On June 12, Sconnect filed a report with the Copyright Office (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information (Ministry of Information and Communications) to update them on the latest developments in the copyright dispute between Wolfoo and Peppa Pig from February 2024 to June 5, 2024.

The copyright conflict between Wolfoo and Peppa Pig cartoons began in January 2022 when eOne filed a lawsuit accusing Sconnect of copyright infringement at the UK High Court. As of now, the UK court has not reached a final judgment on the lawsuit, leaving the question of whether Wolfoo has violated copyright unresolved. However, since February 2022, eOne has continuously filed copyright claims against Wolfoo videos on YouTube, resulting in the platform blocking or deleting over 4,000 Wolfoo videos.

In September 2023, Hasbro, eOne's former parent company, confirmed that eOne no longer owns Peppa Pig. Despite this, on April 17, eOne petitioned the UK Court to withdraw from the lawsuit with Sconnect. Surprisingly, on June 3, the company continued to assert copyright over Wolfoo videos on YouTube.

In their report to the Copyright Office and the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information, Sconnect urged these state agencies to support their business by sending letters or directly engaging with Google and YouTube representatives. Their goal is to cease Google and YouTube from accepting copyright claims on Wolfoo videos from eOne. Furthermore, they requested the restoration of all videos removed at eOne's request, emphasizing that eOne no longer holds intellectual property rights from September 1, 2023, onward. Sconnect also called for respect and compliance with Vietnamese law, specifically citing Article 114 of Decree No. 17/2023/ND-CP.

Sconnect further requested that the Copyright Office and the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information facilitate negotiations between Sconnect and eOne or their legal representatives in Vietnam. This move aims to expedite resolution and safeguard the rights and interests of domestic businesses involved in cross-border platform disputes.

According to Lawyer Pham Van Anh, Head of the Legal Department at Sconnect, the lawsuit has persisted for nearly three years without eOne or expected successor plaintiff Hasbro substantiating their ownership claims over Peppa Pig and the allegedly infringed original work.

“Despite repeated requests from Sconnect, eOne and Hasbro have not provided us or the court with documents or evidence supporting their claims, prolonging the case and incurring substantial costs without positive outcomes for either party,” Lawyer Pham Van Anh emphasized.

“In light of eOne’s copyright actions severely impacting Sconnect’s rights, their withdrawal from global lawsuits could be interpreted as an effort to evade legal responsibilities. Nonetheless, Sconnect remains open to negotiation with eOne and Hasbro for a swift resolution of this global dispute,” added Mr. Ta Manh Hoang, General Director of Sconnect.

Responding to inquiries from VietNamNet newspaper on June 12, a representative from the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information stated that they have yet to receive Sconnect's request regarding the above-mentioned issue.

Du Lam