National competitiveness amid rising digital copyright challenges

Prominent among these are copyright violations involving films, music, television programmes and video games, carried out on an ever-larger scale with increasingly complex methods. Many websites distributing pirated films host their servers overseas and frequently change domain names to evade sanctions. Numerous musical works are illegally copied, edited or remixed before spreading rapidly across digital platforms.

Television programmes are broken down into short clips to attract views and generate illicit advertising revenue. In the gaming sector, software cracking, illegal account trading and data theft remain widespread, causing considerable losses for publishers and distorting the competitive environment.

According to official statistics, Viet Nam is currently among the countries in the region with a high rate of digital content copyright infringement. Beyond the economic damage, the more serious consequence is the erosion of creative motivation, weakening investor confidence and creating an unfair competitive environment. If such violations continue unchecked, the creative economy will struggle to develop sustainably, and the ambition of turning cultural industries into a spearhead economic sector will be difficult to realise.

What is particularly concerning is that accessing and using pirated products free of charge is gradually being regarded as normal behaviour by a section of users. The line between right and wrong is becoming blurred, while standards of business ethics and respect for the rule of law are quietly eroded over time. Protecting intellectual property rights today is therefore not only a legal requirement, but also a matter of cultural conduct and social responsibility in the digital age.

The Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 38/CD-TTg on May 5, 2026 requiring the vigorous implementation of measures to combat, prevent and strictly handle acts of intellectual property infringement. Under the directive, relevant authorities were instructed to mobilise resources and simultaneously launch nationwide enforcement operations from May 7 to 30, 2026, with a determination to impose strict penalties under the principle of “no forbidden zones and no exceptions”.

The directive received broad public support. Many observers believe that while enforcement is an urgent short-term solution, the more important task is to build a sufficiently strong “shield” capable of preventing violations at their root. To achieve this, the legal framework must continue to be improved in a more comprehensive and coherent manner, keeping pace with the rapid development of digital technology, particularly regulations concerning the responsibilities of digital platforms and intermediary service providers.

At the same time, greater application of technology in detecting, monitoring and handling violations — from artificial intelligence to digital content recognition tools — is needed to improve governance in cyberspace.

Ultimately, the decisive factor remains user awareness. Combating copyright infringement cannot rely solely on state agencies or punitive measures. That battle must begin with changes in the consumption habits of individuals themselves. When users are willing to pay for legitimate products and actively reject infringing content, the market will naturally move towards greater transparency and sustainability. A society that respects copyright is also one that values creative labour and intellectual contribution.

For businesses, stronger proactiveness remains a crucial missing link. In reality, many enterprises still struggle to respond effectively to infringement, while technical solutions, international cooperation mechanisms and legal content distribution ecosystems have yet to be fully utilised.

Experience from many countries shows that businesses are not merely victims of infringement; they must also become leading forces in detecting, preventing and protecting their own intellectual assets. When creative rights are properly respected and protected, Viet Nam will be able to build a solid foundation for developing cultural industries, attracting high-quality investment, and strengthening its position and competitiveness within the global digital economy.