Many non-media news websites generate higher revenues than official press agencies despite operating with only a few employees, thanks to their use of content copying technologies.

On the afternoon of September 23, the National Assembly Standing Committee discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Intellectual Property.

Delegates expressed concern that the draft does not yet address intellectual property rights for products generated by artificial intelligence (AI), urging the need for a legal framework to deal with this issue amid rapid digital transformation.

They also emphasized the importance of fully applying information technology in registering trademarks and patents to reduce procedures, save time, and ensure transparency. Additionally, they proposed stricter penalties for infringement and a review of the state management responsibilities in the intellectual property sector to ensure alignment with the functions of relevant agencies.

Struggling journalists, profitable aggregators

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Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society. Photo: NA

Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society, pointed out a growing problem: original news produced by journalists is often exploited by news aggregator platforms that profit far more than the original creators.

"Audiences tend to read from these aggregator platforms more frequently, and those sites earn much more than the original journalists who work much harder, investing significant effort and thought into their work," Vinh stated.

He urged lawmakers to include provisions in the revised law that protect the rights and interests of legitimate media outlets. He also recommended developing mechanisms for revenue-sharing agreements between original content creators and platforms that reuse their material.

“We should encourage information sharing to amplify news, but there needs to be agreements in place to ensure that those creating the original content receive fair compensation. This would help official media outlets generate more legitimate income for sustainable development,” he added.

“Journalists are really struggling”

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Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo: NA

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung explained during the session that using publicly available data to train AI models does not require copyright permission as long as the original content is not copied verbatim. Prohibiting this would reduce competitiveness, he said, noting that countries like Japan have already legislated on the matter.

Regarding AI-generated works, the Minister clarified: if AI generates content independently without human involvement, it cannot be protected under intellectual property law and must be labeled as AI-generated. However, if humans use AI as a tool, the resulting work is still eligible for protection.

Hung also acknowledged the frustrations of the press sector: “Media professionals are complaining a lot.”

He cited examples of websites that are not official news outlets but earn more than legitimate media agencies. These sites often operate with as few as five staff members and rely on content-copying technologies to repost news from others.

The Minister stressed that copying articles without permission is a violation, especially when it occurs on social media or aggregator platforms. However, he noted that “pure news information” does not fall under copyright protection.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to clarify this matter while ensuring that no additional administrative procedures are imposed.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong stated that, according to the Intellectual Property Law, basic news reports such as weather updates or legislative meetings are not eligible for copyright protection. However, fully developed journalistic works are protected.

Journalistic works are defined as independently structured and complete in content, including genres such as reportage, interviews, commentary, investigations, editorials, and various other formats intended for print, broadcast, or digital publication.

Tran Thuong