Vietnamese musicians get serious about their royalties
HCM CITY — In what must be sweet music to their ears, the body acting for musicians in Viet Nam is now permitted to chase up royalties owed to composers.
An agreement this week between the Viet Nam Recording Association and the Viet Nam Copyright Centre (VCC) allows the centre, which represents many composers, to enforce their royalty payments.
Under the agreement, composers will receive royalty fees from concert organisers and CD producers who use their material.
As of last month, the VCC had collected VND400 million (US$25,800) in royalties on behalf of 300 composers and songwriters, most of which was paid by show organisers and producers of CDs, cassettes, karaoke CDs, and videos.
At an international seminar on copyright enforcement last Wednesday, representatives from several countries pointed out the amount of royalties collected in Viet Nam was insufficient for a country with such diverse musical activity.
Addressing the seminar, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Information, deputy minister Tran Chien Thang blamed the lack of royalties on organisers of music shows that suffer losses.
"They don’t pay royalties to the composers whose material is used in the shows, " Thang said.
"Different copyright fees are also paid by music show organisers in HCM City and Ha Noi," he said.
A representative from the International Association for Songs and Music Writers noted copyright protection gives musicians a secure base from which to continue creative activities.
Musician Nguyen Ngoc Thien said copyright infringement had existed in Viet Nam for a long time.
"Many people are earning a living by using composers’ songs and music without paying for the right to do so," explained Thien.
"This has led to many composers turning to other work."
The VCC, set up last year to protect the rights of songwriters and composers, has offered support to more than 400 artists who have signed contracts with the centre.
The VCC’s manager, musician Pho Duc Phuong, acknowledged progress on copyright infringement has been slow, attributing the pace to a dearth of experienced professionals in this area.
Phuong said the centre needs State help in enforcing the copyright laws.
The VCC and officials from the HCM City Culture and Information Department agreed concert organisers who receive licences from this department must comply with copyright law regulations. — VNS
