Strong Vietnam criminal penalties: 14 jailed in “Bún Chả TV” Piracy Case

Vietnam’s intellectual property landscape has notched up another victory following a Bac Ninh court ruling sentencing 14 individuals behind the notorious pirate sports-streaming network, “Bún Cha TV”. Bac Ninh is located in northern Vietnam outside Hanoi.

Operating a web of illicit domains, the syndicate intercepted and unauthorizedly broadcasted premium football tournaments, siphoning viewers from legitimate rights holders. 

Investigators revealed that the network had 2 income streams - an ad-revenue model and it was a funnel for illegal online gambling platforms, redirecting unsuspecting sports fans to unauthorized gambling sites.

The defendants were prosecuted and handed strict sentences under Article 225 of Vietnam’s Penal Code for copyright and related rights infringement. For more details on the background see here https://www.antipiracy.news/post/vietnam-stops-another-pirate-streaming-operation The defendants were all sentenced to terms of 8-12 months in prison.

This ruling reflects a shift in enforcement strategy by Vietnamese authorities, who are increasingly moving past preliminary domain blocking to deliver criminal convictions against the operators of commercial-scale piracy rings. This perhaps reflects the strength of the national crackdown following the USTR pressure in May.