Lang Van Takes Legal Action Against BH Media Over Piracy of Vietnamese Music Recordings

Legal Action Over Music Copyright

In a significant move, Lang Van, Inc., a prominent Vietnamese-American record label established in 1985, has filed a federal lawsuit against BH Media—a Hanoi-based digital content company. This legal action, initiated just a fortnight before the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) designated Vietnam as a "Priority Foreign Country" (PFC) on April 30, 2026, highlights serious concerns regarding copyright infringement and the manipulation of metadata related to sound recordings.

Allegations of Infringement

The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that BH Media engaged in willful infringement by unlawfully exploiting approximately 5,252 Vietnamese sound recordings from Lang Van’s catalogue. In total, there have been 8,068 documented acts of infringement over the last three years, a level of unauthorized use that has raised alarms within the music industry.

According to the lawsuit, BH Media systematically siphoned off Lang Van's International Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) from these sound recordings—codes essential for tracking music sales and distribution. The company allegedly replaced these with its own ISRCs, leading to redirected royalty payments from popular platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Meta, and Apple Music.

This legal confrontation unfolds against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of BH Media's practices following a recent criminal indictment and subsequent arrest of its CEO, Nguyễn Hải Bình, for purported copyright violations, further complicating the situation for the digital content giant.

Broader Context

The USTR's designation of Vietnam as a PFC underscores the urgent nature of copyright enforcement in the country. This particular classification is the most severe under U.S. trade law, held back only by the complexities of international copyright agreements and local enforcement mechanisms. With this designation, Vietnam has been urged to bolster its intellectual property protections, an issue that Lang Van has been keen to spotlight.

The CEO of Lang Van, Lan Nguyen, articulated the importance of this lawsuit by stating, "For over forty years, Lang Van has been entrusted with the preservation of recordings that carry the cultural memory of the Vietnamese community. We are joining a fight that others have been waging against one company that has regularly chosen to abuse that trust.” This sentiment echoes the sentiments of many in the Vietnamese music community, who have long sought accountability in copyright issues.

Historical Considerations

Lang Van’s fight for preservation goes beyond simple legal recourse; it represents a larger struggle for cultural heritage and identity within the Vietnamese diaspora. While BH Media faces its own legal tribulations, it is worth noting that the company has previously encountered similar lawsuits for copyright infringement from other Vietnamese-American rights holders as far back as 2017 and 2021. Additionally, it is embroiled in a parallel lawsuit initiated in 2024 by artists associated with the famed Paris By Night concert series.

The plaintiffs, including the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC), are attempting to assert their rights against BH Media’s alleged copyright violations, emphasizing the necessity of proper music licensing and fair compensation for artists and producers alike.

Future Implications

By extending its claims beyond composition rights to include sound recordings that were created outside Vietnam post-1975, Lang Van is asserting a legal foothold in a complicated terrain. This arena extends to historic master recordings created by various labels in the Vietnamese diaspora, making the U.S. litigation a unique avenue for seeking justice where Vietnamese law may not reach.

Lang Van's pursuit of statutory damages, potentially reaching up to $150,000 per incident of willful infringement, signifies the gravity of their claims and the lengths to which they will go to secure their rights and protect the integrity of Vietnamese music.

In summary, this federal case is pivotal not only for Lang Van and its stakeholders but also for the broader conversation around copyright enforcement in the digital age. As the industry grapples with evolving technology and changes in consumption patterns, the outcomes of lawsuits like this one will have significant repercussions for artists and content creators across the globe.

Lang Van is being represented by attorneys Brandon J. Witkow and Cory A. Baskin, who will be pivotal in navigating the complexities inherent in this landmark case. The next steps in this lawsuit will be closely watched by industry stakeholders and advocates for intellectual property rights alike.