A representative of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tay Ninh Province announced on September 10 that the organizers of the charity golf tournament “For Children to Go to School” in Hau Nghia Commune, Tay Ninh Province, had issued a correction and public apology over falsified information.
The department forwarded to Sai Gon Giai Phong a written statement from the tournament organizers titled “Correction and Apology Regarding the Organizing Committee’s Misrepresentation.”
The statement read:
“… During the drafting, printing, and release of event communications, we mistakenly listed Tuoi Tre, VnExpress, Tay Ninh Newspaper and Radio–Television Station, Nguoi Lao Dong, Phap Luat HCMC, Dan Tri, Nhan Dan, Vietnam News Agency, Sai Gon Giai Phong, Voice of Vietnam (VOV), and Tien Phong as official media sponsors. In fact, your journalists only attended to cover the event and in no way acted as sponsoring partners. This error was entirely the fault of the Organizing Committee, stemming from inadequate content review. Upon learning of the mistake, we immediately removed the logos of the 12 media outlets from the tournament site, and no incorrect information was ever published in the press.”
The Tay Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism clarified that the tournament did not require an official license since it involved only a small group of golfers in an internal setting. However, the misuse of media logos prompted the department to summon the organizers, requiring them to issue corrections and formally apologize to the affected media outlets.
Earlier, social media circulated an invitation letter for the charity golf event, which included a bank account number and a call for donations to support the cause “For Children to Go to School.” The invitation also displayed the logos of 12 media agencies, labeling them as “Media Sponsors” and “Companion Sponsors.”
Leaders of Sai Gon Giai Phong and several other listed outlets promptly confirmed that they had no involvement as sponsors or partners and that their reporters neither attended nor covered the event.
Lawyer Nguyen Van Thinh of the HCMC Bar Association stressed that under the Intellectual Property Law, unauthorized use of a media agency’s logo is a trademark infringement and may face strict penalties. He advised news outlets to promptly collect evidence, seek an official appraisal, and file petitions with competent authorities for enforcement.
Violators must cease the infringement, issue a public apology, and compensate for damages if required. Persistent noncompliance could lead to heavy fines, confiscation of materials, or even criminal prosecution.
“Such violations not only damage press agencies’ credibility but also carry serious legal risks for the offenders,” lawyer Nguyen Van Thinh warned.
