Hanoi: Fined 2 big bookstores for distributing pirated books

Two bookstores, Nam Lien and Minh Thuan in Hanoi, have just been administratively fined a total of VND76 million by the Ministry of Information and Communications for distributing publications without invoices or documents showing their legal origin.

In particular, Nam Lien Bookstore, owned by Mr. Hoang Van Nam (located on Pham Van Dong Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi) was fined 70 million VND for publishing 29 publications in violation of regulations.

Among them, acts of publishing publications in violation of regulations are subject to a fine of 1 million VND/publication, such as the act of publishing the following books: Ket Exam Preparation – Key English Test with answers 3, Top Notch Workbook 3, Family and Friends 4, Japanese – Minna no nihongo...

On July 29, 2015, the Interdisciplinary Inspection Team discovered thousands of counterfeit books from publishers such as Education, Kim Dong, Transport, National Politics, etc. being sold at Nam Lien bookstore. Photo by Tien Dung.

There are acts that are subject to a fine of 3 million VND, including the following books: Questions and answers on road traffic laws used for testing and granting driving licenses for two-wheeled motorbikes, 450 questions used for testing and granting driving licenses for road motor vehicles, Revolutionary line textbook of the Communist Party of Vietnam used for university and college students not majoring in Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh ideology...

There are acts that are subject to a fine of 10 million VND, such as the act of publishing the book "The Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism" (for university and college students not majoring in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, reprinted with supplements, printed in 2014; or the book "Detective Conan".

And there are also acts that are subject to fines of up to 20 million VND, such as the act of publishing Doraemon (45 short stories).

Phu Hung Phat Company Limited - Minh Thuan Bookstore, with Ms. Cao Thi Minh Thuan as Director (address at 358 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi), was fined 6 million VND for illegally publishing 3 publications including: Questions and answers on Road Traffic Law used for testing and granting driving licenses for two-wheeled motorbikes, 450 questions used for testing and granting driving licenses for road motor vehicles, Longman English grammar practice for intermediate students (each publication illegally published was fined 2 million VND).

The fines are applied according to the provisions in Point a, Clause 1, Article 27, Decree No. 159 of the Government on regulations on administrative sanctions for violations in press and publishing activities.

Both decisions to penalize Nam Lien and Minh Thuan bookstores were signed and issued by Director of the Department of Publishing, Printing and Distribution Chu Van Hoa on October 6, 2015.

According to Infonet