Reversing a trademark refusal decision in Vietnam is not always simple. In Vietnam, trademark examinations must adhere to a stringent, multi-step process: In Vietnam, the statutory timeline for determining trademark registrability is quite lengthy; the examination report is prepared and reviewed by the first examiner, the second examiner and finally submitted to the Director of the Trademark Center of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (“IP VIETNAM”) for approval, resulting in rare errors. However, the downside of this stringent process is that it results in delays, prolonged review, and, in many situations, IP VIETNAM's denial rulings are unreasonably tough and rigid, especially when Vietnam IP Law also establishes closed provisions. Recently, the Intellectual Property team at KENFOX IP & Law Office in Hanoi secured a significant success by overturning IP VIETNAM's refusal to protect a Chinese leading pharmaceutical company's trademark. IP VIETNAM's refusal judgment is based on Article 74.2h of the Vietnam Intellectual Property Law – a controversial provision in the Vietnamese intellectual property community for a long period of time.