Frustrated by the piracy of the Vietnamese version of the book “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth”, U.S. publisher HarperCollins is reportedly considering suspending its copyright contracts with First News, the holder of this book’s copyright in Vietnam.

First News director Nguyen Van Phuoc (L) with a representative of U.S. publisher HarperCollins.

At the London Book Fair held in London between April 14 and 16, Tri Viet Publishing Co., Ltd. (First News), as the only Southeast Asian publisher at the event, proposed buying the copyrights of several new books published by HarperCollins, said First News director Nguyen Van Phuoc.

However, the American publisher said it might temporarily stop signing new copyright contracts with First News given copyright infringements in Vietnam.

Early last week, First News discovered two pirated copies of the Vietnamese version of “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth” by Canadian writer T. Harv Eker. With the title “Bi mat tu duy trieu phu”, the pirated copies of the book have been found on the local market with the logo of First News on their covers.

On Tuesday morning, Phuoc of First News had an online talk with HarperCollins from Vietnam to explain why First News has yet to collect all pirated copies of the book and has been unable to prevent copyright infringements.

HarperCollins asked why pirated copies of a book whose copyright is owned by a U.S. publisher are sold publicly in Vietnam, which has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2007 and ratified the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 2004.

Therefore, HarperCollins said it would write to the U.S. Consulate General in HCMC and competent authorities in Vietnam seeking their support to protect the rights and interests of the writers and the publisher, and help First News protect the copyrights of the books it has published.

More than 200 books First News has published under copyright license from American publishing houses have been pirated in Vietnam.

The publisher has reported the situation to the authorities, but pirated copies of those books can be easily found in Hanoi, HCMC, and especially northern provinces.

First News has warned it will publicize the names and addresses of more than 100 bookstores that are selling pirated books.