Policemen in the capital city of Ha Noi seized more than 300 fake wine bottles on September 3 . Fighting against counterfeit goods has been a big challenge for Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tan

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Fighting against counterfeit goods has been a big challenge for Viet Nam, especially since violations of intellectual property rights (IPR) have become more sophisticated and complicated, a government minister said.

Do Thang Hai, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, told the Anti-counterfeit Goods Day held in Ha Noi yesterday that market watch forces nationwide should strictly implement legal regulations while improving the capacity to fight against the proliferation of fake goods.

Giles Lever, ambassador of the United Kingdom (UK) to Viet Nam, said IPR has been an important issue in promoting economic co-operation between the UK and Viet Nam.

This year, the UK took second place in the Global Innovation Index and has witnessed outstanding characteristics in term of innovations in science and research.

He said this was the reason why the UK had paid special attention to IPR and was ready to share with Viet Nam its experience in this field.

Sharing the ideas, Le The Bao, chairman of Viet Nam Association for Anti-counterfeiting and Trademark Protection, said the event aimed to increase people's awareness about fake goods and intellectual property rights as well as responsibility of businesses in fighting unhealthy competition.

Manufacturers should find solutions to fight against counterfeit goods and register for intellectual property protection.

In the first 10 months of the year, the market watch agencies conducted checks and resolved more than 16,870 violations while imposing fines worth VND53.2 billion (US$2.36 million). — VNS