Dear colleagues from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Copyright Office ofViet Nam,

Dear participants in the National Conference on Copyright Protection in the Film IndustryDevelopment,

It is with great pleasure that I address you, though remotely, on the occasion of the 23^rd Vietnam Film Festival. It is remarkable that the program of the festival has included for the first time an event of the role of copyright for the film industry.

The audiovisual sector has always been one of the cornerstones of a thriving creative economy and there is no other sector which has such a profound and immediate impact on humans. Film, more than any other form of cultural expression, is a collaborative phenomenon. While the role of the film producers is pivotal, their efforts are futile without the engagement and motivation of the talent working on the film, especially its authors and performing artists.

 The film industry faces multiple challenges, just as other creative sectors do. It has undergone serious and rapid changes in recent years. Films can be watched almost anywhere, on any device and in any given moment in time. Films can reach out consumers directly and the smartphone has now become one of the leading media for consuming all forms of filmed entertainment. The global explosion in online consumption and business models has also increased the role of platforms, contractual practices have been affected, as well as other terms of trade in audiovisual products.

For the audiovisual sector to become an industry it takes serious efforts. We all know that thesuccess of a film cannot be predicted. However, to make a film, financial support is alwaysneeded, be it from public and/or private sources. To recoup those investments, in addition tothe traditional means: cinema theatres and broadcasting, new channels such as video ondemand and streaming are getting more and more importance. These new conditions createnew opportunities for the film to be seen domestically as well as internationally.

But for this to be sustainable and for the sector to become a real industry, a healthy and sound legal framework is paramount. It is essential to determine the value chain and the chain of rights among all the stakeholders who are implicated in the cinematographic production.

 In this regard, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Vietnam on its dynamic journey to join the multilateral framework on copyright and related rights, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization. We stand ready to assist you in the implementation of this framework, so that it brings real benefits to the country. In this vein, I would like to underscore the importance and usefulness, the WIPO Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, part of the WIPO internet treaties could provide to the protection of the rights of performers in their
audiovisual performances and the significant role it could play in the promotion and protection of the film industry particularly in the digital environment. We look forward to Viet Nam’s adherence to the Treaty soon, so that ultimately the Vietnamese authors, performers and other WIPO FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
stakeholders in the film industry could be protected not only in Viet Nam but also in the global marketplace as well.

 I hope that this event will focus on how copyright and related rights provide incentives forcreators, how they offer a mechanism for licensing creative assets, and consolidate amarket-based ecosystem to build a thriving film industry.

I want to take a moment to invite you to see the bigger picture. The film industry is an essential part of the creative economy, which worldwide contributes some 5,5% of the global GDP and 5,8% of the employment.

Improving the performance of the audiovisual sector means investing in the overall
performance of the economy. We have multiple examples to this end from your region –movies are an essential part of the creative mix coming from the Republic of Korea andturning it into a creative powerhouse on a global scale. I note that your government has aStrategy for the Development of Cultural Industries, which sets the target for the film industryto reach revenue of 250 million USD by 2030 and I hope that you are moving quickly towardsachieving this target. The Film industry development policy under the Cinematography Lawof 2022 has pointed out key aspects of ensuring a healthy business and investmentenvironment for the film industry of your country. WIPO will be your partner in implementingthese strategies and policies.

Hopefully, this event will assist participants in better understanding how copyright can help you in your endeavors to deal with these challenges and improve the performance of the creative sector of Vietnam. I wish the Conference and the Film Festival great success.

I thank you!