A show is to take place tomorrow in Ho Chi Minh City and expected to feature many of seasoned composer Lam Phuong’s songs but the organizer at the last minute decided to drop out such songs due to a copyright dispute.

Am nhac buoc nhay Co. (Jet Studio) is to hold its monthly show called “Tinh khuc vuot thoi gian” (Timeless love songs), supposed to feature many songs by revered composer Lam Phuong, at the Ben Thanh Theater on May 25.

But shortly after Jet Studio’s announcement of the show date, Ben Thanh Audio and Video, which holds exclusive ownership of Lam Phuong’s songs in Vietnam, filed a complaint to local authorities saying that Jet Audio doesn’t have its consent in using Phuong’s songs.

Jet Studio later announced that the show, which has earned the permit from the culture department, will go ahead as planned.

However, the company decided on May 23 to change the show’s content and omitted all of Phuong’s songs, which accounted for up to two thirds of the total program.

According to Huynh Tiet, director of Ben Thanh Audio and Video, as his company is planning a live show featuring Phuong’s songs and Phuong himself this September, it has requested VCPMC, which it deputized to collect copyright fees on Phuong’s songs, not to allow any company to buy the songs till after this show ends.

VCPMC stands for Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright.

Hoang Van Binh, deputy head of the VCPMC’s southern branch, said Ben Thanh Audio and Video also requested the center to transfer the copyright to only some of Phuong’s songs at a time, not an entire program.

Meanwhile, Vo Trong Nam, deputy head of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, explained that as all the songs submitted by Jet Studio for approval have been licensed, and the department is in no position to interfere with the companies’ copyright dispute, it did issue the permit to Jet Studio.

Lam Phuong, who is currently living abroad, has composed around 200 works so far.