Vietnam’s 2026 Industrial Design Reforms: Broader Protection and Faster Registration

Vietnam’s amended Law on Intellectual Property, adopted by the National Assembly in December 2025 and effective from 1 April 2026, introduces significant reforms to the country’s industrial design protection system. The amendments expand the scope of protectable designs, streamline examination procedures, and shorten registration timelines, reflecting Vietnam’s commitment to supporting innovation and aligning its intellectual property framework with international developments.

One of the most important changes is the expansion of subject matter eligible for industrial design protection. For the first time, Vietnam recognizes partial industrial designs, allowing applicants to protect only a portion of a product rather than requiring protection of the entire product. The amended law also extends protection to non-physical or virtual products, acknowledging the growing importance of digital assets and virtual environments. These changes better accommodate emerging technologies and modern product design practices.

The amended law also introduces a more flexible approach to novelty requirements. A six-month grace period now applies where an industrial design has been publicly disclosed by the person entitled to file the application, or by someone who obtained the information from that person, provided the application is filed within six months of disclosure. In addition, the grace period has been expanded to cover disclosures resulting from improperly published industrial property applications or applications filed by persons without the right to register. These provisions offer greater protection for designers while reducing the risk of losing novelty through unintended disclosures.

Administrative procedures have also been significantly simplified. The publication period for industrial design applications has been reduced from two months to one month after the application is deemed formally valid. At the same time, the previous requirement for issuing a formal decision accepting a valid application has been abolished, allowing applications to proceed directly to publication once they satisfy formal requirements.

The substantive examination period has also been shortened from seven months to five months following publication, reducing the overall registration timeline and enabling applicants to obtain protection more quickly. In addition, the opposition period has been reduced from four months to three months, contributing to a more efficient examination process.

The amended law further strengthens the integrity of the industrial design system by expanding the grounds for invalidation of protection titles. A registered design may now be invalidated if the named author is not the individual who actually created the design, reinforcing the importance of accurately identifying the true creator.

Overall, the 2026 reforms represent a major modernization of Vietnam’s industrial design regime. By expanding protection to new forms of design, introducing greater flexibility in novelty assessment, and accelerating registration procedures, the amended law creates a more efficient and innovation-friendly environment for designers and businesses seeking industrial design protection in Vietnam.