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25/08/2020

Vietnamese Tech Firm Sues TikTok Over Alleged Copyright Violation




Vietnamese Tech Firm Sues TikTok Over Alleged Copyright Violation
Legal suits and court cases seem to become the norm in recent weeks for the Chinese owned short video sharing app TikTok.
 
It is now facing a new legal challenge in Vietnam with the Vietnamese technology firm VNG is suing TikTok alleging that the popular short-form video app did not possess adequate licences to be broadcasting the songs that are being used in videos being published in its platform, according to reports quoting sources,
 
Accusations that the Chinese owned app, which has drawn quite a bit of controversy all over the world because of the manner in which it handles private information of its users, makes use of audio tracks that are originally owned by Zing, which is a subsidiary of VNG, with any permission or content of the company that owns the music, said the reports quoting sources familiar with the issue.
 
VNG has approached the court seeking damages from TikTok along with a demand that TikTok stops using Zing's music, according to multiple reports quoting information from a legal document filed by the company at the people's court of Ho Chi Minh City.
 
"VNG requests TikTok remove all music segments taken from Zing records from both the TikTok application and website, and an indemnification for damages of over VND 221 billion (roughly Rs. 70 crores)," read the document.
 
There were mo comments on the court case from both TikTok and VNG.
 
The Vietnam based technology firm VNG is known for its online games, music streaming and messaging applications and it was found in 2004.
 
TikTok has gained significant popularity in Vietnam in recent times and according to official data, as of the month of August, the platform had a total of 10 million users in the country with millions of short clip being uploaded on the platform.
 
There is not enough or adequate licensees present with TikTok to have any legal right to broadcast the songs that are used in its videos, said some music rights holders.
 
"Notably, TikTok has introduced a very complicated business model to avoid copyright compliance in Vietnam," the Vietnam Music Association said in a response to questions from Reuters.
 
On the other hand, Chinese authorities have said that it will support all actions taken by Chinese companies in making use of the legal weapons available to them to safeguard their rights and interests, in reference to the Chinese company ByteDance, which is the owner of TikTok, deciding to file a case against the Trump administration in the United States which issued a couple of executive orders earlier this month to ban American companies form transacting with TikTok and ordering ByteDance to sell off TokTok’s US operations within a period of 90 days.
 
US politicians’ actions were organized and systematic economic bullying, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian while talking to reporters at a daily briefing
 
(Source:www.ndtv.com)

Christopher J. Mitchell

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