TV game shows play an important role in the Vietnamese
entertainment industry, as in the global market. Many well-known
game shows from other countries have been franchised or licensed
for broadcast in Vietnam, including Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?, Vietnam's Got Talent, and
The Voice, drawing large audiences and generating billions
of VND from commercialized activities. Other popular shows have
been developed domestically—some wholly original, but many
bearing a heavy resemblance to existing shows from other markets,
with similar gameplay, similar sets, and even similar names.
This raises an interesting question from the intellectual
property perspective as to whether owners or creators of game shows
can charge these copycat shows with infringement. In other words,
are format rights recognized as a copyright and can a game show be
protected under intellectual property law?
