Vietnam's National Assembly heard the Government's submissions and verification reports on the draft Law on Cultural Industries Development and a draft law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Intellectual Property on October 24, during the second session of the 16th legislature.
The cultural industries draft covers ecosystems, creativity, intellectual property rights, human resources, infrastructure, markets, finance, and investment support. It also defines the rights, obligations and responsibilities of relevant agencies, organisations and individuals.
The draft has eight chapters and 39 articles. It focuses on ecosystem development and controlled trials, creativity and intellectual property rights, human resources, infrastructure, markets, and financial and investment support.
The draft proposes mechanisms to address weak value-chain links, expand access to international markets, promote national brands, increase consumption and exports, and remove barriers to controlled trials.
Nguyen Dac Vinh, chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs, said the law was needed on political, legal and practical grounds. He said it would institutionalise policies on cultural industries, establish a legal framework, support economic growth and innovation, and strengthen Vietnam's soft power.
Some lawmakers called for revisions focused on specific policies to mobilise resources. They said incentives for creativity and investment should be balanced with the protection of traditional cultural values, political and ideological security, and national cultural sovereignty.
Some participants asked for clarification of the need, models and functions of creative software and digital platforms supporting intellectual property rights. They also suggested avoiding duplication with existing platforms or integrating the proposed functions into current systems.
Centralising intellectual property administration
The National Assembly also heard the Government's submission and a verification report on amendments to the Law on Intellectual Property.
The draft retains the current law's scope, covering copyright and related rights, industrial property rights, rights to plant varieties, and protection of those rights.
New provisions would let parties transferring and receiving industrial property rights request changes to the holder's information or the goods and services listed in a trademark registration certificate after a transfer. Similar provisions would apply to recipients of transferred plant variety rights.
Phan Chi Hieu, chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Legal and Judicial Affairs, said the committee supported the amendments and their scope. He said the draft aligns with Party guidelines, constitutional and legal requirements, and the wider legal system.
The committee supported transferring state management of plant variety rights from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to the Ministry of Science and Technology to streamline administration and improve efficiency.
Regarding a proposal to remove conditions for intellectual property assessors, the committee asked the Government to monitor implementation and introduce measures to maintain oversight and improve assessment quality.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
