HÀ NỘI IME Vietnam and the Việt Nam Centre for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) have successfully reached an agreement over Blackpink’s concert royalties.

According to VCPMC, IME Vietnam, the organiser of Blackpink’s concert in Hà Nội, has committed to making the royalty payments before noon on July 29.

Blackpink's two-day concert will proceed as planned after an agreement on royalty payments was reached. (Photo: AFP)

The agreement was finalised after a meeting between the two parties held this morning, July 28.

The negotiations centred around the alleged music royalties issue that emerged on July 27, when VCPMC accused IME Vietnam of "serious piracy" and demanded the cancellation of the concert licenses due to unpaid royalties as of July 27.

Following the involvement of authorities, including inspectors from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, inspectors from the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, and VCPMC representatives, the two parties finally found common ground on the amount of copyright fees for the two Blackpink shows.

Though the exact amount of royalties to be paid was not disclosed by either party, Phạm Đình Tâm, the representative of IME Vietnam, revealed that the agreed-upon figure is “significantly lower” than VCPMC's initial demand, which exceeded (US$464,000) VNĐ11 billion, including taxes.

IME Vietnam had previously contested this figure, arguing that it was much higher than the royalty rates applied in other countries where Blackpink's concerts had taken place, such as Thailand and Malaysia. In those countries, music royalties typically ranged from $200,000 to $250,000 (approximately VNĐ4.7 billion to VNĐ5.9 billion).

Tâm emphasised that while the songs performed during the Hà Nội concerts are copyrighted by YG Entertainment, Blackpink's management company, YG remains respectful of copyright laws.

Before this agreement, there were concerns that the Korean group's highly anticipated performances might face cancellation due to the failure to reach a consensus with VCPMC regarding royalty payments.

Now, with the agreement in place, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the shows are scheduled to take place as planned at Mỹ Đình National Stadium on July 29 and 30. Fans are advised to come prepared with raincoats as the weather forecast predicts rain for both evenings. VNS