Several Vietnamese writers are considering legal action against Vietnam Education Publishing House for using their work without permission.

Starting next year, Vietnam Education Publishing House may have to get  permission from writers before using their work in textbooks or the use would be considered illegal.

The publishing house has used texts without proper permission of writers for years.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, writer and director of the Vietnam Literary Copyright Centre (VLCC), proposed two options: Ending negotiations with the publishing house while seeking a solution from higher level authorities such as the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), or collecting copyright fees in accordance with the current regulations.

The writers involved have yet to reach any agreement with the publishing house about the calculation of royalties after nearly six months of negotiation. The publishing house proposed calculating loyalties based on the current minimum wage and the frequency of use of any given work. The VLCC proposed using higher rates than the minimum wage. For every edition printed in the last 12 years, writers would only receive about VND600,000.

Bui Nguyen Hung, deputy director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Copyrights, said they would hold a meeting with the publishing house next week to discuss the issue.

Dtinews/VNN