Brian Jeffrey
In a recent meeting at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) headquarters on August 27, Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long and the Vietnam Pay Television Association discussed various pressing issues.
Chairman of the Vietnam Pay Television Association, Tran Van Uy, pointed out the challenges faced by member companies, including concerns about music copyright fees, addressing copyright infringements online, prohibiting online gambling advertisements, and establishing service pricing for television broadcasting.
A major concern raised by the association was the widespread copyright violations in television broadcasts, notably during sports events such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League, and Europa League.
Uy emphasized the growing issue of illegal football match streaming, particularly through the ‘Xoi Lac’ website network, urging the MIC and internet service providers to intensify efforts to block access to websites violating copyright laws.
Recently, the MIC’s Inspectorate requested pay-TV service providers to report on the broadcast of international football games featuring adverts for online gambling websites.
The association highlighted that the signals for these sports events are broadcast simultaneously to various countries regionally and globally, following international standards and copyright agreements in place.
It was clarified that Vietnamese broadcasters and pay-TV companies do not engage in any advertising arrangements or commercial contracts with companies associated with gambling advertisements embedded in these signals.
Vietnamese pay-TV units do not benefit financially from the presence of gambling-related logos during live sports broadcasts, as these advertisements are part of the original signal originating from territories with different market practices than Vietnam’s legal regulations.
Demands to remove or alter betting-related brand images during broadcasts are impractical, and pay-TV units are bound by international agreements to transmit sports event broadcasts in full, respecting event sponsors’ rights.
“Interfering with or altering the signal is a severe violation that could lead to contract termination and compensation claims. Stopping the broadcast of these sports events would damage the broadcaster’s reputation and result in significant economic losses,” Uy elaborated.
To address these issues, the association urged the MIC to lead technical efforts to prevent Vietnamese viewers from accessing illegal gambling websites and proposed amendments to exempt broadcasters from liability related to foreign signal content.
Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long issued directives during the meeting to address the challenges brought forward by the Vietnam Pay Television Association.
To combat copyright infringements online, collaboration between the association and companies was suggested to compile a detailed list of TV programs and their respective copyright holders for handling violations, with the association responsible for verification.
A joint task force between the Broadcasting and Electronic Information Authority and the Vietnam Pay Television Association will be established to address copyright violations and coordinate with internet service providers for necessary actions.
The MIC is gathering input on television programs featuring gambling ads to propose continued broadcasting until August 2025, alongside amending the Advertising Law to introduce liability exemptions in specific transmission cases.
Broadcasting companies were urged to proactively review websites and sponsors of sports programs related to gambling and report them to the MIC for preventive measures.
In addressing music copyright concerns, international experiences were recommended to refine strategies in this area.
