The IP dispute in Vietnam (SAND - Part 12)

A year has passed, since I formally proposed stepping down from the CEO role of Alterno Singapore to become its Chief Scientist Officer. Little did I know, this pivot would lead me down a year-long struggle of unraveling complexities, culminating in legal battles over intellectual property.

On July 9th, 2025, I’ve taken another step in that journey, submitting an Objection Letter to the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam concerning the pending Vietnamese patent application for the Sand Battery technology. This is me setting the record straight, defending on principles of fairness, and ensuring proper attribution for innovation.

The Vietnamese Patent and My Stance

Most of people are unfamiliar with the complex world of intellectual property and legal rights, so allow me to clarify a few things.

The Vietnamese patent application, officially known as "Sáng chế Pin tích nhiệt và hệ thống pin tích nhiệt để sấy sản phẩm nông nghiệp và thực phẩm" (Thermal storage battery and thermal storage battery system for drying agricultural and food products), was filed on August 15, 2023, with the application number 1-2023-05430. This specific application also served as the priority document for our later USPTO application.

Here’s the main claims of my objection letter: I firmly assert that I am the sole author of this invention. The entire creative process and development of this thermal storage battery were undertaken by me alone. I poured my personal time, effort, and resources into this before Alterno Vietnam Company Limited was even established on February 8, 2023.

At that time, I was the sole owner of Alterno Vietnam, and the application was submitted under the company's name for administrative convenience. The invention, as I understand it, was never even formally recognized as my capital contribution based on the Vietnamese company's accounting records.

Two Countries, Two Patents, one Truth?

This situation is further complicated by the presence of patent applications in two different jurisdictions: Vietnam and the United States. While the Vietnamese application was filed in August 2023, the related US Patent (USPTO Patent No. 12-130-086 B1) was officially approved on October 29, 2024.

Now, here’s where the story takes a rather wild turn. Despite being a named inventor on the US Patent, I was kept completely in the dark about its approval for nearly seven months. I only stumbled upon this significant milestone on May 21, 2025, through an independent external inquiry. The timing is incredibly suspicious: my company email account ([email protected]), which would have been the channel for such crucial information, had been forcefully terminated on October 16, 2024, this is just 13 days before the patent’s approval. This “strategic silence” regarding such a powerful IP asset defies business logic and has certainly prompted my search for the truth.

The (Slow) Process of Litigation

So, what does this objection mean for the Vietnamese patent? In Vietnam, there’s a specific waiting window: nine months from the patent application acceptance date. During this period, formal objections will be accepted by the Intellectual Property Office. My objection, submitted on July 9, 2025, falls inside this initial window (which would end on October 25, 2024, given its acceptance for review on January 25, 2024). This means it will be treated as "reference information" during the application processing.

This is not recently, in fact, my attorney and I had raised these very concerns directly with the board and key investors as early as September 2024. Throughout September and October 2024, leading up to my termination and the patent approval, I persistently sought comprehensive updates and financial clarity from Alterno's management, Hai Ho and Nam Nguyen, as well as the board members. My calls for transparent discussions, especially concerning the company's financial health and intellectual property, were consistently met with stonewalling or evasion.

The legal system, especially when one party seems reluctant to engage, can be frustratingly slow, on top of that, the recent restructuring of the entire Vietnam territories slowed down the entire operation of the IP Offices.

I’m still fighting the battles

This entire ordeal, spanning legal proceedings in both Vietnam and Singapore, has been a profound lesson for me. The startup ecosystem thrives on positive narratives, but too few dare to speak up when ethical breaches occur. I did work in VC, as tech advisor and carried out Deep-dive Technical Due Diligence work for a couple of years; I have to say back then that I was still naived to what was happening around me (the cheatings), in Vietnam and in the regions.

I've always believed in transparency and ethical practices and servant-style leadership, something that I continue to embrace in building my new ventures everyday. But in this case, there seems to be signs suggesting serious unethical and border-line illegal behaviors.

The events that did not happen in October 2024

As I delve deeper into the discrepancies surrounding email communications, the events of October 2024 remain particularly questionable.

The approval of the US Patent on October 29, 2024, came precisely on the same day the Share Transfer Contract was signed, just hours apart due to time zone differences. My company email, my lifeline to critical updates, was forcefully closed just 13 days prior.

This timing, combined with the discovery that critical investor meetings and financial discussions were happening entirely without my knowledge around that period raises serious questions about why this vital information was withheld. Had I known about this higher valuation, my decisions and the subsequent trajectory of events would have been vastly different.

In the next part of this saga, Part 13, I will shine a light on these undisclosed meetings and events that should have involved me but did not, revealing the mystery pattern of information suppression...

The path forward is long, but no worries, the best is yet to come. Let's see what happens when shit hit the fan.