Journalist Nguyen Duc Hien, Permanent Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, chaired the discussion session. Speakers included: journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper; journalist Pham Tuan Anh, Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri Newspaper; journalist Duong Van Quang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper; Mr. Hoang Dinh Chung, Director of the Digital Copyright Center, Vietnam Digital Communications Association; Ms. Pham Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Director of the Copyright Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; journalist Huynh Thi Hoang Lan, Deputy Head of the Music Department - HTV...
Journalism piracy leads to economic decline
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, journalist Nguyen Duc Hien, Permanent Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, said: According to the development orientation, by 2030, 100% of press agencies will put content on digital platforms. To effectively implement this strategy, one of the major challenges with digital transformation of the press is the problem of digital content copyright infringement. If press copyright is not protected, it is impossible to encourage journalists and press agencies to invest in content development.
Journalist Nguyen Duc Hien, Permanent Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper.
Journalist Nguyen Duc Hien emphasized that protecting press copyright also helps prevent the theft of press materials and the forgery of press to spread false and distorted information. Copyright protection is a prerequisite to protect the financial resources of press agencies as well as effectively implement digital content business models, contributing to solving the problem of press and media economics in press agencies today.
However, there are still shortcomings and fragmentation in the division of State management rights on intellectual property and a lack of unity and close coordination among functional units. In addition, the understanding and awareness of law compliance of organizations and individuals exploiting and using press works is currently not strict. And from the perspective of the subject and content creator, journalists and press agencies are also confused and not really determined in protecting their rights.
Assessing the current copyright infringement issue, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, said: The issue of copyright infringement forms a vicious cycle, which is that the press is subject to copyright infringement leading to economic weakness, from which it has to follow the basic tastes of readers and depend more on advertising, leading to a reduction in investment resources for quality journalism.
Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper.
As a result, most media outlets are running in a lax direction, leading to the need for copyright protection becoming “unnecessary”. Because what is the need for copyright if newspapers and magazines all provide the same basic news, and the difference is only a matter of how to create a catchy headline to increase views?
Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan suggested: we need to study the formation of a press copyright alliance? An alliance of all press agencies so that its practical effect is comprehensive. This is an alliance between press agencies and law enforcement agencies, press and media management agencies as well as businesses and organizations with interests in the press and media industry.
"The alliance must agree on "rules of the game" that are mandatory for all parties and "guaranteed" by a competent state agency as well as act as an "arbitrator" when it comes to making sanctions decisions. In addition, it is necessary to promote the "association" nature of the alliance so that some sanctions do not necessarily have to go through state management agencies but still achieve deterrence effects," journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan shared.
Do not make a habit of copyright infringement
Ms. Pham Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Director of the Copyright Department, said that press products in Vietnam are protected by copyright under the Law on Intellectual Property, and are even protected in all countries in the world (Vietnam is one of the members participating in a number of conventions). Technology 4.0 has many benefits, creating many opportunities in accessing press products. But it also creates challenges for owners of press works.
Ms. Pham Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Director of the Copyright Office.
Ms. Pham Thi Kim Oanh emphasized, "The question is, have we, each journalist, respected the rights of others? Do we respect when taking content from other journalistic works and clearly stating the source? This is a suggestion that I think editorial offices need to review during the implementation process."
"Social networks take our press products, but first of all, I think that we journalists also need to respect and create our own clean products... Every journalist wants their press work to be protected, the first thing is to follow the regulations that have been issued by law. If we are careless, we think that this newspaper is just taking from that newspaper, thinking that everyone is a colleague. However, if we do not do it, it will become a habit of violating copyright without being punished. I hope that after this Press Conference, we will do it more strongly," the Deputy Director of the Copyright Department shared more.
Talking about the issue of copyright infringement on social media platforms, journalist Pham Tuan Anh, Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri Newspaper, said: Many fanpages such as Khong So Cho, Theanh28... have a large number of subscribers, using content and images of Dan Tri articles and many other newspapers to post to attract views and interactions, thereby exploiting advertising and making profits without having to pay any fees.
Journalist Pham Tuan Anh, Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri Newspaper.
Violations have become more sophisticated, especially on short video platforms such as Tiktok, Facebook Reels and Youtube. Instead of quoting the entire content, these subjects quote and post part of the content. In many cases, when reporters or responsible people of the newspaper contact them to remind them, they immediately block and cut off contact, so that the responsible person cannot respond or report the violation.
Sharing his experience in implementing copyright protection solutions at his agency, journalist Pham Tuan Anh said: It is necessary to proactively fight openly and directly against individuals and organizations that violate copyright in the press. Authorize a third party (lawyer, law practice organization, licensed industrial property representative organization) to protect your rights in the most professional way.
Speakers attending the seminar on "Protecting press copyright in the digital age".
In addition, a center for copyright protection of press works should also be established with the participation of press, technology and state management agencies.
Need to use legal tools strongly
At the discussion session, journalist Duong Quang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, said that the newspaper has spread its "antennae" everywhere to detect cases of its works being used illegally.
Journalist Duong Quang shared: in mid-2023, a photojournalist from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper came across a valuable photo of himself on a billboard of a large foreign corporation. Knowing that it was his photo, he asked a lawyer for advice and reported it to the foreign corporation. After many steps of negotiation, establishing a photo purchase contract; finally, by the end of 2023, the corporation had to pay the reporter hundreds of dollars in photo royalties.
Journalist Duong Quang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.
Or recently, in early 2024, when Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper published a photo report about a festival in Chau Thanh district, Long An province with a series of nearly 50 photos and special shots. However, this photo report was taken back, processed differently from the original, and broadcast on the fanpage, Youtube channel and TikTok of a provincial-level radio and television station in the Southwest region.
“They turned this photo report into a video, used AI to automatically read the text, all the still images were reprocessed into flash to avoid being "hit" by Google for copyright, especially without citing the source,” added journalist Duong Quang, and said that, after checking, this radio and television station has not been allowed by Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper to exploit the work again. If permission is granted, other agencies and units are not allowed to arbitrarily change the content, disrupt the layout, re-title, photos and photo captions, but must clearly state the source “according to Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper”, with a link.
The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper said that it is necessary to use strong legal tools against individuals and organizations outside the press and media industry, including fellow newspapers and radio stations, who illegally exploit his work for personal gain.
Applying technology to enhance copyright registration support capabilities
Mr. Hoang Dinh Chung, Director of Digital Copyright Center (Vietnam Digital Communications Association).
In his speech, Mr. Hoang Dinh Chung, Director of the Digital Copyright Center (Vietnam Digital Communications Association) said that currently, digital assets in the field of journalism have been formed.
Mr. Chung said that typical forms of property theft on digital platforms include: Copyright appropriation; author impersonation; distribution and publication of fake works; editing, cutting, and distorting works without the author's consent; copying works without consent; creating derivative works without consent; using works without paying royalties to the owner.
The application of technology will be able to support copyright registration, automatic content censorship and distribution, digital content media linkage; legal support, violation detection and warning.
"Recently, the Digital Copyright Center has built a National Digital Copyright Axis to help units participate in copyright protection activities," Mr. Chung informed.
Journalist Huynh Thi Hoang Lan, Deputy Head of Music Department - HTV.
Sharing about the current legal difficulties and shortcomings, journalist Huynh Thi Hoang Lan, Deputy Head of the Music Department - HTV shared: Intellectual property laws are on the way to completion, without detailed regulations, sometimes causing ambiguity in understanding and application, while awareness of copyright is still low. Forms of copyright infringement on digital infrastructure are increasingly sophisticated and complicated.
Journalist Huynh Thi Hoang Lan believes that we need a specialized team. State management agencies continue to specify legal regulations on intellectual property, creating a basis for copyright enforcement on television and digital infrastructure and ensuring the rights of press agencies while carrying out political tasks.
In addition, television stations need to link and cooperate with each other in producing and exploiting digital content to take advantage of the strengths of infrastructure and minimize copyright conflicts.
Delegates take souvenir photos at the discussion session with the topic "Protecting press copyright in the digital age".
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