Character copyrights: a booming industry with room for Vietnam's Growth

Character copyrights, leveraging characters for commercial products and services, are a multi-billion dollar industry globally. Disney, with its massive character ecosystem, exemplifies this success. Licensing Global estimates the global market at $278 billion, with major players like Pokemon and Disney leading the charge. This industry is projected to see significant growth in the coming years in Vietnam.

In Vietnam, SConnect is a pioneer in this field. In Vietnam, SConnect is one of the pioneering companies in developing character copyrights. SConnect initially focused on producing animated content on YouTube, targeting children in foreign markets. After that, this company expanded into other fields such as game programming, mobile apps, image rights licensing, content distribution, and character copyright sales. SConnect currently has 18 intellectual properties from self-developed characters.

Experts like Mr. Ta Manh Hoang, Chairman of the Vietnam Digital Content Creative Alliance (DCCA), believe Vietnam has the potential to develop its character copyright economy. He emphasizes the importance of creating original characters and leveraging them across various media, from games to educational apps.

Ms. Lai Thi Mai, Co-founder and CEO of WOA UNI, highlights the emotional connection consumers have with characters, driving their willingness to spend. However, she acknowledges the nascent stage of Vietnam's character copyright market, with limited character ecosystems and widespread copyright infringement.

Building a strong character copyright economy requires continuous content creation and engagement activities, such as cultural events. Embracing this model can help Vietnamese digital content creators commercialize their work. With insufficient market awareness pushing creators abroad, fostering a Vietnamese character copyright economy presents a golden opportunity. This empowers local talent, fuels domestic content creation, and ultimately drives the growth of Vietnam's digital economy.