Vietnamese oil firm fights name battle

Petrovietnam has been in business for 27 years

By Clare Arthurs BBC Hanoi correspondent

The Vietnamese state owned oil and gas company Petrovietnam has discovered an attempt to register its trademark in the US.

It is the second high profile Vietnamese company to be forced to fight for its name.

Another Vietnamese company, Trung Nguyen Coffee, is also fighting for its name.

Petrovietnam, one of Vietnam's biggest companies, has been in business since 1975.

This should improve its chances of victory in the fight to defend its right to the Petrovietnam name and the company logo, a burning flame.

Industry sources say the attempt to register the trademark in the US is being made by a Vietnamese American.

There is suspicion it is an attempt to profit by selling the name back to the company if the attempt succeeds.

Falling out

The popular central highlands producer, Trung Nguyen Coffee's difficulties arose when it sought to set up franchises in the US.

It stopped when it discovered its joint venture partner had registered its trademark.

The two sides are now in dispute.

Petrovietnam has leapt into action to defend its name but the latest case highlights the challenges to Vietnamese business.

As the country pursues new markets outside the communist state, business managers are being forced to learn the rules of engagement.

Without solid business strategies and good legal advice, their goods and services are vulnerable to attack.

Many are also hampered by an unfamiliarity of open markets and freely circulating information.

Access to information

Petrovietnam is a state owned company and was able to discover the attempt to take its name by checking the website of the US trademark office.

But information from and about the outside world is still tightly controlled by the communist authorities.

There is a tension in their struggle to maintain restrictions on public access to media such as satellite TV and the internet, while encouraging entrepreneurs and economic growth.