Vietnam has become a big player in the global fashion industry.
Garments made in Vietnam now appear all over the world, especially
in the U.S. and the EU. In this value chain, however, Vietnamese
companies usually play the role of garment processors, fulfilling
the orders of big brands for immediate export purposes. While the
goods bearing the registered marks are made in Vietnam by local
companies, the brand owners are often overseas or global
corporations.
As a brand owner can lose protection of its mark in Vietnam due
to non-use, this situation leads to the question of what
constitutes "use" of a mark when the mark-bearing goods
are processed for export only, and not sold in the Vietnam
market.
