On August 27, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) headquarters between Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long and the Vietnam Pay Television Association to discuss several critical issues.

During the meeting, Tran Van Uy, Chairman of the Vietnam Pay Television Association, highlighted the challenges faced by the association's member companies, including issues related to music copyright fees, preventing copyright violations on the internet, online gambling advertisements, and establishing service pricing for television broadcasting.

One of the key issues raised by the Vietnam Pay Television Association was the rampant copyright violations in television broadcasting, particularly in sports events such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, and European football championships like the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.

Uy pointed out that the illegal streaming of football matches, notably through the 'Xoi Lac' website network, has become a significant concern. The association urged the MIC and internet service providers to intensify efforts to block access to domain names and IP addresses of websites that violate copyright.

Recently, the MIC's Inspectorate asked pay-TV service providers to report on the broadcasting of international football matches that include advertisements for online gambling websites.

The association noted that the signals for these sports events are transmitted simultaneously to multiple countries within the region and globally, in line with international practices and the terms of the signed copyright agreements.

Vietnamese broadcasters and pay-TV companies do not engage in advertising deals or commercial contracts with any companies associated with the embedded advertisements in these signals, including those related to online gambling.

Uy clarified that Vietnamese pay-TV units do not receive any sponsorship, revenue, or benefits - direct or indirect - from the appearance of gambling company logos during the live broadcasts of sports events.

The advertising images related to betting are embedded in the original signal, which includes all graphics, visuals, advertisements, and commentary from the original broadcast. This signal originates from territories where market practices differ from the legal regulations in Vietnam.

Demanding that copyright sellers remove, block, or blur any brand images related to betting during the broadcast is neither practical nor feasible.

According to international practices and copyright agreements, pay-TV units are obligated to transmit the broadcast signal of international sports events in its entirety, respecting the rights of the event sponsors.

"Interfering with or altering the signal is considered a serious violation, leading to contract termination and compensation claims. Ceasing to broadcast these sports events would harm the broadcaster's reputation with viewers and cause significant economic losses," Uy explained.

To address these challenges, the association requested that the MIC lead and coordinate technical solutions to prevent Vietnamese viewers from accessing illegal betting websites.

The association also proposed that the MIC amend current regulations to exempt broadcasters from liability for the appearance of images, names, brands, and websites of betting companies embedded in signals from abroad.

During the meeting, Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long issued several directives to tackle the difficulties raised by the Vietnam Pay Television Association.

Regarding copyright violations on the internet, the Deputy Minister suggested that the association collaborate with companies to compile a comprehensive list of television programs and the entities holding related copyrights. This list will serve as a basis for handling violations. The Vietnam Pay Television Association must take responsibility for verifying this list.

The Broadcasting and Electronic Information Authority (under the MIC) and the Vietnam Pay Television Association will establish a joint task force. When copyright violations are detected, units can report them to the association, which will then forward the information to the Broadcasting and Electronic Information Authority to coordinate with internet service providers to address the issue.

For television and sports programs featuring gambling advertisements, the MIC is currently gathering input from various ministries and agencies and will report to the government with a proposal to allow the continued broadcasting of live or replayed sports events until August 2025.

The MIC is also working on amending the Advertising Law to introduce exemptions from liability in certain transmission cases.

Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long also urged broadcasting companies to proactively review websites and sponsors of sports programs related to gambling and to report back to the MIC for preemptive blocking measures.

Regarding music copyright issues, the Deputy Minister suggested that the involved parties consider international experiences to adjust their approaches accordingly.

Trong Dat