The permit for BLACKPINK’s concert in Vietnam may be revoked due to a new controversy over royalty fees.
According to local Vietnamese media VN Express on July 28th, the Vietnam Center for the Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) has requested the Hanoi People’s Committee to revoke the permit for BLACKPINK’s concert in Vietnam, which is scheduled to be held at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on the 29th and 30th.
In particular, VCPMC is the only organization in Vietnam that is authorized by the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA). However, VCPMC stated that the organizer of BLACKPINK’s concert, iME, “has failed to obtain permission and pay royalties needed to license the copyright for use of BLACKPINK’s material in Vietnam”.
Regarding this issue, KOMCA stated that they sent the relevant documents in response to VCPMC’s request and mentioned that while the royalty fee is usually settled in advance, there are cases where it is settled after the performance. The Hanoi People’s Committee is currently investigating the matter.
Previously, BLACKPINK’s concert in Vietnam sparked controversy as iME’s headquarter website showed the Nine-Dash Line on its map, drawing attention. The “Nine-Dash Line” is a huge issue, considering that Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, are in dispute with China over sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, which has responded firmly to the Nine-Dash Line controversy, stating that any publication or promotion of materials showing the Nine-Dash Line violates Vietnamese law and will not be tolerated. As a result, iME removed the problematic map and issued an apology, and Hanoi People’s Committee granted permission for BLACKPINK’s concert on the 25th.
While there are concerns that the concert might be canceled due to the aforementioned issue of royalty fees, it is unlikely to happen as tens of thousands of tickets have already been sold. The concert is expected to attract approximately 36,000 spectators on each of the two days.
Source: Sisa Journal, VNExpress
