On April 20 and 21, 2021, Copyright Office of Vietnam attended the APEC Virtual Workshop on Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Digital Content Trade under the Joint Project of APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation) is co-organized by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation with other APEC members: China, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Vietnam.

The digital economy is a key phenomenon in the current stage of global development. The use of digital technology contributes to economic development, trade facilitation, and ensures the inclusiveness of regional trade and production. The information technology (IT) sector has opened up opportunities to reduce distribution costs and expand markets for content-related businesses. Recently, the ability of consumers and businesses to access the Internet as well as participate in digital content commerce and e-commerce has increased dramatically.

The conference spent most of the time discussing the following main topics:

Session 1: General issues of IPR protection in digital content trade. This session is dedicated to the existing global regulatory framework relating to IPR protection in digital content trade. The panel discussion provided the current legal framework for IP protection and the emerging challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Session 2: Specific aspects of copyright and related rights protection on the Internet. In this session, participants discussed the challenges of copyright and related rights protection in the digital environment and the Internet, as well as different approaches to addressing them.

Session 3: Domestic approaches to trademark protection in digital trade. The session focused on the interaction between trademarks and digital content, as well as domestic approaches to trademark protection in the context of digital content trade.

Session 4: Access to new technologies in the context of digital content trade, emerging technologies present both challenges and opportunities for IPR holders and government authorities. This discussion session exchanged practices, approaches and ideas related to the protection of intellectual property rights in the light of new technologies, namely artificial intelligence (AI), the platform for intellectual property rights. Blockchain, etc The right methods to solve these problems can foster innovation and creativity. At the same time, ignorance in this area can lead to a sharp economic slowdown.

At Session 2, Deputy General Director Pham Thi Kim Oanh gave a speech to share with APEC economies an overview of Vietnam's legal framework for copyright and related rights protection and difficulties. Current challenges to the protection of copyright and related rights in the digital environment. Deputy General Director proposed 3 main groups of solutions to solve:

Legal: amending and supplementing some content of copyright and related rights in the Intellectual Property Law to be suitable with the actual situation and international commitments.

Enforcement: closely cooperate with enforcement agencies and collective representative organizations to increase efficiency in the protection of copyright and related rights.

International cooperation: consult experiences, strengthen exchanges and exchanges with countries and international organizations.

At the end of the workshop, the representative of the Organizing Committee thanked all members of the APEC economy for sharing their experiences in management activities in digital commerce and solutions to solve difficulties and challenges to promote promote innovation and creativity, especially in the period of the 4th Industrial Revolution and in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic affecting the entire world economy.

Copyright Office of Vietnam will study the experiences of APEC economic members to absorb and complete the Draft Amendment and Supplement to the Intellectual Property Law and the Draft of Proposal to join the WCT Treaty and the WPPT Treaty.

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