Phiên tòa xét xử tranh chấp thương hiệu Bánh Tráng Mỹ Tho diễn ra từ 28/4 đến 6/5 tại Mỹ. Tôi là người xuất hiện cuối cùng tại phiên tòa với tư cách một nhân chứng.
Đến Mỹ từ ngày 26/4/2015, ngay hôm sau (27/4) tôi đã làm việc ngay với luật sư và chuẩn bị “đăng đàn” với Tòa án Liên bang Mỹ. Tòa mở vào sáng 28/4. Tôi đến đúng giờ nhưng được thông báo nhân chứng phải ngồi trong phòng chờ đợi (chứ không được nghe toàn bộ diễn biến). Chờ đến phiên mình gần 2 ngày (mãi trưa 30/4 mới được vào), không phải quá dài, nhưng với một người chưa quen chờ đợi vào phòng “trả thi” như vậy, nhất là đơn độc một mình phấp phỏng đợi đến lượt mình nơi pháp đình xa lạ, với tôi quả là “cực hình”.
Nhưng tôi cũng chỉ “đăng đàn” hơn 10 phút.Thời gian thẩm vấn trước đó của mấy vị dài quá.Hơn nữa, nội dung liên quan với tôi sẽ rất khó có ý kiến để nguyên đơn “vặn hỏi” lại.
Có thể tóm tắt mấy vấn đề mà tôi có thể cung cấp luận cứ cho Tòa như sau:
Phía nguyên đơn (là Công ty Anhing Corporation, sản xuất bánh phở, bánh tráng, hủ tiếu… do một Việt kiều – gốc Ba Tàu Chợ Lớn làm chủ, hiện đang ở California) cho rằng thương hiệu Bánh phở Mỹ-Tho (My-Tho) là do họ sáng tạo ra, chưa có trong tiếng Việt. Theo họ, dùng “Mỹ-Tho” là có ý nghĩa. “Mỹ” là đẹp, tốt. “Tho” có 2 nghĩa: Thọ = tuổi thọ, Thọ = mùa thu. Họ lấy đặt cho thương hiệu của họ là họ độc quyền. Theo họ, Công ty TNHH Sản xuất Chế biến Nông Thủy Sản Xuất khẩu Thuận Phong (tỉnh Tiền Giang, chuyên sản xuất bánh tráng, bánh phở, hủ tiếu…) đã vi phạm bản quyền và phải loại bỏ tên gọi này trên thị trường đồng thời bồi thường thiệt hại cho họ.
Quan điểm của tôi được trình bày tại Tòa án Mỹ là: Bánh tráng, bánh phở, (hủ tiếu, xì dầu…) là các từ quen thuộc trong tiếng Việt. Bánh tráng, bánh phở… là sản phẩm từ gạo.Mỹ Tho là một thành phố thuộc Tiền Giang.Nơi đây nằm trong vùng Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long, chủ yếu trồng lúa gạo. Nghe nói “Bánh phở Mỹ Tho”, mọi người Việt Nam sẽ hiểu là “bánh phở sản xuất tại Mỹ Tho”. Mỹ Tho là một chỉ dẫn địa danh.
“Mỹ” đúng là “đẹp, tốt”. Nhưng “Tho” (chỉ xuất hiện duy nhất trong tổ hợp “thơm tho”) không có nghĩa là “mùa thu”, càng không phải là “sống lâu” (phải là từ “thọ” mới có nghĩa ấy).
Hiện nay, nếu viết đúng địa danh này phải là “Mỹ Tho”.Nếu viết “Mỹ-Tho” (có gạch nối) và “My-Tho” (không đủ thanh điệu, có gạch nối) là không đúng chính tả hiện hành.
Ở Việt Nam, mỗi vùng có một đặc sản.Người ta có thể có những tổ hợp từ để chỉ. Ví dụ: Bánh đậu xanh Hải Dương (Bánh đậu xanh sản xuất tại Hải Dương), Gạo nếp cái Điện Biên (Gạo nếp trồng tại Điện Biên), v.v. Cũng có thể, người ta lấy tên “Hải Dương”, “Điện Biên”, “Mỹ Tho”, v..v. để đặt theo ý thích cho sản phẩm không liên quan gì tới nguồn gốc sản xuất (thuốc lá Điện Biên, rượu Mỹ Tho, bánh mì Hải Dương…). Đó là quyền của mỗi người, mỗi công ty, ai cũng có thể đặt tên tùy thích (Hòa Bình, Hải Âu, Thăng Long, Chiến Thắng, Mỹ Nhật…). Tuy nhiên, nếu đưa lưu thông sản phẩm trên thị trường thì phải theo pháp luật về Sở hữu Trí tuệ của Việt Nam. Công ty Thuận Phong (Tiền Giang, Việt Nam) đã đăng kí bản quyền về tên sản phẩm, logo, slogan, maquette, màu sắc bao bì… và được Cục Sở hữu Trí tuệ và Cục Bản quyền Tác giả VN cấp giấy chứng nhận.
Việc công ty Anhing khăng khăng nói rằng việc đặt tên của Công ty Tiền Giang là vi phạm luật rõ ràng là vô lí. Sản phẩm bánh phở của họ gia công tại Thái Lan. Theo yêu cầu của họ thì bao bì in tiếng Việt và phía Thái Lan cứ thế làm theo cách của họ. Tổ hợp “Bánh phở Mỹ-Tho” bất kì một người Việt nào đọc, đều hiểu đó là “Bánh phở sản xuất tại Mỹ Tho” hoặc “Bánh phở mang tên Mỹ Tho” (ngay cả khi có gạch nối cũng được hiểu như vậy).
Và cũng phải nói thêm điều này, cách viết “My-Tho”, “Mỹ-Tho” là hoàn toàn khác với “Mỹ Tho”.Nếu xét về mặt thương hiệu (brand name, trade mark) thì chúng loại trừ nhau vì 2 loại trên có thêm gạch nối, bỏ thanh điệu (Cũng như ta viết Saigon, Sài-Gòn, Sài Gòn… là khác nhau về chính tả, sẽ dẫn đến khác nhau về tự dạng thương hiệu).
Tranh chấp thương hiệu Bánh tráng Mỹ Tho đã có từ năm 2006. Công ty Anhing đâm đơn kiện nhiều lần, mà không chỉ về chuyện này. Gần đây, họ núng thế, đã đề nghị hai bên hòa giải. Nhưng phía Công ty Thuận Phong (Tiền Giang) không chịu vì họ chịu nhiều tốn kém, vất vả quá (hầu tòa nhiều lần, tiêu tốn cả hàng trăm ngàn USD…). Mà mấy bác Ba Tàu này đâu có chịu thôi.Rồi họ sẽ lại tìm cách kiện nhiều thứ mà họ nghĩ ra với kiểu “cãi chày cãi cối”.Ngay cả khi hai bên chấp nhận hòa giải, họ cũng cứ đòi bên Thuận Phong phải chi tiền “bồi thường” với con số rất… khủng (!).
Tôi tham gia cũng chỉ với tư cách một nhân chứng, nhưng là nhân chứng đặc biệt.Vì tôi thuần túy chỉ là người làm ngôn ngữ học, có vai trò và tư cách phát ngôn với độ tin cậy cao (về mặt ngôn từ). Chính vì vậy, khi biết tôi tham gia nhân chứng, phía Công ty Anhing đã phản đối (dĩ nhiên là họ gửi đơn cho Tòa án Mỹ). Tuy nhiên, bà Chánh án tại phiên tòa này đã bác bỏ và chính thức đồng ý mời tôi (đại diện cho Viện Từ điển học và Bách Khoa thư VN) tham dự phiên tòa. Mỗi bên có nhiều nhân chứng.Bên “ta” cũng vậy, tôi đã cùng ít nhất 4 nhân chứng khác cùng lên tiếng bảo vệ uy tín và quyền lợi của một công ty rất xứng đáng được bảo vệ.
Dù thế nào chăng nữa, sự kiện trên cũng đáng lưu ý trong các tranh chấp sản phẩm và thương hiệu Việt Nam ở nước ngoài. Chúng ta đã từng phải đối mặt với nhiều phiên tòa kiểu này (như chuyện bán phá giá cá basa, tôm… của Việt Nam trên thị trường Mỹ).
PGS. TS Phạm Văn Tình
(từ Los Angeles, Mỹ)
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