The ministries of culture, sports and tourism of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) signed a memorandum of understanding on copyright protection cooperation at a conference in Hanoi on May 30.

The move is expected to promote the legal use of artistic works and develop the two countries’ culture and innovation, heard the function.

Protecting copyright at a time of global integration is essential for ensuring the legitimate interests of the creators and producing a healthy environment for competitiveness, experts said.

After becoming more aware of copyright self-protection measures and the self-execution of legal regulations, artists and businesses have been working closely with Vietnamese law enforcement agencies to stop any violations in the field, said deputy head of the Vietnam Copyright Office Pham Thi Kim Oanh.

Vietnam ’s laws stipulate fines of 250 million VND (12,000 USD) for copyright violations by individuals and 500 million VND (24,0000 USD) by organisations.

Last year, the Vietnamese ministry collected over 2 billion VND (about 95,200 USD) in fines from businesses for software copyright violations, and ordered three websites to remove thousands of pirated films.

It also received 60 letters of complaint on copyright disputes over 142 book editions from 25 publishing houses during the year.

Vietnam and the RoK have stepped up co-operation for copyright protection since January this year, with the RoK Copyright Centre opening a representative office in Vietnam.-VNA