Project to strengthen management skills and effective enforcement of copyright and related rights for the collective management organizations of copyright and related rights in Viet Nam to 2015 (Decision No.649/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on 01 May 2012
This project aims to improve the effectiveness of state management over collective management organizations of copyright and related rights; support capacity building of the collective societies towards professionalism, protect the legitimate rights of its members, the effective law enforcement of copyright and related rights.
In Viet Nam, there are five organizations representing collective copyright and related rights, including: Center for Protection of Music Copyright of Vietnam under Vietnam Musicians' Association; Recording Industry Association of Viet Nam; Center for literature copyrights of Viet Nam under the Vietnam Writers' Association; Viet Nam Reproduction Right Organization (VIETRRO), Association for Protection of rights of Music Performers of Viet Nam.
These organizations have in recent years posed an urgent request to have the support of the state in all aspects to improve the quality and effectiveness of operations. The Project to strengthen management skills and effective law enforcement of copyright and related rights for the collective management organizations of copyright and related rights in Viet Nam to 2015 was put in place to meet this critical requirement. Beneficiaries receiving state support from this project will not only be the collective management organizations of copyright and related rights but also include state management agencies, members, organizations and individuals using these works and objects of related rights. The scope of the project covers areas under the state management of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, namely cinema, visual arts, photography, performing arts, sound and image recording (music programs).
The project is a groundbreaking effort in awareness of the government of Viet Nam on the effective enforcement of legal provisions on copyright protection by recognizing and promoting the role of collective management organizations in the protection of copyright and related rights in Viet Nam. The system of collective management organizations is responsible for licensing negotiation, collecting money for the owners in their fields. Their operation has helped reduce the heavy management workload of the state agencies.
- Regarding the building and promulgation of policies and legislation: gradually improve policies and laws for protection of copyright and related rights. By 2015, supplement and complete the legal regulations on the state management for the collective management organizations; issue specific regulations, such as regulations on the tariffs table, methods of payment of royalties; regulation on appraisal activities of copyright and related rights... as the foundation for effective enforcement of protection laws of copyright and related rights.
- Regarding awareness-raising: Promote the publicity to raise awareness and understanding of the law on the protection of copyright and related rights through the organization of seminars, training courses, publishing, building communication programs disseminated to the public and all stakeholders;
- Improve the capacity of the system of collective management organizations: The organizations have personnel trained and obtain good professional knowledge to meet the requirements of international-level management (ISO); these organizations build and complete websites, software, database to manage the works, subjects of related rights, owners, authors of the author rights, owners of the related rights in pursuance with international standards, ensuring the responsibilities of managing, exploiting effectively the authorized rights of members, meanwhile ensuring the openness and transparency of activities of these organizations. They carry out effectively the licensing, collection and distribution of royalties; maximize the benefits of membership, users who are organizations and individuals, and the public; and can be self-financing in its activities.
- Expand international cooperation, take advantage of the support of international organizations, sign plans of cooperation and representation of protection of copyright and related rights with respective international organizations.
- Total estimated budget: 12 billion VND (approximately 563.000 USD)
- Funding sources: State budget and other legal fund-raising sources of organizations, individuals; funds from other socio-economic development programmes.
Activities have obtained the initial and encouraging results. The organizations have made many efforts in project activities, thus their membership has increased; some organizations have achieved certain successes in collecting royalties; some have built their own websites, and software on management system, database of authors and owners of copyright works; some have international partnership with respective organizations in other countries to receive technical assistance and sign cooperation plans based on the reciprocal basis for members of their organizations.