers saying its products are “fragile and leaking.” Upon inspection, the company discovered that many plastic pipes buried underground were in fact counterfeits that had already been damaged.

Many consumers accidentally bought fake plastic pipes simply because they saw the name “Binh Minh” on products and mistakenly chose products from a different company with a similar name, without checking the origin carefully.

“As a result, we lose customers, lose market trust, and worst of all, lose the right to our own name,” said Bong Hoa Viet, advisor to the board of directors of Binh Minh Plastic JSC, at the forum “Improving intellectual property policy – the driving force for business innovation” held recently.

According to him, some companies registered the names similar to ‘Binh Minh’, then used those names to approach dealers and contractors in order to sign supply contracts.

That’s why the renowned plastics company to frequently engage in lawsuits to reclaim its name.

“We were born to manufacture, not to litigate. Bitterly, we’ve had to become unwilling lawyers for our own business. We’ve had to learn to be legal experts just to protect the name we’ve built over the past 48 years,” the company representative said.

Viet went on to say that since 2023, the company has had to establish a brand protection division to implement measures such as forensic analysis at the national intellectual property institute, filing complaints, and initiating lawsuits. Total related costs have amounted to tens of billions of VND.

“If even large enterprises with strong resources still struggle to protect their brands, how can other companies defend themselves?” he asked.

Another famous brand facing a flood of counterfeits is “Khanh Hoa bird’s nest.” Le Thi Dong Phuong, deputy director of Khanh Hoa Bird’s Nest Company in HCMC, said that many businesses are using the phrase “Khanh Hoa bird’s nest” to mislead consumers.

Currently, fake bird’s nest products are being sold on the market for just VND9,000-VND15,000 per jar. This price doesn’t reflect the actual value of the product, causing consumers to question the quality and authenticity of the brand.

Bottlenecks that need to be addressed

Intellectual property violations in Vietnam cause significant losses to legitimate businesses and erode consumer trust.

Vo Tan Thanh, Vice Chair of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), stated that intellectual property infringement rate in Vietnam remains high compared to regional peers. This not only causes economic losses but also affects national reputation, investment environment, and international integration.

Hearing Binh Minh’s story, lawyer Truong Anh Tu, Chair of TAT Law Firm, said this is more than just a dispute, it's a wake-up call. A brand that’s nearly half a century old is having to fight legal battles for years over minor differences in brand names.

“It takes two decades to build a brand, while the brand can be copied in two weeks. If protection mechanisms are slow, even pioneering brands can collapse,” Tu said.

In the first six months of 2025 alone, over 3,270 intellectual property violations were handled, or nearly 20 cases daily. Behind these numbers are harmed businesses, eroded consumer trust, and challenges to national competitiveness.

Tu highlighted three bottlenecks related to intellectual property protection. First, slow and monopolized inspection processes, causing businesses to miss critical timing. Second, lenient penalties, where violations are treated as mere business costs. And third, weak inter-agency coordination, leading to slow case handling.

Binh Minh Plastic JSC recommended that authorities should establish a specialized court for intellectual property cases, with a dedicated team of expert judges. Additionally, the forensic assessment mechanism should be opened to avoid long-standing monopolies, and ethics in forensic practice must be tightly regulated. Finally, there should be clear regulations for calculating non-material damages such as brand reputation loss.

Meanwhile, Khanh Hoa Bird’s Nest Company urged authorities to enhance inspections, especially on online sales channels, and mandate seller verification on e-commerce platforms, including legal information, tax codes, and product origins.

Additionally, authorities need to establish a national standard for all products, including bird’s nests, to help consumers identify authentic products and provide companies with clear compliance guidelines.

Tran Chung