Law on Publishing No. 19/2012/QH13

 

LAW

PUBLICATION

BASED ON THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN 1992 AS AMENDED AND COMPLEMENTED BY RESOLUTION NO. 51/2001/QH10;

The National Assembly promulgates the Publication Law.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Law regulates the organization and publication activities; rights and obligations of agencies, organizations, and individuals participating in publication activities. Publication activities include publishing, printing, and distributing publications.

Article 2. Applicability

This Law applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals within the country, foreign organizations operating on Vietnamese territory, and foreign individuals residing in Vietnam who are related to publication activities.

Article 3. Position and purpose of publication activities

Publication activities belong to the cultural and ideological field aimed at disseminating and introducing knowledge from various aspects of social life, national cultural values, and the finest cultural achievements of humanity, meeting the spiritual needs of the people, enhancing literacy, building good morals and lifestyles for Vietnamese people, expanding cultural exchanges with other countries, developing the economy and society, combating all thoughts and behaviors that harm national interests, contributing to the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

Article 4. Definitions

In this Law, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. Publishing is the act of organizing and exploiting manuscripts, editing them into sample copies for printing and distribution or for direct distribution through electronic means.

2. Printing is the act of using printing equipment to create publications from sample copies.

3. Distribution is the act of selling, buying, distributing, giving, lending, renting, exporting, importing, exhibiting at fairs and exhibitions to deliver publications to users.

4. Publications are works and materials on politics, economics, culture, society, education and training, science, technology, literature, and art published through publishers or agencies and organizations granted publication licenses in different languages, in images, sounds, and presented in the following forms:

a) Printed books;

b) Tactile books;

c) Paintings, photographs, maps, posters, leaflets, brochures;

d) Calendars;

đ) Audio and video recordings containing content replacing books or illustrating books.

5. Manuscript is a handwritten, typed, or electronically created version of a work or material intended for publication.

6. Editing is the act of reviewing and perfecting the content and form of a manuscript for publication.

7. Non-commercial materials are publications not used for sale.

8. Electronic publishing is the act of organizing and exploiting manuscripts, editing them into sample copies, and using electronic means to create electronic publications.

9. Electronic publications are publications specified in points a, c, d, đ of Clause 4, Article 4 of this Law formatted digitally and read, listened to, or viewed through electronic devices.

10. Electronic means are devices operating based on electrical, electronic, digital, magnetic, wireless transmission, optical, electromagnetic, or similar technologies as stipulated in Clause 10, Article 4 of the Electronic Transactions Law.

11. Methods of publishing and distributing electronic publications are the acts of publishing and distributing publications on electronic means.

12. Deposit is the act of submitting publications for retention, comparison, inspection, and evaluation.

Article 5. Ensuring the right to disseminate works, protecting copyright and related rights

1. The State ensures the right to disseminate works in the form of publications through publishers and protects copyright and related rights.

2. The State does not pre-publication censorship of works.

3. No agency, organization, or individual may exploit the right to disseminate works to damage the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 6. State Management of Publishing Activities

1. The content of state management of publishing activities includes:

a) Developing and implementing strategies, plans, policies for the development of publishing activities; issuing normative legal documents on publishing activities and copyright within such activities according to its authority;

b) Organizing reading, inspection, and evaluation of pre-publication publications;

c) Issuing and revoking various types of permits in publishing activities;

d) Conducting scientific research and applying technology in publishing activities; training and enhancing professional skills related to publishing activities;

đ) International cooperation in publishing activities;

e) Inspecting, supervising, resolving complaints and accusations, and handling violations of laws in publishing activities;

g) Implementing information systems, reporting, statistics, and commendation and reward systems in publishing activities; selecting and awarding prizes to high-value publications.

2. The Government uniformly manages state administration of publishing activities throughout the country. The Ministry of Information and Communications is responsible before the Government for managing state administration of publishing activities. Ministries and agencies at the ministerial level coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to manage state administration of publishing activities according to their authority. Provincial People's Committees (hereinafter referred to collectively as provincial-level People's Committees) manage state administration of publishing activities locally.

Article 7. State Policies on Publishing Activities

1. The State has strategies and plans for developing networks of publishers, printing facilities, and distribution outlets for publications; supports training human resources; provides tax incentives according to the law for publishing activities; and implements policies to attract social resources to participate in publishing activities.

2. State policies for the field of publishing:

a) Supporting investment funds for building and modernizing physical infrastructure, applying, and transferring advanced technology and techniques for publishers serving specified tasks, targets, and areas as stipulated in this clause;

b) Commissioning works to obtain manuscripts and publish works and materials serving political tasks, national security, defense, foreign information, ethnic minority regions, particularly difficult economic and social areas, remote mountainous areas, border areas, islands, children, visually impaired individuals, and other important tasks;

c) Purchasing manuscripts for valuable works that are not suitable for publication at the current time or have limited usage; supporting the purchase of copyrights for domestic and foreign works of value to serve economic, cultural, and social development;

d) Providing preferential interest rates on loans according to the law.

3. State policies for the field of printing publications:

a) Supporting investment funds for building and modernizing physical infrastructure, applying, and transferring advanced technology and techniques for printing facilities serving political tasks, national security, defense, foreign information, and printing facilities in remote mountainous areas, border areas, islands;

b) Providing preferential land rental fees and interest rates on loans for printing facilities serving political tasks, national security, defense, foreign information, and printing facilities in remote mountainous areas, border areas, islands.

4. State policies for the field of distributing publications:

a) Prioritizing investment in land funds and construction costs for physical infrastructure for distribution outlets in particularly difficult economic and social areas, remote mountainous areas, border areas, islands;

b) Supporting transportation fees for publications serving specified tasks, targets, and areas as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 2 of this Law;

c) Supporting funding for organizing cultural promotion activities, showcasing Vietnam through publications; organizing domestic and international book fairs and exhibitions;

d) Providing preferential land rental fees and house rental fees from state-owned properties; interest rates on loans for distribution outlets.

5. State policies for electronic publication publishing and distribution:

a) Supporting investment funds for building and modernizing physical infrastructure, applying advanced technology and techniques for publishers to produce electronic publications;

b) Establishing a system of descriptive data for electronic publications to facilitate searching, accessing, managing, and storing electronic publications.

6. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this matter in accordance with each stage of development of publishing activities.

Article 8. Establishment of Representative Offices in Vietnam by Foreign Publishers and Foreign Publishing Product Distributors

1. Foreign publishers and foreign publishing product distributors (including enterprises and organizations established abroad that operate in multiple industries and fields including publishing and distribution of publishing products) may establish representative offices in Vietnam upon obtaining a permit from the Ministry of Information and Communications.

2. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on conditions for establishment, content of activities, procedures for issuance, renewal, reissue, extension of permits for establishing representative offices in Vietnam by foreign publishers and foreign publishing product distributors.

Article 9. Complaints and Allegations in Publishing Activities

Complaints and allegations in publishing activities shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on complaints and allegations.

Article 10. Prohibited Contents and Actions in Publishing Activities

1. Strictly prohibited are the publication, printing, and distribution of publishing products containing the following contents:

a) Propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; undermining the solidarity of the entire people;

b) Propaganda to incite war of aggression, hatred among ethnic groups and peoples of different countries; incitement of violence; dissemination of subversive thoughts, decadent lifestyles, criminal acts, social evils, superstitions, and destruction of traditional customs and morals;

c) Disclosing state secrets, personal privacy, and other secrets as prescribed by law;

d) Distortion of historical facts, denial of revolutionary achievements; defamation of nationalities, distinguished figures, national heroes; failure to reflect or incorrect reflection of national sovereignty; false accusations and defamation of the reputation of agencies and organizations and the honor and dignity of individuals.

2. Strictly prohibited are the following actions:

a) Publishing without registration, without a decision on publication, or without a publication permit;

b) Altering or distorting the content of manuscripts that have been approved or non-commercial manuscript materials bearing the stamp of the issuing authority;

c) Illegally reproducing, counterfeiting, or illegally connecting parts of publications;

d) Distributing publications without legitimate sources or without submitting copies for record;

d) Publishing, printing, or distributing publications that have been suspended, recalled, confiscated, banned, destroyed, or illegally imported;

e) Other prohibited actions as stipulated by law.

Article 11. Handling Violations in Publishing Activities

1. Organizations that violate the provisions of this Law and other relevant laws shall be subject to administrative penalties according to the nature and severity of the violation; if damage is caused, they must compensate according to the law.

2. Individuals who violate the provisions of this Law and other relevant laws shall be subject to disciplinary action, administrative penalties, or criminal prosecution according to the nature and severity of the violation; if damage is caused, they must compensate according to the law.

3. Publishing products that violate the law shall be suspended from circulation for a certain period and, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, must be corrected before being allowed to circulate again, or they may be recalled, confiscated, banned, or destroyed.

4. Electronic publishing products that violate the law shall be removed from electronic devices and shall be handled according to the provisions of Clause 3 of this Article.

5. Organizations and individuals who infringe intellectual property rights in publishing activities shall be dealt with according to the provisions of the law on intellectual property.

6. State management agencies responsible for publishing activities shall bear responsibility for their decisions; in cases where decisions are erroneous and cause damage, they must compensate according to the law.

Chapter II

FIELD OF PUBLISHING

Article 12. Subjects establishing publishing houses and types of organizational structures for publishing houses

1. The following agencies and organizations may establish publishing houses (hereinafter referred to collectively as the managing agency of the publishing house):

a) State agencies, political organizations, and socio-political organizations at the central level and provincial level;

b) Public service units at the central level and central-level socio-political-professional organizations directly creating works and scientific materials.

2. Publishing houses shall organize and operate under the form of public service units or business enterprises with conditional operations owned by the State.

Article 13. Conditions for Establishing Publishing Houses

Establishing a publishing house must meet the following conditions:

1. Having objectives, purposes, functions, tasks, target audiences, and main publications that are consistent with the functions and tasks of the managing agency;

2. Having individuals meeting the criteria stipulated in Article 17 of this Law to appoint general directors (directors) and chief editors, and having at least five full-time editors;

3. Having headquarters, financial resources, and other necessary conditions to ensure the operation of the publishing house as prescribed by the Government;

4. Being consistent with the planning for the development of the network of publishing houses approved by competent authorities.

Article 14. Issuance, Revocation of Licenses for Establishing Publishing Houses, and Suspension of Their Operations

1. The managing agency of the publishing house prepares a dossier to request issuance of a license for establishing a publishing house and submits it to the Ministry of Information and Communications. The dossier for requesting issuance of a license includes:

a) A request for issuance of a license for establishing a publishing house;

b) A proposal for establishing a publishing house and documents proving compliance with the conditions stipulated in Article 13 of this Law.

2. Within thirty days from the date of receiving all required documents, the Ministry of Information and Communications must issue a license for establishing a publishing house; if the license is not issued, a written response explaining the reasons must be provided.

3. After obtaining the license for establishing a publishing house, the managing agency issues a decision to establish the publishing house and prepares other necessary conditions for its operation. The publishing house operates in accordance with the contents recorded in the establishment license.

4. A publishing house shall be suspended from operating for a limited period in the following cases:

a) After establishment and during the course of operation, the managing agency and the publishing house fail to meet the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of Article 13 of this Law;

b) The publishing house does not comply with the contents recorded in the establishment license;

c) The publishing house violates regulations on publishing and is administratively punished to the extent that its operations must be suspended.

5. The establishment license of a publishing house shall be revoked in the following cases:

a) At the end of the suspension period, the causes leading to the suspension have not been remedied;

b) Within six months from the date of issuance of the establishment license, the managing agency has not issued a decision to establish the publishing house;

c) For twelve consecutive months, the publishing house has no publications submitted for deposit;

d) Failing to meet the conditions stipulated in Article 13 of this Law and causing serious consequences;

đ) Seriously violating other legal provisions.

6. When the establishment license of a publishing house is revoked in the cases stipulated in Points a, c, d, and đ of Clause 5 of this Article, the managing agency of the publishing house must dissolve the publishing house in accordance with the law.

Article 15. Issuing a new publishing house establishment permit

1. Within thirty days from the date of occurrence of any of the following changes, the managing agency of the publishing house must request the Ministry of Information and Communications to issue a new publishing house establishment permit:

a) Change in the managing agency, name of the managing agency, and name of the publishing house;

b) Change in the organizational form of the publishing house;

c) Change in the mission, purpose, target audience, and main publications of the publishing house.

2. The application for issuing a new publishing house establishment permit shall include:

a) Application for issuing a new permit;

b) The previously issued publishing house establishment permit.

3. Within fifteen days from the date of receipt of complete files, the Ministry of Information and Communications must issue a new permit; in case of refusal to issue a new permit, it must provide a written response stating the reasons.

4. In case of change in the place of business, the publishing house must notify the Ministry of Information and Communications in writing within seven working days from the date of change.

Article 16. Tasks and Authorities of the Managing Agency of the Publishing House

1. Ensuring the conditions stipulated in Article 13 of this Law.

2. Appointing, dismissing, or removing leaders of the publishing house as specified in Article 17 of this Law after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Information and Communications.

3. Directing the annual publication plan of the publishing house.

4. Directing the implementation of the mission, purpose, and operational direction of the publishing house; supervising the publishing house to comply with the establishment permit.

5. Inspecting and supervising the activities of the publishing house within its authority.

6. Being responsible for any violations of laws by the publishing house in its publication activities according to its tasks and authorities.

Article 17. Standards for the Positions of General Director (Director) and Chief Editor of the Publishing House

1. Standards for the position of General Director (Director) of the publishing house:

a) A Vietnamese citizen residing in Vietnam, with good political and moral qualities;

b) Having a bachelor's degree or higher;

c) Having at least three years of experience in editorial work, publishing management, or journalism, or management at the managing agency of the publishing house;

d) Other standards as prescribed by law.

2. Standards for the position of Chief Editor of the publishing house:

a) Holding a certificate of qualification for editing;

b) Having at least three years of experience in editorial work at the publishing house or media organization;

c) Other standards as prescribed by law.

3. For publishing houses organized and operated under the form of a state-owned enterprise with conditional business operations, if there is a position of chairman of the board of members or chairman of the company, then the chairman of the board of members or chairman of the company must concurrently hold the position of General Director (Director) of the publishing house.

Article 18. Tasks and Authorities of the General Director (Director) and Chief Editor of the Publishing House

1. The General Director (Director) of the publishing house has the following tasks and authorities:

a) Managing the activities of the publishing house in accordance with the mission, purpose, functions, and tasks recorded in the establishment permit and decision;

b) Establishing the organizational structure and human resources of the publishing house;

c) Organizing the registration of publications with the Ministry of Information and Communications as stipulated in Article 22 of this Law;

d) Organizing the review of works and materials as stipulated in Article 24 of this Law and other works and materials upon request of the competent state management agency on publication activities;

đ) Signing interconnection publication contracts as stipulated in point b, Clause 3, Article 23 of this Law before signing the publication decision;

e) Approving completed manuscripts before printing;

g) Signing the publication decision for each publication item in accordance with the confirmed registration of publication, including increased print runs;

h) Signing the distribution decision for each publication item;

i) Setting and adjusting the retail price of publication items in accordance with the law;

k) Organizing the archiving of editorial manuscript files and related materials for each publication item as required by law;

l) Implementing corrections, suspending distribution, recalling, or destroying publication items when requested by the competent state authority;

m) Implementing reporting when requested by the competent state management agency on publication activities;

n) Ensuring that the content of works and materials is not disclosed or leaked before publication, affecting the rights of authors and copyright owners;

o) Managing the assets and physical facilities of the publishing house;

p) Being responsible under the law and to the managing agency for publication items and all activities of the publishing house.

2. The Chief Editor of the publishing house has the following tasks and authorities:

a) Assisting the General Director (Director) in directing the organization of manuscripts;

b) Organizing the editing of manuscripts;

c) Reading and approving each manuscript for submission to the General Director (Director) of the publishing house to sign the publication decision;

d) Not disclosing or leaking the content of works and materials before publication, affecting the rights of authors and copyright owners;

đ) Being responsible to the General Director (Director) of the publishing house and under the law for the content of the publishing house's publication items.

Article 19. Standards, duties, and authorities of an editor

1. Editor standards:

a) Being a Vietnamese citizen; residing permanently in Vietnam; having good political qualities and morality;

b) Having a bachelor's degree or higher;

c) Completing a course to enhance knowledge of publishing laws and editing skills as prescribed by the Minister of Information and Communications;

d) Holding an editing practice certificate issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

2. The editor has the following duties and authorities:

a) Implementing editing of manuscripts;

b) Refusing to edit manuscripts of works or materials with contents that violate the provisions of Clause 1, Article 10 of this Law and must report in writing to the general director (director) or chief editor of the publisher;

c) Listing their name on publications they have edited;

d) Participating in regular training courses on publishing laws and editing skills organized by state management agencies for publishing activities;

đ) Not disclosing or leaking the content of works or published materials before release, affecting the rights of authors and copyright owners;

e) Bearing responsibility before the chief editor of the publisher and before the law for the content of the publication they have edited.

Article 20. Issuing, revoking, and reissuing the editing practice certificate

1. The application dossier for issuing an editing practice certificate includes:

a) An application form for issuing an editing practice certificate as prescribed;

b) A curriculum vitae as prescribed;

c) Certified copies of diplomas;

d) A certificate confirming completion of a course to enhance knowledge of publishing laws and editing skills issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

2. Within 15 days from the date of receiving the complete dossier, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall issue an editing practice certificate; if the certificate is not issued, a written response explaining the reasons must be provided.

3. The editing practice certificate will be revoked in the following cases:

a) The editor's edited publication is banned from circulation, recalled, confiscated, or destroyed;

b) In one year, the editor has two publications or in two consecutive years, there are publications edited by them that contain content violations requiring mandatory corrections before issuance;

c) The editor is convicted by a court judgment with legal effect.

4. An editor whose editing practice certificate has been revoked may only be considered for reissue after two years, except in cases where the editor is convicted by a court judgment with legal effect for very serious crimes, especially serious crimes, or crimes endangering national security.

5. The editing practice certificate will be reissued in cases of loss or damage.

Article 21. Copyrights in the field of publishing

Publishing works, materials, and reprinting publications can only be carried out after obtaining written approval from the author or copyright owner according to the law.

Article 22. Registration for publication and confirmation of registration for publication

1. Before publishing works, materials, or reprinting publications, publishers must register for publication with the Ministry of Information and Communications according to the prescribed form. The content of the publication registration must align with the mission, purpose, functions, and tasks of the publisher.

2. Within seven working days from the date of receiving the publication registration from the publisher, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall confirm the publication registration in writing; if it does not confirm, a written response explaining the reasons must be provided.

3. The written confirmation of publication registration serves as the basis for the publisher to make a publication decision and remains valid until December 31 of the year of registration confirmation.

Article 23. Collaboration in Publishing Activities

1. Publishers may collaborate with organizations or individuals (referred to collectively as collaborating partners) for each publication as follows:

a) Authors, copyright owners;

b) Other publishers, printing establishments, distribution establishments;

c) Other organizations with legal personality.

2. Forms of collaboration between publishers and collaborating partners include:

a) Exploiting manuscripts;

b) Preliminary editing of manuscripts;

c) Printing publications;

d) Distributing publications.

3. Collaboration shall only be carried out when the following conditions are met:

a) There is a written approval from the author or copyright owner in accordance with the Intellectual Property Law regarding the work or material to be published through collaboration;

b) There is a publishing collaboration contract between the publisher and the collaborating partner. The collaboration contract must contain basic contents as prescribed by the Minister of Information and Communications;

c) In cases of preliminary editing of manuscripts, in addition to meeting the conditions stipulated in points a and b of this clause, the collaborating partner must have an editor.

4. For works or materials containing content on political theory, history, religion, national sovereignty, or memoirs, publishers shall not collaborate in preliminary editing of manuscripts.

5. Responsibilities of the General Director (Director) of the Publisher in publishing collaborations:

a) Deciding on collaborating partners, forms of collaboration, and concluding collaboration contracts for each publication; in cases of collaborating to publish multiple publications with the same collaborating partner, it can be concluded in one contract, clearly stating the form of collaboration for each publication;

b) Fulfilling the publishing collaboration contract properly; ensuring that the content of collaborative publications is consistent with the mission, purpose, functions, and tasks of the publisher;

c) Organizing comprehensive editing of manuscripts edited preliminarily by collaborating partners;

d) Bearing responsibility under the law for collaboration publishing activities and collaborative publications;

đ) Revoking the publication decision when the collaborating partner breaches the collaboration contract;

e) Performing other duties and powers as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 18 of this Law.

6. Responsibilities of the Chief Editor of the Publisher in publishing collaborations:

a) Assisting the General Director (Director) of the Publisher in organizing comprehensive editing of manuscripts edited preliminarily by collaborating partners; reviewing and approving manuscripts of collaborative publications;

b) Performing other duties and powers as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 18 of this Law.

7. Responsibilities of Collaborating Partners:

a) Fulfilling the publishing collaboration contract properly;

b) Implementing the content of the manuscript approved by the General Director (Director) of the Publisher for printing or electronic distribution;

c) Listing the name and address on the publication according to point b, Clause 1 and point b, Clause 2, Article 27 of this Law;

d) Submitting collaborative publications to the Publisher for deposit;

đ) Only distributing collaborative publications after the General Director (Director) of the Publisher signs the distribution decision;

e) Carrying out corrections, suspending distribution, recalling, or destroying publications upon request of competent state management agencies;

g) Bearing responsibility under the law for collaboration publishing activities and collaborative publications.

Article 24. Works and materials requiring content review before reprinting

Works and materials listed below shall be subject to content review by publishers prior to registering for publication for reprinting if they contain signs of violation of provisions stipulated in Clause 1, Article 10 of this Law:

1. Works and materials published before August Revolution 1945; works and materials published from 1945 to 1954 in areas temporarily occupied;

2. Works and materials published from 1954 to April 30, 1975 in South Vietnam without permission from the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam;

3. Works and materials published abroad.

Article 25. Issuing Publication Permits for Non-commercial Materials

1. The issuance of publication permits for non-commercial materials that are not conducted through publishers must be granted by state management agencies for publishing activities as follows:

a) The Ministry of Information and Communications issues publication permits for non-commercial materials of central agencies and organizations and foreign organizations;

b) Provincial People's Committees issue publication permits for non-commercial materials of other agencies and organizations with legal personality, branches, and representative offices of central agencies and organizations located in localities.

2. Non-commercial materials must align with the functions and tasks of the agency or organization requesting the publication permit.

3. The Government shall specify the list of non-commercial materials eligible for publication permits.

4. Agencies and organizations requesting publication permits for non-commercial materials must submit an application dossier to the state management agency for publishing activities as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article and pay the content review fee for issuing the publication permit. The dossier includes:

a) An application form for the permit;

b) Three drafts of the material; in case the material is in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a Vietnamese translation. For electronic publications, the entire content must be stored on digital devices;

c) A certified copy of the operating license issued by competent Vietnamese state management agencies for foreign organizations.

5. Within fifteen days from the date of receiving all required documents, the state management agency for publishing activities as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article must issue the publication permit, stamp it on three drafts of the material, retain one copy, return two copies to the requesting organization, and provide a written response with reasons if the permit is not issued.

6. Agencies and organizations granted publication permits for non-commercial materials have the responsibility to:

a) Comply strictly with the issued publication permit;

b) Ensure the content of the published material matches the approved draft;

c) Record information on the publication according to the provisions of Article 27 of this Law;

d) Submit a copy of the material and deliver it to the National Library of Vietnam as prescribed in Article 28 of this Law;

đ) Implement corrections, halt distribution, recall, or destroy the published material when requested by competent state authorities;

e) Bear legal responsibility for the published material.

Article 26. Publishing Foreign Organizations' and Individuals' Works and Materials in Vietnam

1. The publication of foreign organizations' and individuals' works and materials for commercial purposes in Vietnam must be carried out by Vietnamese publishers.

2. The publication of non-commercial materials of foreign organizations in Vietnam without going through Vietnamese publishers shall be regulated as provided in Article 25 of this Law.

Article 27. Information recorded on publications

1. On books, the following information must be recorded:

a) The name of the book, the author's or editor's name, chief editor's name (if applicable), the translator's name (if it is a translated book), the transliterator's name (if it is a book transliterated from Nom script); the name of the publisher or agency, organization granted publication permit;

b) The name and address of the organization, individual's name involved in joint publication (if applicable); proofreader's name (if applicable); year of publication, volume number; for translated books, the original title must be recorded; if translated from a language different from the original language, the source language must be clearly stated;

c) The full name and position of the general director (director) responsible for publication; the full name and position of the chief editor responsible for content; editor's name; book format, registration confirmation number, publication decision number of the general director (director) of the publisher or publication permit number of the state management agency for publication activities; presenter's and illustrator's names; technical editor's and printer's names; print quantity; name and address of the printing facility; time of submission for deposit; International Standard Book Number (ISBN);

d) For commercial books, the retail price must be recorded; for books ordered by the State, the phrase "State-ordered book" must be recorded; for non-commercial books, the phrase "non-sale book" must be recorded.

2. On publications that are not books, the following information must be recorded:

a) The name of the publication; the name of the publisher or agency, organization granted permission to publish;

b) The name and address of the organization, individual's name involved in joint publication (if applicable); registration confirmation number, publication decision number of the general director (director) of the publisher or publication permit number of the state management agency for publication activities; print quantity, name and address of the printing facility;

c) For commercial publications, the retail price must be recorded; for publications ordered by the State, the phrase "State-ordered publication" must be recorded; for non-commercial publications, the phrase "non-sale publication" must be recorded.

3. The information specified in point a Clause 1 of this Article must be recorded on the front cover of the book and no additional information may be added; the information specified in point c Clause 1 of this Article must be recorded on the same page of the book; the information specified in point d Clause 1 of this Article must be recorded on the back cover of the book.

4. The general director (director) of the publisher decides the location to record the information specified in point b Clause 1 of this Article on the publication, except as provided in Clause 6 of this Article.

5. For electronic publications, in addition to having all the required information as stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article, they must also have electronic publication management information as prescribed by the Minister of Information and Communications.

6. In cases where the front cover of the book contains images of the National Flag, National Emblem, Party Flag, map of Vietnam, portraits of leaders, heads of the Party and State, the names of authors, editors, chief editors, translators, and transliterators shall not be recorded on those images or portraits.

Article 28. Submission of publications for deposit and submission to the National Library of Vietnam

1. All publications must be submitted for deposit to the state management agency for publication activities at least ten days before their release. The submission of publications for deposit shall be carried out as follows:

a) Publishers or agencies, organizations granted publication permits by the Ministry of Information and Communications must submit three copies to the Ministry of Information and Communications; in cases where the print quantity is less than three hundred copies, two copies must be submitted;

b) Agencies, organizations granted publication permits by provincial People's Committees must submit two copies to the provincial People's Committee and one copy to the Ministry of Information and Communications; in cases where the print quantity is less than three hundred copies, one copy must be submitted to the provincial People's Committee and one copy to the Ministry of Information and Communications;

c) For reprinted publications without changes or additions, one copy must be submitted to the Ministry of Information and Communications; in cases where there are changes or additions, the provisions of points a and b of this clause must be followed;

d) Publications containing content classified as state secrets according to the law shall only submit a deposit declaration form;

đ) The Minister of Information and Communications shall specify detailed procedures for submitting publications for deposit.

2. Within forty-five days from the date of publication release, publishers, agencies, organizations granted permission to publish must submit three copies to the National Library; in cases where the print quantity is less than three hundred copies, two copies must be submitted.

Article 29. Reading, inspecting pre-publication publications and authority to handle violations

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall organize reading, inspection of pre-publication publications and decide on the handling of violating publications in accordance with this Law and other relevant laws.

2. Provincial People's Committees shall organize reading, inspection of pre-publication publications and decide on the handling of violating publications in accordance with this Law and other relevant laws for publications licensed by themselves.

3. The Minister of Information and Communications shall take the lead and coordinate with the Minister of Finance to stipulate remuneration systems for readers and inspectors of pre-publication publications.

Article 30. Advertising on Publications

1. Advertising is not allowed on administrative maps.

2. Advertising on calendar blocks shall be carried out according to the following provisions:

a) The area allocated for advertising must not exceed 20% of the area of each calendar page; the content and images of advertisements must be appropriate to Vietnamese customs and traditions and other relevant laws on advertising;

b) Advertising is not allowed on pages of calendars printed with national holidays and significant anniversaries.

3. Advertising on publications not covered by Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article shall be carried out in accordance with relevant laws on advertising.

Chapter III

FIELD OF PUBLISHING PRODUCT PRINTING

Article 31. Activities of Printing Facilities for Publications

1. A printing facility may only print publications after obtaining a printing activity license.

2. A printing facility may only accept printing of publications in accordance with Article 33 of this Law.

Article 32. Issuance, Renewal, Reissue, and Revocation of Printing Activity Licenses

1. Conditions for issuing a printing activity license include:

a) The head of the printing facility must be a Vietnamese citizen residing in Vietnam, possessing management skills for printing activities and meeting other standards prescribed by law;

b) Having production premises and equipment to perform one or more stages of plate-making, printing, and post-print processing of publications;

c) Ensuring conditions for security, public order, and environmental hygiene as prescribed by law;

d) Being consistent with the planning for the development of printing facilities network.

2. Documents for applying for a printing activity license include:

a) An application form for a printing activity license as prescribed;

b) A certified copy of one of the business registration certificates, enterprise registration certificates, investment certificates, or establishment decisions of the printing facility;

c) Documentation proving the existence of production premises and equipment to perform one of the stages of plate-making, printing, and post-print processing of publications;

d) A curriculum vitae of the head of the printing facility as prescribed;

đ) A certified copy of a diploma issued by a specialized training institution or a certificate of vocational training in managing printing activities issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications;

e) A certified copy of a certificate of compliance with security and public order, environmental hygiene conditions issued by the competent state agency.

3. Authority to issue a printing activity license:

a) The Ministry of Information and Communications issues licenses to printing facilities of central agencies and organizations;

b) Provincial People's Committees issue licenses to local printing facilities.

4. Within fifteen days from the date of receiving complete valid documents, the state management agency for publication activities as stipulated in Clause 3 of this Article must issue a printing activity license; if the license is not issued, a written response stating the reasons must be provided.

5. A printing activity license will be reissued in case of loss or damage.

6. Within fifteen days from the date of any changes in name, address, establishment of branch offices, division, or merger, the printing facility must process the procedures to change the printing activity license.

7. Within fifteen days from the date of any changes in the head of the facility, the printing facility must notify the licensing authority in writing and attach the documents specified in points d and đ of Clause 2 of this Article.

8. A printing activity license will be revoked in the following cases:

a) The printing facility does not meet the conditions prescribed in points a, b, and c of Clause 1 of this Article during its operation;

b) The printing facility undergoes changes as prescribed in Clause 6 of this Article without processing the procedures to change the license.

9. The Minister of Information and Communications shall stipulate detailed procedures for issuing, renewing, reissuing, and revoking printing activity licenses and certificates of vocational training in managing printing activities.

Article 33. Conditions for accepting printing of publications

1. The acceptance of printing of publications shall be carried out in accordance with the following provisions:

a) For publications implemented through a publisher, there must be a publication decision (original) and a manuscript signed off by the general director (director) of the publisher;

b) For non-commercial documents of Vietnamese agencies and organizations, and foreign organizations not implemented through a publisher, there must be a publication permit (original) and a manuscript stamped by the agency issuing the permit as stipulated in Article 25 of this Law;

c) For publications printed on behalf of foreign entities, there must be a permit for printing on behalf and a sample of the publication to be printed on behalf stamped by the agency issuing the permit as stipulated in Article 34 of this Law.

2. The acceptance of printing of publications must have a contract in accordance with the law between the printing facility and the publisher or the agency, organization granted a permit to publish non-commercial documents.

3. The quantity of publications to be printed must be reflected in the contract and must be consistent with the publication decision or the permit to publish non-commercial documents.

Article 34. Printing on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals

1. A printing facility with a permit to operate in printing publications as stipulated in Article 32 of this Law may print on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals. Printing on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals must be permitted by the Ministry of Information and Communications or the People's Committee of the province.

2. The content of publications printed on behalf of foreign entities must not violate the provisions of Clause 1, Article 10 of this Law.

3. The application dossier includes:

a) An application form for a permit to print on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals according to the prescribed model;

b) Two samples of the publications to be printed;

c) A certified copy of the permit to operate in printing publications;

d) A certified copy of the contract for printing on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals; if the contract is in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a Vietnamese translation;

đ) A certified copy of the passport still within its validity period of the person placing the order or a power of attorney and identity card of the authorized person placing the order.

4. Within ten days from the date of receiving complete valid documents, the Ministry of Information and Communications or the People's Committee of the province must issue the permit, stamp the two samples, and return one copy to the printing facility; if the permit is not issued, a written response stating the reasons must be provided.

5. The director of the printing facility is responsible under the law for printing publications printed on behalf. The organization or individual placing the order on behalf is responsible for the copyright of the publications ordered on behalf.

6. Publications printed on behalf of foreign organizations and individuals must be exported at 100%; in cases of distribution or use in Vietnam, import procedures for publications must be followed as stipulated by this Law.

Article 35. Responsibilities of the Head of a Publication Printing Facility

1. Implementing the provisions of Articles 31, 32, 33 and Clauses 1, 2, 4, 5 of Article 34 of this Law; retaining and managing the records of accepting printing of publications in accordance with the regulations of the Minister of Information and Communications.

2. Reporting on the printing activities of the printing facility to the competent state management agency for publishing activities upon request.

3. Participating in training courses on managing printing activities organized by the state management agency for publishing activities.

4. When discovering publications containing content that violates the provisions of Clause 1, Article 10 of this Law, the printing facility must stop printing and report to the competent state management authority, while also informing the publisher, agency, organization, or individual placing the order.

5. Being responsible under the law for the printing activities of the printing facility.

Chapter IV

 FIELD OF DISTRIBUTION AND PUBLICATION

Article 36. Publishing Product Distribution Activities

1. Publishing product distribution bases include enterprises, public service units, and publishing product business households (hereinafter referred to collectively as distribution bases). Publishers may establish publishing product distribution bases.

2. Enterprises and public service units that are distribution bases must register their activities with the state management agency for publishing activities in accordance with Clause 1, Article 37 of this Law.

3. Conditions for enterprises and public service units to engage in distribution activities:

a) The head of the distribution base must be a resident of Vietnam; hold a degree or certificate for knowledge and skills training in publishing product distribution issued by specialized training institutions;

b) Possess one of the types of business registration certificates, enterprise registration certificates, or decisions on establishing public service units as prescribed by law;

c) Have a location for publishing product business.

4. Conditions for business households to engage in distribution activities:

a) The household head must be a resident of Vietnam.

b) Have a business registration certificate;

c) Have a location for publishing product business.

Article 37. Registration of Publishing Product Distribution Activities

1. Before commencing operations, enterprises and public service units that are distribution bases must register their publishing product distribution activities with the state management agency for publishing activities as follows:

a) Distribution bases with headquarters and branches in two or more centrally governed cities or provinces must register their activities with the Ministry of Information and Communications;

b) Distribution bases with headquarters and branches in the same centrally governed city or province must register their activities with the provincial People's Committee.

2. The Minister of Information and Communications shall stipulate procedures and documents for registering publishing product distribution activities.

Article 38. Issuance of Business License for Importing Publishing Products

1. Domestic organizations and individuals, foreign organizations and individuals may import publishing products into Vietnam in accordance with Vietnamese laws and consistent with international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party.

2. Organizations engaged in importing publishing products (hereinafter referred to as importing bases) must have a business license for importing publishing products issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

3. Conditions for issuing a business license for importing publishing products include:

a) Possess one of the types of business registration certificates, enterprise registration certificates, or investment certificates as prescribed by law;

b) The head of the importing base must be a resident of Vietnam, hold a degree from a specialized institution or a certificate for knowledge and skills training in publishing product distribution issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications;

c) Have a team of staff capable of assessing the content of books in cases of book importation.

4. Documents for requesting issuance of a business license for importing publishing products include:

a) Application for issuance of a business license for importing publishing products;

b) Certified copy of one of the types of certificates specified in point a, Clause 3 of this Article;

c) Curriculum vitae of the head of the importing base accompanied by a certified copy of the degree or certificate specified in point b, Clause 3 of this Article;

d) List of staff responsible for assessing the content of books in cases of book importation.

5. Within thirty days from the date of receipt of the application for issuance of a business license, the Ministry of Information and Communications must issue a business license for importing publishing products; if the license is not issued, a written response stating the reasons must be provided.

6. The Government shall provide detailed regulations for this Article.

Article 39. Registration for Importing Publications for Business Purposes

1. The importation of publications for business purposes must be carried out by the publication import entity.

2. Prior to importing, the publication import entity must prepare and submit an import registration dossier to the Ministry of Information and Communications and pay the prescribed fees as stipulated by law. The Minister of Information and Communications shall specify in detail the import registration dossier for publications.

3. Within fifteen days from the date of receipt of the import registration dossier for publications, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall confirm the registration in writing; in case of non-confirmation of the registration, there must be a written response stating the reasons.

4. In case of changes in information in the already confirmed import publication registration dossier, the publication import entity must report in writing on the changed information content and simultaneously register new information (if any) with the Ministry of Information and Communications for supplementary registration confirmation.

5. The written confirmation of registration by the Ministry of Information and Communications serves as a legal basis for the publication import entity to handle import procedures with customs authorities and remains valid until the import procedures are completed.

6. In case of discovering that imported publications contain content suspected of violating Vietnamese laws, the Ministry of Information and Communications has the right to refuse to confirm the registration for importing publications or request an assessment of the publication content before confirming the import registration.

Article 40. Responsibilities of Heads of Publication Distribution Entities and Publication Import Entities

1. Implement the provisions of Articles 36, 37, 38, and 39 of this Law during their operations.

2. Comply with the importation operation license for publications, the registration confirmation certificate for importing publications; comply with the registered content of publication distribution activities.

3. Report on the activities of the publication distribution entity and the publication import entity according to the requirements of the state management agency for publication activities.

4. Shall not store, distribute publications containing content as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Law, publications without invoices or certificates showing legitimate origin or suspended from distribution, recalled, confiscated, banned from circulation, or destroyed; shall not engage in the business of publications prohibited from business, publications printed for foreign countries.

5. Cease the distribution, importation of publications and report to the competent state authority when discovering publications containing content as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Law.

6. For publication import entities, the head must organize the review of the content of imported publications before distribution and bear legal responsibility for imported publications.

7. Participate in training courses on publication laws organized by the state management agency for publication activities.

8. Bear legal responsibility for the activities of the publication distribution entity and the publication import entity.

Article 41. Issuance of Import Permits for Non-Business Publications

1. The importation of non-business publications by Vietnamese agencies, organizations, individuals, foreign organizations operating in Vietnam, and foreign individuals residing in Vietnam must be granted an import permit by the state management agency for publication activities, except in cases provided for in Article 42 of this Law, and they must pay the prescribed fees as stipulated by law.

2. Before importing non-business publications, agencies, organizations, and individuals must prepare a permit application dossier in accordance with the prescribed form and proceed as follows:

a) Central agencies, organizations, and foreign organizations with headquarters in Hanoi shall send the dossier to the Ministry of Information and Communications or the People's Committee of Hanoi City;

b) Other agencies, organizations, and Vietnamese individuals, and foreign individuals shall send the dossier to the People's Committee of the province where their headquarters are located or at the border gate through which the publications are imported.

3. The application dossier for issuing an import permit for non-business publications includes:

a) An application form for approval according to the prescribed model;

b) A list of imported publications according to the prescribed model.

4. Within fifteen days from the date of receiving all dossiers, the competent state management agency must issue the permit; in case of non-issue of the permit, there must be a written response stating the reasons.

5. In case of discovering that proposed imported publications contain signs of violating Vietnamese laws, the state management agency for publication activities has the right to refuse to issue the import permit or request the agency, organization, or individual applying for the import permit to provide a copy of the publication for the organization to assess the content as the basis for deciding to issue the import permit.

6. The assessment of the content of publications suspected of violating Vietnamese laws to decide on issuing a non-business import permit shall be carried out as follows:

a) The issuing agency establishes an assessment board for each publication within fifteen days from the date of receipt of the publication for assessment. The members include experts with sufficient qualifications to conduct the assessment;

b) The assessment period for each publication shall not exceed nine working days from the date the assessment board is established;

c) The assessment results must be recorded in writing, clearly determining whether the publication content violates the provisions of this Law and other related laws.

7. The Minister of Information and Communications shall specify in detail the assessment of imported publications; coordinate with the Minister of Finance to specify the cost of assessing the content of imported publications.

Article 42. Cases of Importing Non-commercial Publications Without Needing to Apply for a Permit

1. Organizations, institutions, and individuals do not need to apply for a permit to import non-commercial publications but must follow customs procedures as prescribed by law in the following cases:

a) Materials serving international conferences and seminars in Vietnam that have been permitted by competent Vietnamese authorities to organize;

b) Publications that are assets of organizations, families, or individuals for personal use;

c) Publications within the personal baggage allowance of incoming travelers for personal use;

d) Publications given to organizations, institutions, or individuals sent through postal services or courier services with a value not exceeding the tax exemption standard as prescribed by law.

2. The importation of publications by organizations, institutions, and individuals enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities shall be carried out in accordance with customs laws, laws on privileges and immunities granted to diplomatic missions, consular posts of foreign countries, and representative offices of international organizations in Vietnam, and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

3. Publications specified in points a and b of Clause 1 of this Article must be re-exported after use; if transferred to other organizations or individuals in Vietnam, the receiving organization or individual must follow the import procedures as stipulated in Article 41 of this Law. Publications specified in points c and d of Clause 1 of this Article, if their value exceeds the tax exemption standard, must follow the procedures to apply for an import permit as stipulated in Article 41 of this Law. Publications specified in Clause 1 of this Article may not be traded in any form.

4. Organizations, institutions, and individuals must bear responsibility under the law for publications they import.

5. Publications containing content violating Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Law shall not be brought into Vietnam in any form.

Article 43. Exporting Publications

Publications that have been legally published and circulated in Vietnam are permitted to be exported abroad.

Article 44. Exhibitions and Trade Fairs of Publications

1. The organization of exhibitions and trade fairs of publications in Vietnam by Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals must be approved by the state management agency for publication activities.

2. Authority to issue permits for organizing exhibitions and trade fairs of publications:

a) The Ministry of Information and Communications issues permits for central agencies and organizations; foreign organizations and individuals;

b) Provincial People's Committees issue permits for organizations and individuals with headquarters or residence in the locality; branches, representative offices, and subordinate units of central agencies and organizations located in the locality.

3. Documents required for applying for a permit to organize exhibitions and trade fairs of publications include:

a) An application form clearly stating the purpose, time, location, and names of participating units;

b) A list of publications for exhibition and trade fair according to the prescribed format.

4. Within ten working days from the date of receipt of complete documents, the authority prescribed in Clause 2 of this Article must issue a permit for organizing exhibitions and trade fairs of publications; if the permit is not issued, a written response explaining the reasons must be provided.

5. Organizations, institutions, and individuals who have obtained a permit to organize exhibitions and trade fairs of publications are responsible for:

a) Implementing the contents stated in the permit;

b) Inspecting and reviewing the content of publications before displaying, introducing, or selling them at the exhibition or trade fair;

c) Not exhibiting publications containing content as specified in Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Law; publications that have been suspended from circulation, recalled, confiscated, banned, destroyed, or publications without invoices or certificates showing legitimate origin;

d) Bearing responsibility under the law for the content of publications exhibited and the activities of organizing exhibitions and trade fairs of publications.

6. The state management agency for publication activities has the right to refuse to issue a permit for organizing exhibitions and trade fairs of publications or require organizations or individuals applying for a permit to remove publications from the list of publications for exhibition and trade fair in the following cases:

a) Publications intended for exhibition and trade fair show signs of violation of Article 10 of this Law;

b) Publications intended for exhibition and trade fair do not have a legitimate origin;

c) Publications that have been suspended from circulation, recalled, confiscated, banned, or destroyed.

Chapter V

PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS

Article 45. Conditions for Publishing and Distributing Electronic Publications

1. Electronic publishing must be carried out by publishers or agencies, organizations with a permit to publish non-commercial materials, and must comply with the provisions of this Law. Publishers shall conduct electronic publishing when they meet the following conditions:

a) Possessing equipment, technology, and technical human resources to manage and oversee the electronic publishing process;

b) Having appropriate technical measures in accordance with the regulations of state management agencies to prevent unauthorized copying and illegal interference with the content of publications;

c) Having a Vietnamese domain name in accordance with the law to conduct electronic publishing on the Internet;

d) Registering their electronic publishing activities with the state management agency overseeing publication activities.

2. Agencies, organizations, and individuals conducting the distribution of electronic publications must meet the following conditions:

a) Possessing equipment, technology, and technical human resources to manage and oversee the distribution process of electronic publications;

b) Having appropriate technical measures in accordance with the regulations of state management agencies to prevent unauthorized copying and illegal interference with the content of publications;

c) Having a Vietnamese domain name in accordance with the law to conduct the distribution of electronic publications on the Internet;

d) Registering their distribution activities of electronic publications with the state management agency overseeing publication activities.

Article 46. Methods for Conducting Electronic Publication and Distribution

1. Works and materials published for the first time through electronic publication methods must go through a publisher or obtain a publication permit from the state management agency on publication in accordance with Article 25 of this Law.

2. Publications that have been legally published, printed, and distributed may be distributed via electronic means.

3. The publication and distribution of electronic publications as stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article can only be conducted after obtaining approval from the author or copyright owner in accordance with intellectual property laws.

4. Converting electronic publications to print publications for wide dissemination must comply with the provisions of this Law and intellectual property laws.

Article 47. Technical and Technological Requirements for Publishing and Distributing Electronic Publications

Agencies, organizations, and individuals publishing and distributing electronic publications must:

1. Adhere to technical standards and technical guidelines set by the state management agency regarding electronic publications;

2. Comply with laws on telecommunications, information technology, e-commerce, electronic transactions, and other relevant laws.

Article 48. Submission of Retained Copies of Electronic Publications and Submission to the National Library of Vietnam

1. Publishers and organizations granted permits to publish non-commercial materials must submit retained copies of electronic publications to the state management agency overseeing publication activities in accordance with Article 28 of this Law and submit electronic publications to the National Library of Vietnam.

2. The state management agency on publication may only use retained copies of electronic publications for management purposes.

3. The National Library of Vietnam stores and may only use electronic publications for serving readers at the National Library of Vietnam in accordance with the law.

Article 49. Advertising on Electronic Publications

Advertising on electronic publications shall be carried out in accordance with the following provisions:

1. Advertising shall not be mixed into the content or interrupt the content of electronic publications in any form;

2. Adhere to the provisions of the advertising laws and other relevant legal provisions.

Article 50. Responsibilities of Agencies, Organizations, and Individuals Publishing and Distributing Electronic Publications

1. Publishers, general directors (directors), chief editors, and editors of publishers have the responsibility to:

a) Implement the provisions of Articles 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 52 of this Law;

b) Ensure that the content of the distributed electronic publication matches the content of the electronic publication submitted for record keeping;

c) Implement technical measures to prevent interference with the content of the publication or remove publications violating the law at the request of competent state agencies;

d) Cease distribution of the publication when requested by the state management agency for publishing activities;

e) Monitor and supervise the content of linked publications.

2. Linked publication partners have the responsibility to:

a) Implement the provisions of Articles 23, 45, 46, 47, and 49 of this Law;

b) Correctly implement the content of the manuscript approved by the general director (director) of the publisher;

c) Implement technical measures to prevent interference with the content of the publication or remove publications violating the law at the request of competent state agencies;

d) Cease distribution of the publication when requested by the state management agency for publishing activities.

3. Agencies, organizations, and individuals distributing publications have the responsibility to:

a) Correctly implement the provisions of Article 46 of this Law and points b, c, d of Clause 2 of this Article;

b) Correctly implement the approval document of the author or copyright owner;

c) Be responsible under the law for the distribution of electronic publications.

4. Agencies and organizations granted licenses to publish non-commercial electronic materials have the responsibility to:

a) Correctly implement the provisions of Clause 6 of Article 25 of this Law;

b) Implement technical measures to prevent interference with the content of the publication or remove publications violating the law at the request of competent state agencies.

5. Enterprises providing intermediary services on the Internet and telecommunications networks in Vietnam have the responsibility to:

a) Implement the provisions of point c and point d of Clause 2 of this Article;

b) Implement the provisions of intellectual property laws or require agencies, organizations, and individuals using their services to correctly implement intellectual property laws when distributing electronic publications.

Article 51. Importing Electronic Publications

The distribution entity importing electronic publications for business or dissemination must obtain a permit from the state management agency for publishing activities in accordance with this Law and other relevant legal provisions.

Article 52. Detailed Provisions on Publishing and Distributing Electronic Publications

The Government shall provide detailed regulations on the activities of publishing and distributing electronic publications suitable for each stage of technological development.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 53. Effective Date

This Law takes effect from July 1, 2013, and replaces Law on Publishing No. 30/2004/QH11 which has been amended and supplemented by Law No. 12/2008/QH12.

Article 54. Detailed provisions and guidance on implementation

The Government and competent authorities shall issue detailed regulations and provide guidance on the implementation of the provisions assigned in this Law.

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This Law was passed by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the fourth session of the XIIIth term, on November 20, 2012.