Australian firm seeks patent for Vietnam rice variety
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An Australian firm has sought a patent for Vietnamese rice varieties ST25 and ST24.
According to intellectual property authority, IP Australia, T&L Global Foods Supply PTY LTD on April 22 sought to register ‘Rice; Best Rice of the World’ trademarks for the two varieties.
It is the sixth company internationally – the other five are in the U.S. – to seek to appropriate ST25.
Both were developed in Vietnam by farmer-scientist Ho Quang Cua, with ST25 going on to win the first prize in the 2019 World’s Best Rice Contest held in the Philippines and ST24 the second prize in the 2017 contest in Macau.
Ngan Tran, director of Maygust Trademark Attorneys in the Australian capital Canberra, said it takes three to four months to carry out checks for patent registration.
If an application meets all the requirements, the IP agency would issue a notice accepting the trademark and disclose the information enabling anyone with an objection to file within two months, she explained.
If there is no objection, the patent would be granted, she said.
Of the five applications for ST25 submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), only the one by I&T Enterprise Inc. has crossed the first stage.
The Vietnam Trade Office in the U.S. is helping a Vietnamese company fight I&T.
The USPTO is set to publish the application by I&T on May 4, and Cua and his son’s company need to file an objection by June 4.
Several ministries are assisting Cua’s company, which has also hired a law firm.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific rice varieties are the subject of the Australian firm's patent application?
Which specific rice varieties are the subject of the Australian firm's patent application?
The Australian firm T&L Global Foods Supply PTY LTD has sought a patent for the Vietnamese rice varieties ST25 and ST24. They also applied to register 'Rice; Best Rice of the World' trademarks for these varieties.
Q.How long does it typically take for patent registration checks to be completed after an application is submitted?
How long does it typically take for patent registration checks to be completed after an application is submitted?
According to Ngan Tran from Maygust Trademark Attorneys, it typically takes three to four months to carry out the necessary checks for patent registration. Following this, a two-month period is allowed for objections.
Q.Which company previously had an application for ST25 progress through the first stage at the USPTO?
Which company previously had an application for ST25 progress through the first stage at the USPTO?
Among the five applications submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for ST25, only the one by I&T Enterprise Inc. Has successfully crossed the first stage of the process.
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