Phạm Thị Kim Oanh, deputy director of the Copyright Office. — VNS Photo Bảo Hoa

Phạm Thị Kim Oanh, deputy director of the Copyright Office of Việt Nam, speaks to the media* on the country’s existing and future efforts to protect copyright and related rights.

What are the active copyright protection regulations in Việt Nam and what results have we achieved after the Government’s recent intensive campaigns to address copyright infringements?

Việt Nam constantly strives to improve its legal framework to protect copyright and related rights to encourage intellectual work and creativity among people, publishers and rights holders. We have established laws and regulations to meet requirements on these rights from eight out nine international treaties that Việt Nam is bound to.

Most recently, in 2025, we amended the Law on Intellectual Property, adding provisions on copyright enforcement in the digital environment, particularly on the use of artificial intelligence to support the creative process.

We have also amended the decree that stipulates administrative penalties for copyright and related rights violations. Decree 341, dated December 26, 2025, added new acts of infringement, including copyright infringement in the digital environment and cyberspace, and specified the responsibility of internet service providers in coordinating with copyright holders to remove infringing digital products. Individuals and organisations involved in the violations are also subject to strict penalties.

The Copyright Office is also coordinating with copyright enforcement agencies and increasing communication efforts to raise people’s and businesses’ awareness on these rights. We have also collaborated with the Police Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05) to combat high-tech crime and implement cooperation programmes to enforce copyright in cyberspace.

Alongside these activities, recently, with the efforts and determination of the Government in Official Dispatch 38 sent to concerned ministries and departments across the country, awareness-raising campaigns on intellectual property enforcement have been intensified.

We are also proposing amendments to the Criminal Code regarding acts of copyright infringement, including infringement in the digital environment, to make the penalties more severe and deterrent.

Police in Phú Thọ Province on June 11 initiated a crimincal investigation on a case involving five people accused of unlicenced computer software use, the first of its kind in Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of Phú Thọ Police

Corporate use of unlicenced software has been a major copyright problem in Việt Nam. What can businesses do to thoroughly address and put an end to this issue?

Businesses must review their operations and the software products they’re using. If there is any unlicenced software, they must immediately contact the copyright holders to purchase a licence.

We are trying to organise training programmes for businesses on copyright issues. Our office is always ready to cooperate and support organisations, individuals, and businesses in improving their awareness and compliance with the law on these issues.

We also call for increased efforts from the business community to create a strong copyright culture in Việt Nam so that they can confidently sign cooperation agreements with international partners, without fear of punishment or law enforcement on what could sometimes be an unintentional violation.

What measures will the Copyright Office take to continue to reduce copyright infringement?

We have directed concerned authorities across the country to implement copyright enforcement activities in their respective areas. We are coordinating with ministries, departments and agencies, especially the Ministry of Public Security, to promote copyright enforcement. Several cases have been investigated and prosecuted in an effort to build a strong copyright environment.

However, we hope that each rights holder will be more proactive in enforcing and protecting their rights, using the measures permitted by law to protect their legitimate rights and interests, and demanding that infringing parties cease their infringing acts, rectify the situation and compensate for the damages. In cases where violators do not cooperate, rights holders can request for support from State agencies and enforcement bodies to handle the issue.

We are also advising on the preparation for the development of an independent copyright law, with a projected submission date to the Government of 2027. This, hopefully, will align policy research with the development of science and technology and the current socio-economic conditions of Việt Nam. — VNS

(*)The interview was conducted at a conference on online piracy with Japan's Office for International Copyrights in Hà Nội on July 30.