News about intellectual property

Deputy Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of Bệnh viện Đại học Y Hà Nội, proposed allowing hospitals to use patents and trademarks as capital contributions or loan collateral to strengthen their autonomy. Speaking during the National Assembly's debate on the amended Law on Intellectual Property on November 3, he proposed that changes such as new salt forms, formulations or dosages of known substances not be considered inventive unless they significantly improve treatment efficacy. He also proposed that domestic firms be allowed to file generic drug registrations while the original patent is still valid, as otherwise they could wait 2-3 years after the patent expires before selling. On AI and copyright, he proposed that AI cannot be an author, that doctors and lecturers be authors while hospitals and universities own the rights when state budgets are used, with at least 40-50% of profits shared with authors. Deputy Nguyễn Trung Kiên of Đồng Nai agreed and urged digital platforms to handle copyright infringement notices and promptly remove or block infringing content, noting that blocked sites often reappear under new domains.

Deputy Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, told the National Assembly on 3 November that many drugmakers only change salt forms, formulations or dosages to win new patents and extend exclusivity beyond the usual protection period of about 20 years. This “evergreening” can delay cheaper generics reaching patients, so he proposed that changes without a significant improvement in treatment efficacy not be deemed inventive. He also proposed that Vietnamese firms be allowed to research, test and file for generic registration while the original patent remains in force, as otherwise they could wait 2–3 years before selling. On AI, he suggested that products created by AI without meaningful human creative input not receive copyright protection, and warned that Vietnamese medicinal plants could be taken abroad, patented and returned to the domestic market.

Clarivate announced it will bring trusted CompuMark trademark data and insights into Microsoft Copilot through its IPOne connector, letting intellectual property professionals query and analyze this intelligence in natural language and through AI agents within the tools they already use. Simon Webster, Clarivate's President of Intellectual Property, said the collaboration advances the IPOne vision of bringing trusted IP intelligence into daily workflows. Microsoft's Chantrelle Nielsen said the integration gives IP professionals access to trademark intelligence through natural language and lets them build it into agentic workflows. IPOne is being developed with corporate IP teams at 15 Fortune 500 companies and leading law firms.