Vietnam imposes 12.6 billion‑dong fines in IP crackdown

In the three weeks following the launch of Directive 38, Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology reported that more than 1,400 violations of intellectual‑property rights were identified nationwide. Of these, 1,146 cases were dealt with administratively and 28 led to criminal prosecution, bringing total fines to 12.6 billion dong while the estimated value of infringing goods approached 36 billion dong.

The government has also introduced a decree tightening penalties and adding measures to block access to domains that infringe industrial‑property rights. A national IP enforcement database is being built to integrate data on administrative and criminal cases, expert assessments and seizure outcomes, aimed at improving coordination among police, market regulators, customs and other agencies.

Officials say the high‑point operation boosted enforcement activity by more than 200 % compared with the previous month, signalling a stronger push against counterfeit and pirated products in both physical and digital markets.