Press Russia, Big Five tell EC’s Prodi
p2pnet.net News:- When European Commission president Romano Prodi and a high-level delegation arrive in Moscow for talks, they shouldn’t miss the opportunity to address problems troubling the music industry.
At least, that’s what IFPI boss Jay Berman thinks.
“I cannot emphasise enough the need for the Commission to ensure that Russia implements the international intellectual property rules in the TRIPS Agreement in word and spirit before it can be admitted to the WTO,” he says in a puff release, which points out that Russia is “the second largest pirate music manufacturer in the world - surpassed only by China“.
The IFPI [International Phonogram Producers Federation], “has therefore called on President Prodi and the seven EU Commissioners travelling to Moscow to take this opportunity to press Russia to bring levels of in line with EU and international standards,” it says the IFPI, going on that it expects “Effective and immediate action in response to criminal and civil complaints filed by right holders [read the Big Five record labels]“.
Perhaps thinking of the FBI’s recent Operation Fastlink conducted on behalf of the entertainment industry, the IFPI also wants the introduction of “more widespread and effective enforcement activities” and also stressed that other actions by Russia “should be strict pre-conditions to Russia’s WTO Accession,” namely:
* Amendment of the Russian copyright law: to provide full retroactive protection to foreign works and phonograms - including pre 1995 international repertoire; and to enable Russia to join the WIPO Treaties of 1996.
* Adoption an effective optical disc law to address the production and distribution of optical discs.
* Closure of disc manufacturing plants involved in illegal production by withdrawing licenses - particularly as regards plants located on state-owned military industrial complexes.
The IFPI is wholly owned by the music industry.
