Heavy fines for receiving foreign television signals without a license in Vietnam

Heavy fines for receiving foreign television signals without a license in Vietnam (Illustrative Image)

Article 16 of Decree 119/2020/ND-CP stipulates fines ranging from VND 3,000,000 to VND 5,000,000 for any of the following actions:

- Receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites not belonging to radio and television services without a certificate of registration for receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites;

- Altering, erasing, or renting, lending the certificate of registration for receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites;

- Failing to comply with the stipulations in the certificate of registration for receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites.

In addition, fines ranging from VND 20,000,000 to VND 30,000,000 shall be imposed for any of the following actions:

- Implementing agreements or signing contracts to provide direct satellite television signals without registering as a focal point for setting up equipment systems to receive foreign television signals directly from satellites;

- Receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites without a certificate of registration for receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites;

- Providing foreign television signals directly from satellites to entities not yet granted a certificate of registration for receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites.

Notably, fines ranging from VND 150,000,000 to VND 200,000,000 shall be imposed for acts of providing foreign television signals directly from satellites that contain content adversely affecting national interests but not reaching the level of criminal prosecution in Vietnam.

Besides monetary penalties, actions like altering, erasing or renting, lending the certificate of registration; receiving foreign television signals directly from satellites without a certificate; and providing signals containing content harmful to national interests without reaching the level of criminal prosecution shall also result in the confiscation of the violating administrative materials in Vietnam.

More details can be found in Decree 119/2020/ND-CP, which comes into force in Vietnam from December 1, 2020.

Le Vy

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