Book copyright infringement is becoming more and more common, from piracy, PDF sharing to copying and posting content without permission. Many people do not know that these acts can be severely punished. So what are the violations? What is the latest penalty? The following article VCD will help you understand the regulations to use books legally and avoid risks.
What is book copyright? How are books protected?
According to Article 4 of the 2022 Intellectual Property Law, books are classified as literary works, and are protected by law from the moment the work is created and fixed in a certain material form (such as manuscripts, prints, PDFs, etc.). This means: works that do not need to be copyrighted are still automatically protected.
However, in reality, registering a book copyright is still extremely necessary, especially for authors, publishers or content business units, because it brings many clear benefits:
- Is the strongest legal evidence when copyright disputes occur.
- Clearly confirms the author, owner and time of creation, which is very important in the digital environment, where illegal copying is common.
- Create a basis for protecting commercial exploitation rights, preventing illegal printing, distributing PDFs illegally, and adapting without permission…
According to the law, copyright for a book includes two main groups:
Personal rights:
Including rights attached to the author, which cannot be transferred:
- Right to name the work
- Right to use real name or pen name
- Right to publish the work
- Right to protect the integrity of the book, against editing that distorts the content
Property rights:
This is a group of rights that can be transferred, licensed, or commercially exploited, including:
- Right to copy
- Right to distribute copies
- Right to publish
- Right to translate into another language
- Right to create derivative works (e.g., audiobooks, film adaptations, comics, etc.)
- Right to communicate the work to the public (post online, release online, etc.)
Because property rights are exclusive rights, any individual or Any organization that uses a book without the owner’s permission, whether it is reprinting, scanning PDF, sharing online, quoting excessively, or adapting, can be considered a copyright infringement under Article 28 of the 2022 Intellectual Property Law.
The most common acts of copyright infringement today
- Illegal printing and photocopying of books: Photocopying entire books for sale, rental, or use in organizations is prohibited. This is an act that occurs frequently in photo shops, schools, and training centers. According to Article 28 of the 2022 Intellectual Property Law, copying a work without the owner’s consent is an infringement.
- Sharing PDF books on social networks, Drive, and websites: Scanning or uploading pirated PDF files to websites and social networks is an act of “communicating a work to the public” – an exclusive property right of the owner.
- Quoting too long without permission: You are allowed to quote if it is used for research and teaching purposes; Quote appropriately, do not distort the author’s ideas and clearly state the source. If you quote a chapter, a large part of the content or adapt it for commercial use, it is a violation.
- Review books but read almost the entire content: Some YouTube channels review books but read each chapter in detail, summarize the entire content, which is considered an unauthorized derivative work if they do not ask for permission from the author/publisher.
- Adapt books into audio or video without permission: Article 20 of the Intellectual Property Law stipulates that derivative works such as audio books, video summaries, and adaptations must have the consent of the owner.
Latest fines for book copyright infringement (Updated 2025)
According to Decree 17/2023/ND-CP, the fines for book copyright infringement are currently divided differently depending on the severity:
- Administrative fines: Fines of 10 – 250 million VND, depending on the act such as illegal copying; distributing and selling pirated books; unauthorized adaptation, translation; transmission of works on the internet.
- Additional measures: Confiscation of exhibits (printed copies, PDF files, equipment), forced removal of infringing files on the internet, forced destruction of pirated books.
- Civil liability: Authors/publishers have the right to request compensation for damages (from several million to hundreds of millions), public apology, and termination of the violation.
- Criminal prosecution (if the violation is serious): According to Article 225 of the Penal Code, if large-scale piracy occurs, with high illegal profits, individuals can be fined 50-300 million VND or imprisoned for up to 3 years.
When can books be used without violating copyright?
Although books are strictly protected by copyright law, not all uses are considered violations. Intellectual Property Law allows users to exploit works in some exceptional cases, as long as it does not affect the legitimate rights and interests of the author/owner. Some permitted cases of use include:
- Short quotes for commentary, teaching
- Use for personal research purposes
- Books whose protection period has expired (50 years after the author’s death)
- Works subject to “fair use” under the law
The above is updated information on book copyright infringement, common acts and the latest penalties under the law. Hopefully, you have clearly understood how to use books properly to avoid risks and at the same time contribute to protecting the legitimate rights of authors, publishers and content creators.
Sincerely,
FAQ
1. What acts are considered book copyright infringement under current law?
Violations include illegal copying, piracy, scanning and distributing PDFs, posting part or all of a book on the Internet without permission, adapting (audiobooks, comics, movies, etc.) without permission, arbitrarily reselling pirated copies, and altering the content of the work to distort the work. All are listed in Article 28 of the Intellectual Property Law 2022.
6. Can books that have expired be used freely? If so, how long does the protection last?
After 50 years of the author’s death, the book will expire and fall into the public domain. At that time, any individual or organization can copy, republish, adapt or distribute without permission. However, you should still acknowledge the author’s name because this is a personal right that exists forever.