Lawmakers weigh draft law to grant cultural industries formal legal status

At the National Assembly Standing Committee’s sixth session in Hanoi on September 24, lawmakers examined a draft Law on Cultural Industry Development that the Government is advancing under a shortened legislative process. The proposal consists of nine chapters and 53 articles and is expected to be presented to the 16th National Assembly at its second session in October.

Giving cultural industries a firm legal footing

The bill seeks to translate national cultural development directives into binding law, establishing a clear legal framework to remove institutional bottlenecks, concentrate resources, and unleash creative potential. It aims to enrich the cultural content of goods and services, safeguard the domestic market, and position cultural industries as a new engine of growth.

For the first time, the law would formally recognize cultural industries within the national economy, covering a wide range of sectors, including:

• Film, performing arts, music
• Fine arts, photography, exhibitions
• Software, digital content, gaming
• Advertising, publishing, broadcasting
• Handicrafts, cultural tourism, cuisine
• Design, fashion, architecture

A core objective is to connect the entire value chain—from creation and production to distribution and consumption—to accelerate economic returns, increase exports, attract strategic investment, and enhance the projection of Vietnam’s cultural identity and soft power abroad.

Key policy pillars and a regulatory sandbox

The draft law is built around six policy pillars:

• Industry ecosystem development
• Intellectual property (IP) protection and commercialization
• Talent development and training
• Infrastructure and space for cultural creation
• Market development and audience building
• Financial policies and targeted investment incentives

To foster innovation, it proposes a time-bound regulatory sandbox for new products, services, and business models, with initial priorities in film, music, fine arts, cultural tourism, design, fashion, handicrafts, gaming, cuisine, and digital content software.

Mobilizing capital and commercializing IP

The bill would allow cultural-sector assets—such as copyrights, related rights, and other IP—to be used as collateral or contributed as capital in financial transactions. Valuation certificates and appraisal reports would underpin lending decisions and investment deals. A “cultural industry exchange” is also envisioned to facilitate trading in cultural products, IP assets, and associated property rights, improving liquidity and price discovery for creative works.

Stimulating demand and expanding access

To boost consumption of domestic cultural products, the Government is studying a “National Culture Card,” a digital instrument linked to personal identification that would offer benefits to students, people with meritorious service, low-income households, persons with disabilities, and other policy beneficiaries. Lawmakers urged that any such program be executed transparently, avoid discretionary approvals, and where feasible be integrated into existing citizen ID or student card systems.

Attracting talent and investment

To cultivate a competitive creative workforce, the draft introduces measures such as internationally competitive salaries and bonuses, preferential recruitment and appointment pathways, and support for housing, transport, and R&D facilities. It also proposes:

• A five-year personal income tax exemption for qualified personnel in cultural industries
• VAT refunds for foreign entities and individuals conducting film production activities in Vietnam

Ensuring coherence with existing laws

Standing committees expressed overall support while calling for careful alignment to prevent overlaps with the Law on Education, the Law on Teachers, and the Law on Intellectual Property. Broader concordance is also required with the Civil Code, the Law on the Digital Technology Industry, the Law on the State Budget, the Law on Investment, the Law on Enterprises, and relevant international treaties.

Legislative timeline and next steps

Given the scope and novelty of the draft, members proposed scheduling discussion at the National Assembly’s second session and targeting passage at the third session, allowing additional time for consultation and refinement. The Committee on Cultural and Social Affairs has been tasked with finalizing its appraisal report and coordinating with the drafting team to gather feedback, including at a conference of full-time National Assembly deputies.

In related work during the afternoon session, lawmakers also considered a revised draft Law on Food Safety.