On 30 September 2026, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 2558/QD-BVHTTDL (“Decision 2558”), effective on the same date, setting out the revised functions, responsibilities, powers and organisational structure of the Copyright Office of Vietnam (“COV”), now renamed the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office.
Decision 2558 follows the Government’s issuance of Decree No. 298/2026/ND-CP on 27 July 2026, which reorganised the structure of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (“MOCST”), including the renaming of the COV. While the restructuring highlights the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office’s updated mandate to include the management and development of Vietnam’s cultural industries, Decision 2558 also introduces an important development for copyright owners: a clearer and more direct enforcement role in relation to copyright and related-right infringements.
What has changed?
Under the previous framework, the former Inspectorates of the MOCST primarily handled inspections of copyright infringement or coordinated with other competent authorities in copyright enforcement. The old COV, even though empowered with a coordinating role, mainly supported the MOCST Inspectorates and other authorities with copyright infringement assessments, or delivering expert opinions.
Decision 2558 now gives the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office a more direct role. In particular, it is now expressly responsible for:
The organisational structure of the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office has also been adjusted to reflect this expanded mandate. Notably, the former Division for Management and International Cooperation on Copyright and Related Rights has been renamed the Division for Copyright Management and Enforcement.
Together, these changes provide a clearer institutional basis for the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office to play a more active role in copyright enforcement, rather than acting principally as a copyright policy and administrative body.
A broader shift in Vietnam’s IP enforcement structure
The Cultural Industries and Copyright Office’s expanded enforcement responsibilities are new, but not entirely unexpected. They form part of a broader reallocation of IP enforcement functions following the recent restructuring of Vietnam’s ministries and inspectorates.
A similar development has occurred on the industrial property side. Decree No. 186/2026/ND-CP, amending Decree No. 99/2013/ND-CP on administrative sanctions for industrial property violations, effective from 15 July 2026, revises the administrative sanctions framework for industrial property infringements. Notably, it designates IP Vietnam as the central authority for handling administrative sanctions in industrial property matters, replacing the Ministry of Science and Technology Inspectorate.
What does this mean for rights holders?
For copyright owners, Decision 2558 is a positive development. It provides a clearer basis for engaging the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office in copyright and related-right enforcement matters, particularly where online infringement and intermediary service providers are involved.
However, the new framework remains in transition. Existing regulations and procedures governing administrative enforcement will need to be read together with, and may need to be further updated to reflect, the newly assigned functions. The precise procedures, jurisdictional boundaries and coordination mechanisms between relevant enforcement authorities may therefore take time to become clear in practice.
We will continue to monitor developments regarding the Cultural Industries and Copyright Office’s enforcement powers and provide further updates as the new framework is implemented in practice.
Authors: Yen Vu, Huy Nguyen, Ly Nguyen, Nguyet Nguyen
