In a significant move to streamline governance, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 133/2025/ND-CP on 12 June 2025, decentralizing key science and technology management functions from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to provincial-level People's Committees. The Decree, effective from 1 July 2025, aims to enhance administrative efficiency and local autonomy in science and technology policymaking.

Key Reforms in Intellectual Property Administration.

A notable shift under the Decree involves the delegation of several intellectual property (IP) administrative tasks, which were previously handled by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (VNIPO), to provincial authorities. Key areas of decentralization include:

•   Registration Certificates: Issuance of duplicates and reissuance of registration certificates.
•   IP License Agreements: Registration of license agreements, issuance of duplicates and reissuance of certificates, and recordal of changes to agreements.
•   Patents: Granting and termination of compulsory patent licensing.
•   Industrial Property Representatives & Assessors: Granting, reissuance, and revocation of practicing certificates, as well as recordal of changes, deletions, and professional inspections.

Transitional Arrangements

To ensure a smooth implementation, the Decree aligns with existing guidelines under Decree 65/2023/ND-CP and Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN, which detail procedures under the 2022 amended Vietnam's Intellectual Property Law. Applications not yet received by competent authorities before 1 July 2025 will be transferred by MOST to provincial Chairpersons for processing under the new framework. Pending applications already under review will continue to be handled by the original authorities under prior regulations.

Strategic Implications

This decentralization marks a pivotal step in Vietnam's broader institutional reforms, designed to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks at the national level while empowering local governments to drive innovation. By redistributing IP-related administrative workloads, the reform seeks to expedite other procedures of IP rights, reducing the backlog currently handled by the VNIPO. It also reflects Vietnam's growing emphasis on science and technology as a catalyst for localized socio-economic development, moving beyond centralized control toward a more agile, regionally responsive model.

Source:
https://baochinhphu.vn/78-nhiem-vu-duoc-bo-khcn-phan-cap-phan-quyen-cho-cap-tinh-tai-nghi-dinh-moi-102250613091518621.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Vietnamese)
https://chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=213933&classid=1 (Vietnamese)