The legal copyright term should not be extended from 50 years to 75 years as proposed in the draft amended Intellectual Property Law, deputies at the ongoing National Assembly (NA) session said Monday.

The 50-year term not only complies with international standards and the socioeconomic situation, but also harmonizes the legal benefits of authors and people’s right to enjoy culture and arts, he said.

Agreeing with Anh, deputy Phan Trung Ly said Vietnam’s current regulation goes beyond the Berne Convention on the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works which state that all works shall be protected for 25-50 years after the author’s death.

Thus, the extension of the term is not necessary especially when the country is directing all legislation to facilitate development, he said.

Longer appraisals

Many deputies agreed with the draft amendments on expanding the term for appraising applications for registering industrial property.

The draft amendments propose that the appraisal process for registering inventions be extended from 12 to 18 months, and from six to nine months for registration of industrial styles, brand names and geographic claims.

Deputy Vu Thi Phuong Anh said extension of the appraisal term is necessary as it is a complicated process.

Delegate Nguyen Dang Vang said the current term for the registration process is too short in Vietnam compared with other countries, noting that it was 12 months in Japan and 24 months in China for registration of industrial styles, brand names and products’ geographic claims. In Singapore, registering an industrial invention took 36 months, he added.

The extension will ensure enough time for relevant agencies to complete their professional work including accessing information and assessing registered objects, said delegate Nguyen Thi Mai.

Delegate Hua Chu Khem said violations in the field fetch huge benefits so the current fine of VND500 million ($27,800) was not enough of a deterrent.

The draft amendment is rational as it proposes fines equal to the value of the violated products, but not exceeding five times their value, he said.

Reported by Bao Van