Việt Nam among countries with high copyright infringement rates: experts

According to statistics, about 15.5 million internet users in Việt Nam regularly visit websites containing pirated content. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam ranks among the top countries with high rates of copyright infringement, said Nguyễn Thị Sánh, the standing vice chairwoman of the Việt Nam Copyright Association.

In a recent workshop about copyright in Việt Nam, Sánh expressed concern that copyright violations, especially the unauthorised copying of works, have been openly occurring in the country, becoming a longstanding issue.

“This problem has not only caused headaches for regulatory agencies but has also led international organisations to rank Việt Nam as one of the top countries for copyright infringement,” Sánh said.

According to the vice chairwoman, several factors contribute to this situation, such as the habit of using someone else’s work for free, the arbitrary use of articles and research from collections and anthologies to compile specialised books without the original owner’s permission and the widespread photocopying of materials by students for coursework.

Additionally, young people commonly use mobile phones and computers to download and share information on social media without regard for copyright laws.

“This situation not only infringes on the legitimate rights of authors but also has long-term consequences on the awareness and responsibility towards intellectual property,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lê Thị Minh Hằng, director of the Centre for Law and Copyright, noted that Việt Nam is among the top ten countries with the most significant copyright violations worldwide.

The practice of ‘free use’, copying and stealing works and ideas occurs frequently.

Hằng pointed out that copyright violations, including partial or complete copying of works without permission, payment, or lawful exemption, manifest in various forms and are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

She cited data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s inspectorate, stating that from 2014 to 2022, administrative penalties were imposed on 447 organisations and three individuals, amounting to nearly VNĐ12.9 billion (US$544,000).

“The violations primarily involved the distribution rights of works, infringements on the right to copy and violations of the right to attribute authorship,” Hằng said.

She also outlined the challenges and proposed solutions, including the possibility of delegating the protection of copyright rights to authorised entities. — VNS