Decree protects intellectual property right of press The Government’s new decree on the management, supply and use of Internet services and online information aims to protect the intellectual property right and copyright of press agencies. Mr. Hoang Vinh Bao, Head of the Department of Radio, TV and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications, made the remarks in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on Decree No. 72/2013/ND-CP issued on July 15. Under the decree, websites are grouped into five categories - e-newspapers in the form of websites, news websites, internal websites, personal websites and specialised websites - in order to make it easier for the management work. The decree does not limit the freedom of the press or the voices of social media users, Bao said, reasoning that it only clamps down on the activities that take advantage of the social network to run Internet services and online postings against the State, harm national security and social order and undermine the great national unity. It also prohibits the spread of social evils as well as banned goods and services and the disclosure of the State’s secrets in national defence and security, economics and foreign policies among others. The prohibition targets misleading information that slanders and defames the prestige of organisations, and honour and dignity of individuals, Binh said. According to the official, social network users need to share sources of information they exchange with the online community and take full responsibility for their comments on the information as required by the decree. The above-mentioned regulations are in line with other relevant documents issued by the State and international law, he affirmed, adding that any social media user violating the regulations will be fined in accordance with law. Source: VNA