Sand Battery IP Dispute: Patent Changes and Unpaid Compensation (SAND - Part 17)
I would not come to this conclusion without the right backing materials.
What's new?
A few days ago, I learnt the details of what happened in Dec 2024 with the Vietnamese Sand Battery patent.
The history of requests and documents submitted regarding the Vietnamese patent (available online) shows some changes were made on the 05.09.2024, the day that they claim I have been uncontactable.
Some changes were submitted on 17.12.2024 as well. It turned out that Alterno team has been attempting to remove my name as author from this Vietnamese Patent ever since.
Why this date is important? If you have been following the story, Dec 2024 were just the beginning, I was rather naive back then, thinking that they are still honoring the US Patent and VN Patent. I discovered the fact that they withhold the approval of the US patent since the day I signed the share transfer contract. Hence, the Alterno team has carried out the plan to remove my name from the Vietnamese patent knowing that it is wrong; If that's not a severe case of misappropriating Intellectual Property from a rightful owner, then how do you explain it?
Where were the VCs in all this? IP is one of the most important valuation factors of a startup, and investors are normally kept updated on the status of core assets throughout the investment process. That raises an uncomfortable question: what were they told about the patent authorship changes — and when?
Withheld Compensation
So this is Dec 2024, less than a month after Alterno paid the second payment (end Nov 2024) in Singapore.
So despite knowing that the next payment is due March 2025, it is clear to me that Alterno have no intention to pay me anymore after Dec 2024, and what they have been doing is dragging out the process, inventing excuses, and submitting self-contradicting court documents to accuse me of wrongdoing.
The money represents the effort that I have put in for the past 2 years up to that point, despite also being heavily undervalued. And since Alterno clearly knew what they were doing is exactly opposite of what was agreed on the contract, whether I call that withholding my contracted compensation or violating code of law, it's the same terrible behavior.
That is just in Singapore.
There's also the ongoing litigation over my Vietnamese severance package, which they refused to pay after wrongfully terminating my employment under Vietnamese Labour Law.
Misappropriating IP
Based on what's happening, Alterno team including:
- Ho Viet Hai
- Nguyen Quoc Nam
- Quach Van Hung
- Mai Tue Phong
are actively working against me; they are still appealing despite the court's rejection on 14.04.2025.
Imagine this, if my name were to be removed from the Vietnamese Patent, that means I'm not legally recognised for contribution; that means Vietnamese IP protection is effectively non-existent. With the right process, you can remove anyone's name from any patent (I'm simplifying, but that's the gist of it). It's not that I wasn't aware of — and warned about — the gray area; I was just surprised by how the system is set up, and how easily bad actors can twist it to their advantage.
What's Next?
Instead of focusing on my strength and businesses, now I'm forced to entertain these distractions. A lot of people close to me advise me to "just let it go", well, I'm not the one who schemed up the troubles to begin with, and I'm forced to fight for what is legally mine.
My original goal in 2022 was simply to make something incredible, geeky, and technical out of Vietnam — I remain a proud Vietnamese. Yet in recent years I have been repeatedly discouraged by bad actors along the way; the Alterno saga is only one part of it.
Despite the rant, despite the injustice that I still have to keep fighting;
I came to a realisation that what I've found has far more potential than I imagined, specifically in real application of saving energy and operating costs for businesses/homes by storing cold energy, aka the ICE Battery.
I have a plan in mind and I hope you will be a part of helping me making it. I can't do it alone. #buildinpulic
Stay tuned...