Nguyen Ngoc Han, CEO of Thu Do Multimedia, said that many Vietnamese firms are anxious as disputes still occur though the firms have registered trademarks for their products both in Vietnam and overseas. 

They have had to waste time and resources following litigation, and have called for assistance and solutions to the problem.

Sconnect’s CEO Ta Manh Hoang said at a recent seminar that his firm is involved in copyright disputes in many foreign markets. The firm’s operation has been interrupted as it must prepare legal procedures regarding the disputes.

Nguyen Quang Tuan, deputy CEO of Ant Group, said that when rice and catfish exporters face problems in the international market, they receive support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) and associations. But digital content firms, which make good products and bring high revenue, don’t know which agencies they can count on when they have disputes with foreign powerful rivals.

“We feel alone in the international market. We want to have the companionship of state agencies when going abroad,” Tuan said.

Vo Thanh Hai, CEO of Viettel Media, said copyright infringement in Vietnam is a burning issue. With serious measures applied by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIC) and relevant ministries, the situation has improved considerably.

“The role of the State in promoting the process, and directly negotiating with international businesses and platforms is very clear. This lays a foundation for protecting IP rights for domestic businesses,” Hai said.

He said that while businesses, especially startups, have limited resources, the support of state agencies plays a very important role. 

The traditional violations, such as pirated websites, are difficult to control, because after a website is closed, content is posted on another website. 

There is still no strict mechanism that can block domains and pirated websites quickly and effectively. 

The establishment of the Center for Digital Content Product Protection under the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information recently plays an active and essential role in the issue, creating a mechanism for firms to register copyright and have technical methods.

“It is very difficult for network operators to block because of relations to data and revenue. However, with the participation of state agencies, this will be within reach to protect the legitimate benefits of the creative community, a fragile community with limited resources,” Hai said.

Deputy Head of the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) Tran Le Hong said businesses need to understand that registering abroad is important and they need to have strategies to protect their brands in foreign markets.

Duy Vu