Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam on October 26 will officially become a member of the international treaty on copyright law, otherwise known as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Vietnam will become the 156th full-member of the treaty, according to an announcement made by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Under the treaty, Vietnam will grant copyright protection in the fields of literature, arts and science to citizens of countries that are signatories to the treaty. Vietnamese authors will also be protected.

Many state-owned offices, including the Copyright Department, the Economic Police Department and the Market Management Department, will be involved in the management of the treaty's regulations.

In joining the convention, Vietnam expects to receive better foreign works for readers to enjoy, said Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Tran Chien Thang. However, he warned that publishers would have to be careful in reproducing any foreign publications as it now requires the authors' approval plus the payment of royalties.

Costs and profits will force publishers to only print best-sellers, he said.

Meanwhile, local writers will have the chance to receive funds from foreign publishers if their works are reproduced abroad in any of the member countries, Thang said. This would encourage authors to devote their time and energy to creating high-quality works, he said.

Vu Manh Chu, head of the Culture and Arts Copyright Department, Vu Manh Chi, voiced his concern about a possible sharp fall in the volume of translated books when the convention comes into life, as many local publishers are unable to approach foreign writers or pay the royalties.

Since 1999 Vietnam has translated between 500-700 foreign books per year, including republications, according to statistics of the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The Berne Convention was passed by the international community in Switzerland in 1886. Under the convention, copyright takes effect automatically without asking authors to register or make any notices of the right. Authors will have their copyrights protected for life plus an additional 50 posthumous years. (VNA Aug 13, Sports & Culture Aug 13 p37, Vietnam Panorama)