Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese and Japanese copyright authorities discussed enforcing copyright in the digital environment at a workshop in Hanoi on July 30, focusing on stronger coordination to address increasingly complex infringement by digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI).
With just an Internet-connected device, a work can reach millions of people within a very short time, creating major opportunities for the development of cultural industries and the creative economy. At the same time, the digital environment is posing increasingly complex challenges to copyright protection and enforcement.
Speaking at the workshop, Tran Hoang, Director General of the Copyright Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said digital transformation and AI are fundamentally changing the ways works are created, distributed, exploited and accessed.
Common global challenge
Unauthorised copying and dissemination of content on digital platforms, livestreaming, file-sharing services, cross-border websites and the use of copyrighted works in developing new technologies require innovation in institutions, technology and enforcement coordination, he said.
In this context, stronger copyright enforcement is essential not only to protect the legitimate rights and interests of authors and copyright holders, but also to foster a healthy creative environment, promote innovation, attract investment and support the sustainable development of cultural industries.
Vietnam considers copyright an important pillar of the creative economy and has continued to improve its legal framework on copyright and related rights, strengthen enforcement capacity, promote digital technology in state management and expand international cooperation to meet the demands of integration and rapid technological development.
The country is also developing coordination mechanisms involving State management agencies, rights holders, technology companies, intermediary service providers and digital platforms to improve the prevention of copyright infringements.
Kawakami Toshihiro, Director General of the Copyright Subdivision of the Culture Council under the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, said Vietnamese audiences’ interest in Japanese animation and manga is a positive sign for cultural exchange between the two countries. However, their rapid growth in the digital environment has also made copyright protection an international challenge.
Japan is making efforts to protect copyright, particularly online, to foster its anime, manga and other creative industries, he said, noting that for works distributed beyond Japan’s borders, close coordination among copyright authorities of different countries is increasingly necessary.
Stronger international coordination needed
Pham Thi Kim Oanh, Deputy Director General of the Copyright Office of Vietnam, outlined major challenges in digital copyright enforcement, including the rapid spread of infringing content, low costs and high illicit profits, cross-border anonymity, repeated violations through frequent domain-name changes and organised profiteering.
Vietnam’s legal framework has been further strengthened based on the Law on Intellectual Property and its amendments in 2022 and 2025, together with relevant implementing regulations, including Decree No. 341/2025/ND-CP, Oanh said.
Intermediary service providers (ISPs) play an important role in enforcement. Under current regulations, ISPs must remove infringing content within 24 hours upon requests from competent state agencies. For requests from right holders, temporary removal or access blocking must be carried out within 72 hours, allowing relevant parties to initiate objection or verification procedures.
Sharing Japan’s experience, Takuto Kudo, Director of the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) Vietnam Centre, introduced the “Joint Enforcement” model, under which infringing websites are classified according to their scale and target markets so that appropriate measures can be taken.
He stressed that combating copyright infringement is not only a concern for Japanese rights holders but is also directly linked to the healthy development of Vietnam’s content industry.
Kudo said combining multiple sources of digital evidence is essential for criminal proceedings, including WHOIS registration histories, IP server routes, advertising revenues, payment information and technical tracking identifiers. Standardising such evidence in a format easily usable by competent authorities can facilitate effective enforcement, he noted.
Participants exchanged experience in copyright enforcement in Vietnam and Japan, and discussed protection models for music, manga and publishing, as well as ways to strengthen coordination among authorities, right holders and technology businesses in addressing challenges from digital platforms and AI.
They agreed on a vision for a transparent and sustainable digital copyright ecosystem based on three priorities: improving the legal framework, including research into a specialised copyright law and clearer rules on AI training data; accelerating digital transformation and the use of technology for automated infringement monitoring and alerts; and strengthening international cooperation, including establishing an annual copyright dialogue mechanism to coordinate action against cross-border infringement networks./.
