A
younger sister of late composer Trinh Cong Son has sent a letter to the Ministry
of Culture, Sports and Tourism, asking that it help put an end to the
unauthorised use of Son’s music.

Contemplation: Music by late composer Trinh Cong Son, above, has been highly popular with students and young people. His younger sister has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for help to stop unauthorised use of his music. — File Photo

Trinh Vinh Trinh said
she had been entrusted by the family to protect the intellectual property rights
of the celebrated composer who died 10 years ago.

Son’s music, most of
which he wrote in the 1960s and 1970s, is highly popular with students and young
people.

Three years ago,
Trinh, on behalf of Son’s family, asked music concerts, bars and music clubs
that used Son’s music to pay copyright fees.

However, most concerts
have not paid fees to Son’s family.

“The unauthorised use
of Son’s music has been going on for a long time, which has prompted us to raise
our voice,” she said.

“We want to collect
copyright fees for Son’s music to have money to set up Trinh Cong Son Fund to
assist young talented artists at Son’s will.”

Many music concerts
have been organised in Ha Noi and HCM City to mark Son’s 10th death anniversary
this year.

“Of these, only Ru
Tinh (Lullaby to Love) concert bought the rights to perform Son’s songs,” Trinh
said.

“Son’s music copyright
fees may reach VND1 billion (US$50,000) a year, the highest for any composers in
Viet Nam,” said Pho Duc Phuong, director of the Viet Nam Centre for Protection
of Music Copyright.

“As a composer, I
understand the difficult problems faced by Son’s family as his music copyright
has been violated publicly and more often,” Phuong said.

According to Phuong,
Son’s family has not signed a contract with the centre, which has been entrusted
by more than 1,000 songwriters and composers to collect royalty fees from those
who use their materials.

“Son’s family has
called music concert organisers about the copyright violations, but few of them
are ready to buy a copyright for the use of his music,” Phuong said.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News