Five websites blamed for copyright violations Tuoitrenews This photo shows a recent article by Tuoi Tre that has been re-published by many news websites without getting approval of Tuoi Tre. Tuoi Tre The Department for Broadcast, Television and E-information Management, under the Ministry of Information and Communications, has proposed that the ministry’s Inspectorate consider punishments for five news websites for their copyright violations. These websites include vietbao.vn, baomoi.com, 24h.com.vn, stockbiz.vn, and bongda.com.vn.  They have been accused of using information published by other news sites without their prior approval. The department said it has received a number of complaints from press agencies about such violations and has refereed them to the Inspectorate for handling. The Inspectorate said it has held meeting with all five websites and as a result, vietbao.vn and stockbiz.vn have stopped quoting information from other e-newspapers. Meanwhile, baomoi.com has apologized for its violations and stopped taking content. Since the above complaints were raised, many online news providers have worked together to reach agreements on using and quoting information, the Inspectorate said, adding that any violations of copyright are subject to administrative penalties. However, since copyright violations in media are of a civil nature, if the concerned parties can negotiate and reach a mutual agreement, the violator will not be penalized. As for 24h.com.vn, the Inspectorate says it will give the site an administrative penalty since it has committed other offenses in addition to copyright violations. The Inspectorate also said it can implement fines on a news website for providing incorrect information and using personal images without prior consent of the person in the image. According to current regulations, the fine for issuing untrue information is VND3-5 million (US$240), and that for illegally using images is VND1-3 million. 15 unlicensed websites        The Inspectorate has also requested that the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang City, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, as well as Quang Binh and Quang Nam Provinces, consider punishments for 15 news websites that have been operating without a license. These sites have published untrue information, affecting the reputation to many businesses and organizations. They have also violated regulations on the nation’s customs and habits, the agency said. After receiving the request, the Hanoi Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is inspecting the websites in question and any violations will warrant punished.