The issue of protecting intellectual property rights, especially in the current digital transformation context, is facing many challenges. Meanwhile, dealing with violations is also encountering some limitations, and preventive measures have not been standardized.
On September 26, 2023, in Hanoi, the Digital Content Creation Alliance (DCCA) of Vietnam collaborated with Capital Multimedia to organize a seminar with the theme “Resolving the Issue of Protecting Intellectual Property Rights for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industries.” Following the seminar, the news portal sohuutritue.net also published an article:
On September 26, 2023, in Hanoi, the Digital Content Creation Alliance of Vietnam (DCCA) collaborated with Capital Multimedia to organize a seminar titled “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industries.”
Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center, Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications shared about the situation of digital content copyright infringement in Vietnam.
The seminar shared information about the current situation of copyright violations in digital content in general, as well as in the music, film, and digital television industries in particular. It also discussed the difficulties in implementing preventive measures and preventing copyright infringements. In addition, Capital Multimedia shared the Sigma Multi-DRM solution integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) in copyright protection, commercially known as Sigma Active Observer (SAO), which helps content owners and online content distribution platforms protect copyrights for their content on the Internet.
Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Copyright Center for Digital Content at the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, pointed out that copyright violations have become increasingly complex. There are numerous pirate websites that violate copyrights, especially for major events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, which received up to 1.5 billion views in 2022-2023.
Furthermore, more than 200 pirate websites attract around 120 million views per month. Notably, some pirate websites have recently started stealing Japanese comic content, and Japan has taken strong actions against such violations.
Mr. Hai also discussed the challenges, stating, “The infringing domain names host servers abroad, and the owners advertise gambling on these websites. Typical infringement methods include re-broadcasting content from OTT platforms, terrestrial digital television, and satellite digital television. Violators often take the content and then livestream it on social media and pirate websites.”
In response to this situation, the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information has cooperated with the Information Security Department and copyright agencies to detect, verify, and collaborate with relevant entities to block access to infringing websites, resulting in nearly 1000 websites being blocked.
However, Mr. Hai also pointed out existing drawbacks, such as the lack of consistency in blocking measures among Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and varying timeframes for blocking, with some ISPs blocking immediately and others doing so after three days or more. Additionally, there is a need for flexibility in dealing with new domain names, as infringing parties often change domain names quickly and announce new ones in closed online groups such as Telegram, Facebook, and Zalo.
Ms. Pham Thanh Thuy, representing K+, shared the difficulties her unit has faced in the struggle against Xoi Lac TV over time – Photo: QUYEN PHAM
Meanwhile, Lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy, in charge of Copyright Enforcement for K+, highlighted the challenges that OTT television providers and online content distributors face. According to her, the key issue is digital rights management (DRM) vulnerabilities, particularly the exploitation of packet spoofing to deceive License Servers and bypass authorization checks to access content for untrusted accounts.
She also mentioned problems like using screen recording devices for rebroadcasting and exploiting Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to evade geographical restrictions, allowing access to content from one country and illicitly distributing it in another.
In summary, despite numerous solutions and collaborative efforts to protect copyrights, the effectiveness remains limited in curbing and addressing copyright infringements in the fields of film, music, and digital television. During the discussions, participants, speakers, and guests continued to share their experiences in dealing with this issue. Three main solution groups emerged: technical solutions and continuously evolving technologies for content encryption and infringement tracking, legal measures to support copyright holders, including administrative, civil, and criminal actions, and the third group, which is a newer trend successfully applied in many advanced countries, involves blocking access and “Knock and Talk” (identifying and confronting the individuals responsible for violations directly to cease infringements).
The seminar “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry,” organized by the Vietnam Digital Content Creativity Alliance (DCCA) in coordination with Capital Multimedia on September 26, 2023, set the stage for discussions on the challenges in applying preventive measures and combating copyright infringement. The seminar also shared some solutions to help content owners and online content distribution platforms effectively protect the intellectual property rights of their content products on the Internet. This emphasizes the importance of dealing with copyright infringement in the music, film, and digital television industry in the context of the increasingly digitized world.
Following the seminar, laodongthudo.vn also shared:
The development of the digital content distribution environment is directly related to copyright infringement issues. Currently, OTT television service providers like TV360, FPT Play, and online film distributors like Netflix, Hulu, and Hotstar have become important players in the Internet entertainment ecosystem by meeting the demand for unlimited content. The convenience of accessing movies, TV shows, and live music events on various devices has transformed how audiences interact with content.
However, this trend is also associated with copyright infringement problems.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, CEO of Thudo Multimedia
This is evidenced by the statistics provided by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, the CEO of Capital Multimedia Company, which show that in Vietnam, up to 80% of copyright violations occur on digital platforms, resulting in a loss of $348 million in 2022, equivalent to approximately 7 trillion Vietnamese dong. The global losses in the music, film, and television industries in 2022 amounted to $65 billion.
According to Mr. Han, copyright infringement in Vietnam has become increasingly sophisticated. In the past, copyright infringement was as simple as copying cards for set-top boxes, but now, the violations have become more intricate and complex. They include violations on set-top boxes, violations over network infrastructure within a country, and even violations that cross national borders, involving the use of VPNs and spanning multiple platforms (mobile, set-top boxes, web) or using online re-streaming.
Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Center for Digital Content Copyright in Vietnam (Department of Broadcasting, Television, and Electronic Information – Ministry of Information and Communications), further illustrated this with SimilarWeb data. Currently, in Vietnam, numerous pirate websites have emerged, including 70 football piracy websites, with the top 5 groups attracting over 1.5 billion views in the 2022/2023 season and 7.7 million unique users in 2022 and 2023. There are also 200 pirate movie websites drawing around 120 million views per month, with the top 10 receiving more than 66 million views each month.
Mr. Hai pointed out that these pirate websites typically use international domains and conceal their information, engage in public activities, frequently change domains when blocked, run harmful and betting advertisements, and showcase various types of content from sports to movies. A common infringement method is to live stream content on social media or edit and broadcast content on different platforms immediately after the copyright owner releases or publishes it on platforms such as OTT, terrestrial digital television, and satellite television.
To protect digital content from various copyright infringement risks, copyright has become increasingly important due to global distribution.
Ensuring the integrity and exclusivity of released content has become a significant concern for content owners and distributors. Domain blocking measures have been implemented in Vietnam, and digital rights management (DRM) solutions like Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady have been deployed to prevent unauthorized access and distribution.
According to statistics, from August 2022 to August 2023, the Department of Broadcasting, Television, and Electronic Information collaborated with the Information Security Department and copyright holders to block nearly 1,000 pirate football websites, such as xoilac.1tiengruoi.link, xoivo4.com, coichua.net, tammao.tv, 90link.com, xoilac.live, xemtructiep.xyz, and more. The list of infringing websites was published on the banquyen.gov.vn website.
Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Center for Digital Content Copyright in Vietnam, stated that the blocking activities have changed browsing habits. In fact, there has been a 7% reduction in the number of copyright infringement links and a 98% decrease in access to blocked websites (according to statistics from the Premier League and SimilarWeb). According to a survey by CAP, 23% of Vietnamese internet users responded that they would not access or access pirate websites less due to the impact of blocking access.
However, current copyright protection solutions are still insufficient, and a multidimensional approach is needed to address existing risks. In particular, content providers face challenges related to DRM vulnerabilities, such as the abuse of packet forgery to deceive license servers and bypass authorization for content access by untrusted accounts.
In addition to DRM vulnerabilities, OTT television providers and online publishers must confront a range of other risks that demand comprehensive copyright protection solutions. These include screen capture device usage for replaying content or exploiting virtual private networks (VPNs) to evade geographical restrictions, allowing access to content from one country to be unlawfully distributed in another.
Therefore, the solution proposed by the Vietnam Digital Content Copyright Center in the near future is to establish a coordination mechanism among copyright owners, state management agencies, and ISPs. This will involve flexible blocking mechanisms to block newly created domains after they are blocked, apply various technical measures to restrict access (DNS, IP, CDN), and develop automatic blocking tools to minimize time and resource expenditure.
To counter the threats in copyright protection, Capital Multimedia has developed the Sigma Multi-DRM solution, which includes three layers of protection verified by Cartesian and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to address complex copyright infringement issues.
Sigma Multi-DRM introduces a breakthrough protection method – Sigma Active Observer (SAO). This solution goes beyond the limitations of traditional DRM solutions, providing a flexible and proactive defense mechanism. SAO actively detects and reports copyright infringement risks. At the core of Sigma Multi-DRM is SAO, a powerful software toolkit that redefines content security. SAO is not just a security layer of Sigma Multi-DRM; it also monitors all aspects of content distribution and online streaming. Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, SAO goes further in detecting and reviewing all data exchange activities during content distribution on the Internet.
SAO is a comprehensive protection solution with features such as detecting multidimensional threats, identifying and eliminating VPNs, resisting packet forgery, analyzing user behavior, and providing real-time information.
By using Sigma Multi-DRM integrated with SAO, OTT television service providers and online film and music distributors can protect their exclusive content, enhance brand credibility, optimize revenue, and take a proactive approach to security.
In conclusion, the seminar shed light on the critical issue of copyright protection in the digital age and introduced innovative solutions like Sigma Multi-DRM with SAO to address the challenges faced by the music, film, and digital television industry in protecting their intellectual property in a rapidly evolving online landscape.
Copyright infringement in the field of OTT (Over-The-Top) has become a serious and complex issue in today’s digital age. OTT is an online television and media distribution model where music, movies, and television programs are transmitted over the Internet and do not require traditional broadcasting infrastructure. On September 26, 2023, in Hanoi, the Digital Content Creation Alliance Vietnam (DCCA) in collaboration with Thủ Đô Multimedia organized a seminar titled “Solving the Copyright Protection Issue for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry.”
According to statistics from the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), from August 2022 to August 2023, nearly 1,000 illegal football websites like xoilac.1tiengruoi.link, xoivo4.com, coichua.net, etc., were blocked from access.
These figures were shared by Mr. Phạm Hoàng Hải, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center at the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, during the seminar “Solving the Copyright Protection Issue for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry.”
Copyright infringement remains widespread on the internet. Organized by the Digital Content Creation Alliance Vietnam, the Vietnam Digital Media Association, and Thủ Đô Multimedia, the seminar held on September 26 in Hanoi focused on unique areas such as music, film, and digital television. These areas have seen a high number of copyright violations in recent times and have been challenging to address.
Mr. Vũ Kiêm Văn, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Digital Media Association, stated during the opening speech that the issue of protecting content copyrights in the digital transformation era faces numerous challenges.
According to Nguyễn Ngọc Hân, CEO of Thủ Đô Multimedia, alongside the convenience for consumers in accessing entertainment content, the digital transformation revolution also brings unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and copyright protection. This requires the development of new solutions to safeguard content from various copyright infringement risks.
Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center, Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications shared about the situation of digital content copyright infringement in Vietnam.
Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center, highlighted that copyright infringement in Vietnam is complex and involves numerous websites (pirate websites) that broadcast football matches and movies. According to SimilarWeb, there are approximately 70 pirate football websites with over 1.5 billion views in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, over 200 pirate movie websites attract around 120 million views per month, with the top 10 receiving more than 66 million views each month.
Recently, some pirate websites have shifted to the theft of Japanese Anime comics. Copyright infringement related to Anime comics has faced strong reactions from Japanese copyright holders regarding violations in Vietnam.
The common characteristics of many copyright-infringing websites are the use of international domains and obscured information services. They operate publicly, frequently change domains when blocked, and often include harmful advertisements, gambling, and other illegal content.
A typical method of copyright infringement is that, after content owners broadcast or publish their content on platforms like OTT, terrestrial digital television, or satellite digital television, infringing parties will engage in violations by live-streaming the content on social media or by cutting and publishing the content.
Ms. Pham Thanh Thuy, representing K+, shared the difficulties her unit has faced in the struggle against Xoi Lac TV over time – Photo: QUYEN PHAM
According to Pham Thanh Thuy, responsible for Copyright Infringement Prevention at K+, a digital television service, handling copyright infringement cases through administrative measures typically takes about 2-3 years and can extend to 4 years, as exemplified by the Phim Moi case.
In the context of the rapid development of OTT platforms, a representative from K+ revealed that Vietnam ranks third in the region for copyright infringement rates, with 15.5 million people regularly accessing pirate websites. Copyright infringement on digital platforms is now the predominant form of violation.
Content owners hope that effective copyright protection can lead to at least 10% of the 15.5 million viewers of pirate content transitioning to legal subscriptions, which would provide additional revenue for investments in higher-value content, sports programs, and better-quality films. This, in turn, would contribute to the development of the digital content creation industry in Vietnam.
Proposed proactive blocking model for copyright-violating websites
According to the assessment of a representative from the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information, the application of technical measures, specifically blocking access to copyright-violating websites, has had some positive effects in changing user habits. CAP’s survey shows that 23% of internet users in Vietnam reported that they would not access or would reduce their access to pirate websites due to these blocking measures.
However, the blocking measures have some drawbacks, such as inconsistency between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regarding the methods and timeframes for blocking. Some ISPs block access immediately, while others delay blocking for up to three days or longer. Furthermore, these measures do not effectively address newly emerging domains.
The Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information suggests several solutions for effective copyright infringement prevention on the internet, including establishing cooperation between copyright holders, government authorities, and ISPs; creating flexible blocking mechanisms that can adapt to new domains; and applying various appropriate technical measures (DNS, IP, CDN) for blocking access. In addition, they propose developing automatic blocking tools to minimize the time and manpower required for blocking.
Analyzing the difficulties in applying legal measures, including administrative, civil, and criminal measures, to combat copyright infringement in the digital environment, Phạm Thanh Thủy emphasizes that many countries are adopting new trends, such as proactive blocking and “Knock & Talk.”
The person in charge of Copyright Infringement Prevention at K+ added that, according to Media Partners Asia, the situation regarding infringement has improved in countries with effective blocking measures, including Vietnam. AVIA’s survey shows that the majority of viewers no longer watch pirate websites and have transitioned to legal services as pirate websites are blocked.
Phạm Thanh Thủy also suggests that Vietnam should adopt a proactive blocking model similar to the one in the UK. In this model, if pirate websites change domains or IP addresses after the first block, ISPs will proactively block these new domains or IP addresses upon receiving notifications from copyright owners or relevant government authorities without the need for further administrative procedures.
On September 26, a seminar on “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry” was organized by Thudo Multimedia Company, attracting significant attention from various newspapers. Báo Tiền phong (Pioneer Newspaper) reported:
In Vietnam, up to 80% of copyright violations occur in the digital space, resulting in losses of USD 348 million in 2022 (equivalent to VND 7,000 billion). This information was shared during the seminar “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry,” which was organized by the Vietnam Digital Content Creativity Alliance (DCCA) on the morning of September 26 in Hanoi.
Numerous experts, lawyers, and representatives from content providers in music, film, and digital television on digital platforms shared insights into the current state of copyright infringement, particularly within the fields of music, film, and digital television. They also proposed preventative measures and solutions to combat copyright infringements.
Mr. Vu Kiem Van, Vice President – General Secretary of Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) – affirmed that the issue of content copyright protection is currently facing difficulties.
Mr. Vu Kiem Van, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Digital Communication Association (VDCA), emphasized the challenges faced in protecting content copyright, especially in the current digital transformation context. He suggested that delegates focus on areas with specific challenges, such as music, film, and digital television, which have experienced the most copyright infringements and are the most difficult to address.
In the rapidly developing landscape of over-the-top (OTT) digital television platforms, users have entered a new era of consuming entertainment content. However, the convenience of accessing films and distributing content has made it increasingly challenging and complex to ensure content security and copyright protection.
In the realm of sports, a representative from a broadcasting channel that purchased broadcasting rights revealed that Vietnam ranks among the top three regions in terms of copyright violations, with 15.5 million people frequently accessing unauthorized websites. This situation has led to considerable losses. “Premier League matches with broadcasting rights are freely available on the internet. If 10% of the 15.5 million unauthorized views were converted into legitimate subscribers, the revenue generated would be substantial. With this revenue, we could reinvest in more valuable products, such as sports programs and better films,” said Phạm Thanh Thủy. Copyright violations in the digital realm primarily occur on illicit websites and various applications and social networks.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, CEO of Thudo Multimedia
Nguyen Ngoc Han, the CEO of Thủ Đô Multimedia Company, revealed that in Vietnam, 80% of copyright violations take place in the digital domain, resulting in losses of USD 348 million in 2022, equivalent to VND 7,000 billion. “Copyright infringement in Vietnam is like a labyrinth. In previous years, copyright infringement was as simple as copying a set-top box for cable television. Nowadays, copyright infringement methods have become more sophisticated and complex, even extending across national borders,” stated Nguyễn Ngọc Hân.
Despite the deployment of solutions to prevent unauthorized access and distribution, current copyright protection measures are insufficient to address the existing risks. Therefore, experts and industry leaders suggest that, in addition to AI-based copyright protection technologies, there is a need for extensive cooperation among stakeholders and a clear and stringent penalty system.
On September 26th, the discussion titled “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry” organized by Thudo Multimedia drew considerable attention from various major news outlets sggp.org.vn a prominent news source, reported:
Copyright infringement in Vietnam is currently akin to a maze. In previous years, copyright infringement was as simple as duplicating cable boxes for cable television. However, today, the forms of infringement have become more sophisticated and complex, with cross-border violations becoming more prevalent.
The discussion on September 26th, “Solving the Copyright Protection Puzzle for the Music, Film, and Digital Television Industry,” organized by the Vietnam Digital Content Creation Alliance, shared insights into the current state of copyright infringement in digital content, as well as the challenges faced by the music, film, and digital television industries. The event also discussed the difficulties in implementing preventive measures and addressing infringements on copyrights.
In the midst of the rapidly evolving landscape of digital content distribution, the swift development of Over-The-Top (OTT) television platforms and online movie distributors has ushered in a new era of entertainment content consumption. The ease of accessing movies, television shows, and live music events on various devices has transformed how audiences interact with content. However, this digital revolution has also brought about unprecedented challenges in terms of content security and copyright protection, necessitating the development of new solutions to safeguard content from a myriad of copyright infringement risks.
According to Mr. Vũ Kiêm Văn, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Digital Communication Association, the challenges in content copyright have intensified in the current digital transformation context.
Supporting this viewpoint, Mr. Phạm Hoàng Hải, Director of the Copyright Center for Digital Content at the Department of Broadcasting, Television, and Electronic Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), emphasized that copyright infringement in Vietnam has become increasingly complex. Numerous websites infringe on copyright, sharing unauthorized broadcasts of football matches and movies.
“Especially recently, some pirate websites have transitioned to the form of Japanese Anime comics. Copyright infringement related to comics has also received strong reactions from copyright owners in Japan regarding violations in Vietnam,” Mr. Hải stated.
According to the leadership of the Department, a common characteristic of many copyright-infringing websites is their use of international domain names and hidden registration information, along with openly operating and frequently changing domains when blocked. These pirate websites often display harmful advertisements, gambling, and other illicit activities.
Providing specific examples, Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Hân, CEO of Thủ Đô Multimedia Company, revealed that 80% of copyright infringements in Vietnam occur on digital platforms, resulting in a loss of $348 million for Vietnam in 2022, equivalent to approximately 7 trillion Vietnamese đồng.
“Copyright infringement in Vietnam is like a labyrinth. In previous years, it was as simple as copying cable box cards for cable television. Now, copyright infringement has become more sophisticated and complex, with cross-border violations,” Mr. Hân shared.
During the discussion, it was also noted that while domain name blocking measures have begun to be enforced in Vietnam, current copyright protection solutions are still insufficient to address existing risks. Digital rights management solutions like Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady have been implemented to prevent unauthorized access and distribution, but comprehensive copyright protection solutions are still required to deal with ongoing challenges.
Furthermore, content providers of OTT television and online streaming platforms face a range of other risks, including screen recording and the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent geographical restrictions, allowing access to content from one country and distributing it unlawfully in another.
To counter these diverse threats, the participants in the discussion believed that, in addition to policy and governance, a greater focus on technology is needed to provide a flexible and proactive defense mechanism. It should include active detection and notification of copyright infringement risks.
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