More than 120 local and international delegates gathered in Ho Chi Minh City this week for the international workshop “Building a Creative Economy: Promoting Copyright Enforcement in Vietnam”, organized by the Vietnam Reproduction Rights Organization (VIETRRO) in collaboration with the Copyright Office of Vietnam, the Vietnam Publishers Association, and the Ho Chi Minh City Education Association, with support from the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO).
The two-day event, held on October 22–23, focused on strengthening copyright enforcement — particularly reproduction rights — as a foundation for Vietnam’s growing creative economy and knowledge-based society. Participants included representatives from government agencies, international organizations, universities, libraries, publishers, and creative enterprises.
As artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies reshape how content is created and shared, experts stressed that copyright protection is now more than a legal safeguard — it is a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth. “There can be no creative economy if works are freely copied and distributed without fair compensation,” said Caroline Morgan, CEO of IFRRO.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha, Deputy Head of International Cooperation on Copyright and Related Rights at the Copyright Office of Vietnam, highlighted that knowledge and creativity are now among the nation’s most valuable assets. “Reproduction rights are a key legal instrument to protect, manage, and commercially exploit intellectual property fairly and transparently — a driver of creative economic growth,” she said.
Vietnam is currently a member of eight multilateral copyright treaties and has signed bilateral agreements with the United States and Switzerland, along with 15 free trade agreements containing intellectual property protection provisions. The Copyright Office said it would continue working with organizations like VIETRRO to improve the legal framework, strengthen enforcement capacity, support creators, and promote digital transformation in copyright management.
Despite these efforts, experts acknowledged that copyright infringement remains widespread in Vietnam. Around 60% of internet users have accessed pirated content, especially in publishing, film, and music. The rise of AI tools has made copying, editing, and reposting content without permission easier and more sophisticated. Many violations go unpunished due to the difficulty of identifying offenders, particularly when platforms host content on overseas servers.
To address this, experts called for action in three key areas:
* Legal reforms and stronger enforcement: Updating laws to reflect digital realities, holding intermediaries accountable, and increasing penalties for infringements.
* Technology-driven management: Using digital databases, blockchain, and digital rights management (DRM) systems to track and control copies.
* Public awareness: Building a culture that respects copyright, especially in education and digital content creation, so that users understand “free” does not mean “legal.”
Speakers emphasized that protecting reproduction rights is not only about defending authors but also about securing a fair and competitive creative environment. “Copyright is not just an author’s right — it’s the right of society to enjoy culture, education, and knowledge fairly,” a VIETRRO representative said.
As Vietnam seeks to transform its creative sectors into major economic drivers, experts agreed that fighting copyright infringement must be the starting point for building a truly innovation-led economy.
*Sources: Doanh Nhân Sài Gòn, Pháp Luật TP.HCM, Tạp chí Sở hữu trí tuệ & Sáng tạo
