When "using something for free" is no longer blameless.

VHO - The fact that the Investigation Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security has initiated legal proceedings in numerous cases of "copyright and related rights infringement" involving BH Media, Lululola Entertainment, May Saigon, 1900 Group, and the Center for Timeless Voices of singer Quang Lap not only attracts attention due to the names of the entities involved, but also shows a significant movement in tightening the enforcement of copyright in Vietnam.

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For many years, copyright infringement in the digital environment has existed as a "grey area." Numerous individuals and businesses have used music , images, videos, and other creative products without fully complying with copyright regulations. From re-uploading songs on digital platforms and using music in performances to exploiting videos for advertising revenue and re-uploading content on social media, many such practices have been widespread and difficult to control.

To some extent, society has historically had a tendency to downplay the importance of copyright. The concept of "free use" has appeared in many fields, from software and films to music and electronic publishing. Many people believe that using a song or video on the internet is implicitly permissible, as long as it doesn't cause direct disputes.

However, with the rapid development of the digital economy , creative content has become a valuable asset. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify are not only places to share content but also huge markets for advertising revenue, subscriptions, and commercial exploitation. Therefore, copyright is no longer simply a matter of professional conduct, but directly relates to the economic rights of authors, artists, and creative businesses.

What makes these cases noteworthy is the suspected exploitation of technological loopholes to generate revenue from digital content. Automated copyright identification systems are designed to protect copyright owners, but if registration and exploitation exceed the authorized scope, it risks disputes, affecting the author or the legitimate copyright holder.

Several cases have sparked controversy when musicians or copyright owners received copyright infringement warnings on their own products. There was even a time when public outrage arose over the Vietnamese national anthem being flagged for copyright infringement in some sports videos on digital platforms. These stories highlight gaps in the management, authentication of ownership rights, and mechanisms for exploiting content in the online environment.

From a broader perspective, this action reflects the growing demand for intellectual property protection in the development of Vietnam's cultural industry. A professional creative market is unlikely to form if works are exploited indiscriminately or if revenue does not reach the creators.

Music, film, publishing, and digital content all require significant investment. When authors' rights are not protected, their motivation to create and their ability to reinvest in new products are affected. Therefore, copyright protection is not just about protecting an individual or business, but also about protecting the creative environment as a whole.

Notably, alongside the investigation, authorities also requested that relevant organizations and individuals proactively cease their violations, declare their actions, and rectify the consequences for consideration in accordance with the law. This shows that the goal is not only to address specific cases, but also to re-establish order in copyright exploitation activities in the digital space.

In the context of Vietnam's participation in numerous international trade agreements and its goal of developing cultural industries, strengthening copyright enforcement is seen as an essential step. This also signals that the use of works in the online environment is gradually shifting towards a stage that more fully values ​​the creative labor and intellectual property.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/doi-song/khi-xai-chua-khong-con-vo-can-228629.html