The Rise of a Musical Star: Son Tung M-TP’s Company Faces a Lawsuit Seeking Over $250,000 in Damages.

At the end of July, there was a buzz on social media about legal troubles facing the company of Sơn Tùng M-TP, a prominent Vietnamese singer. A post shared details of a dispute between the company and the artist. The news quickly caught the attention of netizens, and we have since learned more from those involved.

On July 25, 2024, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City held a hearing to resolve a “Request for Cancellation of Arbitral Award” filed by M-TP Talent JSC, chaired by Mr. Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, known by his stage name Sơn Tùng M-TP.

According to our understanding, between 2022 and 2023, M-TP Talent signed a contract with TAD Global Ltd. for the provision of services and the right to use Sơn Tùng M-TP’s image. After signing the contract, TAD Global made a full payment, and both parties proceeded with their contractual obligations.

However, the release of the MV “There’s No One At All” and its subsequent removal on May 5, 2024, significantly impacted TAD Global’s communication plans. To compensate, TAD Global and M-TP Talent agreed via email to extend the contract until July 31, 2023, instead of its original expiration date of April 30, 2023.

In June 2023, as the parties were preparing to fulfill the remaining obligations to terminate the contract, M-TP Talent declared its refusal to perform, citing that the contract had expired on April 30, 2023, and that previous emails about extensions were merely expressions of good faith and did not hold any contractual value. TAD Global initiated arbitration proceedings at the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), believing M-TP Talent to be in serious breach of contract.

On April 19, 2024, the Arbitral Tribunal of VIAC issued a ruling ordering M-TP Talent to reimburse TAD Global and pay a contract violation penalty totaling over VND 6 billion. Disagreeing with the arbitral award, M-TP Talent filed a request for its cancellation at the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City, which is currently under review.

In a conversation with lawyer Nguyễn Minh Tiến from Apolat Legal LLC, representing TAD Global, he shared: “While TAD Global and M-TP Talent were fulfilling the remaining contractual obligations, the latter claimed that the contract had expired. However, the parties had previously agreed to extend the contract via email until July 31, 2023. M-TP Talent argued that their representative who signed with my client was not authorized, thus denying the validity of the email agreements. We find this reasoning contradictory.”

During the hearing on July 25, 2024, the reviewing council evaluated the arguments and evidence presented by both sides before making a final decision. As the lawyer for TAD Global, Mr. Tiến believes his client has a strong legal basis since the contract extension was confirmed via email, and M-TP Talent acknowledged that Sơn Tùng M-TP was aware of and did not oppose the extension. They now await a fair decision from the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City regarding the request for cancellation of the arbitral award.

Following the meeting on July 25, 2024, the reviewing council will deliver its verdict in the next hearing, scheduled for August 15, 2024.

Sơn Tùng M-TP, born in 1994, is a leading star in the Vietnamese entertainment industry. More than a decade after his debut, the singer from Thái Bình province continues to captivate audiences with his unique style and musical taste. His songs consistently create a buzz, but “There’s No One At All” negatively impacted his reputation.

“There’s No One At All” was released in April 2022 and sparked outrage due to its sensitive content, leading to negative discussions among the public. A month after its release, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism intervened, imposing a VND 70 million fine on M-TP Entertainment. They were also required to destroy the harmful content, forfeit illegal profits, and remove the MV from online platforms.