HCM CITY — More than 370 musicians and relatives of deceased artists have signed a petition to authorities and media outlets, including Viet Nam Television and Radio Voice of Viet Nam, to protect intellectual property rights.

The artists complained of their copyright compensations being ignored for years. The Viet Nam Centre for the Protection of Music Copyrights (VCPMC), an organisation representing 1,500 musicians nationwide, claims that copyright infringement is the norm.

Among the artists who signed the letter last Monday are Pham Tuyen, Nguyen Tai Tue, Doan Nho, Phan Huynh Dieu and Thuan Yen. Many made a name for themselves with songs for Viet Nam’s national revolution.

Musicians from a younger generation, such as Do Bao, Giang Son, Anh Quan, Quoc Trung, Huy Tuan, also aired their grievances in the letter.

The artists expressed their appreciation for the co-operation of VTV, which has paid royalties since 2004. Musicians get VND10,000 per song for non-sponsored programmes and VND170,000 (US$10) for sponsored ones.

However, other television studios do not compensate musicians for using their songs.

Musician Pham Tuyen said a work that becomes popular with the public is the happiness of a musician. However, the existence of a song must be indicated through its royalties so that artists can continue to create music.

Tuyen hopes TV studios and agencies will heed the rights of musicians.

Establishing intellectual property contracts is difficult work, said Pho Duc Phuong, head of the VCPMC. The centre has spent the last four years negotiating a deal with the Voice of Viet Nam radio but nothing has been signed.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism set up a task force to compile musician’s legal rights to reduce confusion over existing regulations.

This year the VCPMC hopes to collect VND12 billion ($750,000) in royalties from organisations using the centre’s songs for commercial purposes. Last year it brought in VND9 billion ($562,500).

While many artists are adamant in getting their fair share in royalties, others are more interested in the popularity of their songs than in financial matters, and permit media outlets to use their work free of charge.

This lack of unity from Vietnamese musicians is one of the VCPMC’s biggest dilemmas in protecting its members’ rights. Complaints of copyright infringement often only result in a song being pulled off the airwaves in favor of something not protected by the VCPMC, so many musicians are reluctant to assert their rights. — VNS