A film is born as the crystallization of hundreds, thousands of working days of professionals and artists.
However, with just a few clicks, that achievement can be stolen, illegally distributed and turned into a tool to make money for those who do not spend any effort.
What is worrying is that this behavior is no longer spontaneous but has formed professional, organized operating lines and systems, illegally profiting hundreds of billions of VND.
This is no longer a matter of "watching for free" or "sharing for fun" as many people still misunderstand, but an act of industrial-scale intellectual property rights infringement.
Typically, the movie "Red Rain" became a victim of illegal distribution websites. Many viewers freely filmed impressive scenes and posted them on social networks to solicit interaction.
Each illegally distributed film can reduce the creative motivation of professionals. Investors will be more cautious with large projects, producers will consider carefully before investing in high-budget works.
Without copyright protection, capital flows may leave cinema. The ultimate consequence is that audiences lose the opportunity to enjoy quality works.
Vietnam is aiming to develop the cultural industry into a new growth engine. To do that, first of all, intellectual property must be protected.
The film industry could be seriously damaged if movies that have just been released appear rampant on pirated websites. And, it is difficult to call for investment if the legitimate rights of producers are not protected.
The prosecution of violators in the past time is a positive sign, but handling only a few cases is still not enough.
It is necessary to continue to dismantle large lines, block advertising revenue from illegal websites, apply traceability technology and strictly handle acts of secret filming and dissemination of film content on social networks.
More importantly, it is necessary to build a culture of copyright respect in the community.
Viewers must understand that each access to a pirated movie site is a boost to illegal acts. Each time illegally sharing movie content is a harm to genuine workers in the field of artistic creation.
Vietnamese cinema is having a great opportunity to break through. But there will be no larger works, or a truly strong film industry if copyright continues to be stolen.
Illegal films exist blatantly, what is stolen is not only the revenue of a film but also the future of Vietnamese cinema.
