US opens opposition for ST25 rice trademark

The U.S. has published the application a company seeking to trademark the world’s best rice ST25 from Vietnam and awaits opposition from relevant parties.

A pack of ST25 rice is seen at a store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 4 published the ST25 rice trademark on its official gazette for California-based I&T Enterprise, Inc.

Any party who believes it will be damaged by the registration of the mark may file a notice of opposition within 30 days from May 4.

The party can also request for an extension of time to 90 days to file the opposition. If there is no such request, a certificate of registration should be issued in 11 weeks from May 4.

Ho Quang Cua – the farmer scientist who led a team to develop the rice – and his son’s company have filed a notice of opposition and at the same time registered the ST25 trademark to USPTO, said a spokesperson for law firm TDL which assists Cua in the case.

ST25 rice is the result of 25 years of work by Cua and his colleagues who cross-bred the premium fragrant rice of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, described as having a sweet taste and a hint of pineapple flavor.

In 2019, ST25 rice was named the winner of the World's Best Rice Contest in the Philippines, marking the first time a Vietnamese rice variety had won the title in the contest’s 11-year history.

At least six companies have registered to trademark the ST25 overseas, including five in the U.S. and one in Australia.