New Anti-Piracy Legislation May Dwindle Russia's Chances of Joining WTO

[Jared Moya]

The draft bill, which would replace all existing legal safeguards, is riddled with holes and would likely increase international property theft, said the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights, an organization active in the former Soviet Union made up of trademark, patent and brand owners and other groups.

 

As MosNews has reported on numerous occasions, Russia has brought its intellectual property laws largely in line with international norms, but enforcement remains weak despite widely publicized police raids on factories where pirated DVDs, CDs and software are made. The issue of intellectual property rights is one of the main issues on which Russia’s WTO membership negotiations with the United States had stumbled. U.S. companies have said that pirated films, music and software in Russia have cost them nearly $1.8 billion in 2005 alone. The International Intellectual Property Alliance even urged the U.S. administration to suspend trade benefits to Russia over the piracy issue.

 

Stalls selling pirated music and software as well as DVDs of the latest Hollywood films can be found throughout the Russian capital and other cities.

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[que-em]

Hollywood makes all these movies about freedoms and the weak standing up to the powerful but when it comes to their movies its okay if governments have to crack some skulls just so hollywood gets their $18.99. As much sh*t as I hear in this country(US) about Russia and China's lack of freedoms and whatnot Hollywood should be glad that people around the world are receiving the freedom message.

...of course i don't believe that sh*t above I just wrote and I know in the end its all about a dollar. freedoms are worth a price -- not death but how much it's costs in dollars to the ones ruling and running things. you can protest and exercise those first amendment rights....until its hurts business. then you get shut down. why you think american businesses love china so much.

[muffenme]

Remember $$$$$ = freedom. The more $$$$$ the more freedom you have. Most people are slave to $$$$$. Laws are base on $$$$$ not on people.