Indochine Arts Ltd. Co. on March 24 opened the first online painting transaction centre in Vietnam, aiming to prevent copyright infringements.

According to fine arts critic Vu Huy Thong, centre director, the centre is operated in a transparent way based on online contracts. Artists are provided with their own accounts with passwords to post their works on the website.

Paintings dislayed on the centre's website (photo by VietnamNet)

The works need to have copyright certificates, signatures of their artist and a representative from the centre for being displayed on the page. Meanwhile, artists who join the centre have to conform to tax regulations, Thong added.

The newly-opened centre has attracted the registration of nearly 100 artists.

The centre will co-operate with police in investigations into work that is apparently sold without having gone through the centre, Thong noted.

Several Vietnamese such as Pham An Hai and Thanh Huong had their paintings to be faked and sold for cheap prices.

Artists will have to pay a commission to the centre when their works are sold.