According to the instruction of Minister of Science and Technology to implement the strategic development of industrial property protection and enforcement nationwide, the first Branch Office of NOIP was officially inaugurated on December 22, 2004 in Ho Chi Minh City.

          The Functions of Ho Chi Minh City Branch Office were to reinforce the confirmation, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the southern part of Viet Nam in order to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to expand intellectual property activities, promote research and technology transfer and information exchange for economic development and international integration.

          The Branch Office would coordinate with local authorities to carry out policy effectuation and legal regulations of intellectual property in the South. It also directly received registration applications for industrial property rights, made deals with the applicants, processed necessary application forms, offered services of intellectual property, provided consultations to clients and provided industrial property information for enterprises and organizations.

          To unify professional operations of receiving and disposing registration applications, a modern online network had been established to serve the demands of the branch office in HCMC and NOIP in Hanoi.