Among the issues raised in the repo

[lynk2510]

about the use of the name and the logo.

The Civil aviation requested Jetstar Airways to change Jetstar Pacific's logo, abandoning the orange star and “Jet” logo used for all the aircraft of the Australian carrier in both Australia and Singapore. The authorities told Jetstar that the use of the same logo as its Australian counterpart would make passengers confused. It also requested a dedicated website for online sales of domestic tickets as it could “lead to turnover bleeding with the general website.” Due to the logo issue, Jetstar Pacific was denied international traffic rights. The carrier has been waiting for over 2 years now to get government’s green light to start flying from Ho Chi Minh City to both Bangkok and Siem Reap with no success.

Troubles faced by Jetstar did not seem to deter AirAsia from creating a subsidiary. In February 2010, the carrier announced a joint venture with VietJet Air, a private carrier which received a flying license back to December 2007. AirAsia holds a 30% stake in the carrier named “VietJet AirAsia.” However, it has been a year now that AirAsia has been looking to find an issue on the brand name. The Malaysia-based carrier faces the same hurdles for Jetstar. However, AirAsia announced in April its intention to withdraw from the capital of VietJet as no compromise seemed to have been found. By the end of June, traffic rights for VietJet are due to expire as it did not start services.

According to the latest document issued by Vietnam’s aviation authorities, foreign firms cooperating with Vietnamese firms are not allowed to use their logos and images. However, originally, there are no indications that a foreign company involved in a joint venture cannot use its own name for a commercial franchise. But behind a simple story of the logo, the Vietnamese government just simply found the legal way to deny new entrants into the Vietnamese market, with a clear sign that the well-being of national carrier Vietnam Airlines remains of utter importance.

It remains to be seen what could happen in 2015 when the ASEAN single market comes into force. How long will the Vietnamese government be able to deny ASEAN carriers to fly anywhere out of the country? For now, the Vietnamese government is buying time and is the current winner of its feud with foreign investors about logos and brands. In a recent interview, AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes explained that he was now concentrating on the development of its new subsidiary in the Philippines. Vietnam is already fading away in his memory.



Adoption body to gauge Vietnam's progress

The Irish Times, 8 May 2011



THE CHAIRMAN and newly appointed chief executive of the Adoption Authority left Ireland at the weekend for a three-day visit to Vietnam to examine the progress made by that country in improving its standards for intercountry adoptions. Geoffrey Shannon and Elizabeth Canavan will be seeking information on the measures Vietnam intends to take with regard to implementing the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption. Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald welcomed the visit, and said: “We hope this visit will provide further clarity on the current situation in Vietnam.” Adoptions from Vietnam into Ireland were suspended in January last year, following a report from the United Nation’s International Social Services.



Among the issues raised in the report were: the concern that intercountry adoptions from Vietnam were essentially influenced by foreign demand rather than the needs of “abandoned” and orphaned children; the circumstances under which babies become “adoptable” were unclear and disturbing; and an “unhealthy” relationship existed between mediating agencies and specific residential institutions.

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