Taking down infringing content online
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The statutory route for asking intermediary service providers to remove content — quite different from platforms' own internal systems.
Decree 17/2023/ND-CP established Vietnam's digital takedown mechanism, subsequently amended by Decree 134/2026/ND-CP. This is a statutory mechanism, entirely distinct from platforms' internal complaint systems such as YouTube's Content ID.
Two parallel procedures
Article 113 — at the request of a competent state authority. The shorter track, generally described as a 24 working hours procedure.
Article 114 — at the request of the rights holder. The track for individuals and businesses acting on their own behalf, with longer deadlines — generally described as a 72 hours and 10 working days procedure.
Since Decree 134/2026/ND-CP amended these provisions, check the current text before preparing a request.
What a takedown request should contain
- Proof you hold the right — a registration certificate if you have one; otherwise evidence of the creative process, assignment contracts, or originals with metadata.
- Precise identification of the infringing content — full URLs to each specific item, not a link to a homepage or account.
- A description of the infringement, comparing your work against the challenged content.
- A declaration as to the accuracy of the information and acceptance of responsibility for a wrongful request.
- Complete contact details.
Duties of intermediary service providers
Intermediaries — social platforms, hosting services, ISPs — are exempt from liability under certain conditions, essentially where they merely transmit or passively host and act promptly on a valid request. Fail to act on a valid request and they may become jointly liable.
2026 update: Law 131/2025/QH15 sets out more explicit duties for digital platform operators to implement IP protection measures — a notable tightening for platforms operating in Vietnam.
Statutory mechanism versus platform systems
The most important distinction here. The statutory route derives from Decree 17/2023 as amended, binds intermediaries operating in Vietnam, has legal force, and escalates to state authorities and the courts. A platform's internal system derives from that company's own policy, applies globally on its own terms, is not a legal determination, and escalates only within the platform.
A video that is entirely lawful in Vietnam can still be removed from YouTube, and one that breaches Vietnamese law can survive on a foreign platform. If you need a legally binding determination, use the statutory route.
Practical advice
For content on large foreign platforms the fastest path is usually both channels in parallel: file through the platform's own tool for speed, while preparing a statutory request if the matter is valuable or the platform is uncooperative.
The Vietnam Digital Copyright Center at banquyen.gov.vn is the state focal point supporting rights holders in online matters.
Cited documents
- Decree 17/2023/ND-CP detailing the Law on Intellectual Property regarding copyright and related rights — Partly in force