PROCEDURES OF CONSULTATION AND REGISTRATION OF PANTENTS / USEFUL SOLUTION
  • Step 1: Preliminary search and advice on patentability/GPHI registration and related costs;
  • Step 2: Consulting after searching, writing the Invention/GPHI description;
  • Step 3: Preparing application
  • Step 4: Filing at NOIP
  • Step 5: Notifying formality exam result
  • Step 6: Notifying substantative exam result  
  • Step 7: Granting Fee payment
  • Step 8: Annuity notification (by both automatic softare and manual)
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE FOR PATENTS
1. Minimum documents
- 02 Declaration for registration;
- 02 descriptions of the invention or utility solution; must be adequately and clearly demonstrate the following:
+ Title of the invention or utility solution;
+ Use field of the invention or utility solution;
+ Technical state of the use field of the invention or utility solution;
+ Technical nature of the invention or utility solution;
+ Brief description of accompanied drawings (if any);
+ Detailed description of invention or utility solution realization variations;
+ Examples of invention or utility solution; realization;
+ Benefits (effects) expected to be achieved];
+ Invention protection coverage (hereinafter referred to as the protection coverage or protection claim;
- 02 copies of an invention or utility solution abstract [with no more than 150 words and is presented on an A4 paper sheet. An invention or utility solution abstract is not required at the time of filing the application and can be added later].
- Fee and charge receipts.
 - Power of attorney (in case the request is filed through a representative);

2. Other documents (if any)
- Paper on assignment of the right to file an application (if any);
- Documents certifying the lawful right of registration (in case the applicant enjoys the right to file from another person);
- Documents evidencing the right of priority (if the patent application has a claim for priority right).

 3. Note: 
In the section “International patent classification” in the written declaration, the applicant shall state the classification criteria of technical solutions sought to be protected according to the latest International Patent Classification (under the Strasbourg Agreement) published by the NOIP in the Industrial Property Official Gazette. If the applicant fails to classify or correctly classify, the NOIP shall conduct the classification and the applicant shall pay a classification service fee as prescribed.
 
4. Time limit for processing invention or utility solution registration applications
From the date on which the registration application is received by the NOIP, the registration application of an invention or utility solution shall be examined in the following order:
- An invention or utility solution registration application shall have its formality examination within 01 month from the filing date.
- Publication of invention registration applications:
(i) An invention or utility solution registration application shall be published in the nineteenth month from the date of priority or the filing date in case the application has no date of priority or within 02 months after it is accepted as a valid application, whichever is later;
(ii) An invention or utility solution registration application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (hereinafter abbreviated to PCT) shall be published within 02 months from the date it is accepted as a valid application and enters the national phase;
(iii) An invention or utility solution registration application containing a request for earlier publication shall be published within 02 months from the date the NOIP receives that request or the date it is accepted as a valid application, whichever is later.
- An industrial property registration application shall be substantively examined within the following time limits:18 months from the date of its publication if a request for substantive examination is filed before the date of application publication, or from the date of receipt of a request for substantive examination if such request is filed after the date of application publication;
 
5. Methods of filing application 
The applicant may choose paper filing or online filing through the NOIP's online public service portal, specifically as follows:
a) Paper filing
The applicant may submit an application for an invention / utility solution directly or via postal service to one of the NOIP's application receiving places, specifically as follows:
- Head Office of NOIP, address: 386 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi City.
- Representative Office of NOIP in Ho Chi Minh City,
- Representative Office of NOIP in Da Nang City,
In case of filing an application for an invention/ utility solution by post, the application charges/ fees must be transferred by postal service, then a copy of the Money Transfer Receipt must be attached to application and send to one of the above-mentioned NOIP’s office to prove the amount paid.
(Note: If the fee or charge is transferred to one of the above-mentioned NOIP's application-receiving places, the applicant must send the dossier to the corresponding application-receiving point).
b) Online filing
- Conditions for online filing: Applicants need to have a digital certificate, a digital signature and a registered account which is approved by the NOIP on the Online Application Receiving System.
- Online filing: 
+ The applicant need to complete the steps of filing an invention/ utility solution application form on the NOIP’s Online Application Receiving System. After that, a confirmation of online submission will be sent to the applicant.
+ The confirmation of online submission must be presented to one of the NOIP’s office and the applicant needs to attached documents (if any) and pay fees/ charges as prescribed within 01 month from the date of online submission. 
+ If all documents and fees/ charges mentioned above are fully submitted as prescribed, an NOIP’s officer will issue the application number in the Online Application Receipt System.
If one of the documents and fees/ charges is not fully submitted, the application will be denied. 
In the event that the applicant fails to complete the prescribed application procedure, the online application procedure will be canceled and the Online Application Cancellation Notice will be sent to the applicant via the Online Application Receiving System.