Vietnam's domestic film piracy problem underlines the country's wider copyright problem

In Vietnam widespread concerns about piracy have been reflected in the mass copying of the film "Red Rain" (Mưa Đỏ). This is the 2025 Vietnamese epic historical war drama adapted from a novel about the Second Battle of Quảng Trị in 1972, a fierce and protracted battle in the Vietnam War. The film was released for free streaming on Vietnamese TV platform TV360. However within hours it was illegally copied, edited, and re-uploaded to many Vietnamese-language websites.  TV360’s encryption and watermarking technology did little to prevent this.

Vietnam has a well-documented history of film and TV piracy. Illegal sites monetize stolen copyright works through advertisements, often linked to gambling, and by selling VIP packages and paid HD viewing. Vietnam’s government estimate there are over 400 Vietnamese websites streaming tens of thousands of movies without any legal rights. 

While Vietnamese law provides for fines and criminal penalties these seem to have minimal deterrent effect even despite several recent cases having been brought. See here and here for examples of the criminal authorities taking such action.

The added difficulty in tracking offenders who use offshore servers means pirates face low prospects of identification and capture.  Copyright owners argue this weak environment undermines legitimate platforms and erodes the entire film market, threatens the sustainability of cultural production by showing creators that their time, effort, and investment can be stolen with impunity. Vietnamese creatives agree.