Vietnam: 10 regulations on royalties and rewards for theatrical works

10 regulations on royalties and rewards for theatrical works (Illustration)

According to Decree No. 21/2015/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, level of royalties and rewards is determined on the basis of forms, quality, quantity and fashion of exploitation and socio-economic outcomes of the works. Royalties and rewards for theatrical works are specified as follows:

- In case a musical work includes music and lyrics, the author of music enjoys 70% and the author of lyrics 30% of the royalties for such musical work.

- In case a theatrical work is adapted from a literary work, the person who performs adaptation (hereinafter referred to as the adapting author) enjoys from 50-70% of the royalties for the script writing of the work with genres and scale as prescribed in Article 10 hereof. The remaining part shall be paid to authors or owners of copyrights of original work.

- In case a theatrical work of this form is adapted from theatrical works of other forms, the adapting author enjoys from 50-70% of the royalties for the script writing of the work with genres and scale as prescribed in Article 10 hereof. The remaining part shall be paid to authors or owners of copyrights of original work.

- In case lyrics in operas, operet, oratorios and other similar forms are adapted from literary scripts, the adapting author enjoys from 30-40% of the royalties for the script writing of the work with genres and scale as prescribed in Article 10 hereof. The remaining part shall be paid to authors or owners of copyrights of the original work.

- In case works of traditional art forms such as classical dramas, melodramas, plays, versified plays, folk-song plays, pantomimes, puppetry, symphonies, operas, ballets, works intended for children, ethnic minorities, the authors thereof shall receive royalty incentives valued from 10 – 20% of the royalties for the work of the same genre and scale.

- Assistants to choreographer, director and conductor for theatrical works, musical works, dance works and general art performance programs shall receive a reward valued 20% of the royalties paid to such choreographer, director or conductor for the work of the same genre and scale.

- Composers of music accompanying songs with general use for concert hall orchestra, popular music orchestra shall receive 30% of the royalties for the composer of such song.

- Composers adapting songs for concert hall orchestras, symphony orchestras, popular music instrumental orchestras or other forms of orchestra performances shall receive 35% of the royalties paid to the composer of the song of the same genre and scale.

- Symphony and choir conductors, conductors for musical works intended for symphony orchestra, popular music orchestra, concert hall instrumental orchestra, solo instruments with orchestra, ballets, chorus, multi-chapter chorus, cantata and other genres not prescribed in Article 10 hereof shall receive from 15 – 25% of the royalties paid to composers of the works of the same genre and scale.

- Actors, actresses, performers, occupational titles of other art performance forms not prescribed in Articles 10 and 11 hereof shall be paid royalties and rewards through an agreement.

More details can be found in Decree No. 21/2015/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, which takes effect from April 15, 2015.

Le Hai

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