Russia pirate industry is booming

When “The Da Vinci Code” premiered in Moscow, Konstantin Zemchenko started his count.

As the Motion Picture Association of America’s top pirate-fighter in Russia, Zemchenko’s operatives were monitoring the capital’s markets and street stalls for when the first bootleg copies would appear.

His goal? A modest 10-day delay. In the worst pirate market in the world after China, that translates into a home run for Hollywood, which says it loses well over $300 million a year in Russia.

On this occasion, the pirates won: Three days after the premiere, a grainy, camcorder copy of the $100 million-plus budget movie was available on DVD for under $6. Two days later a pristine version with interactive menu was on sale for the same price.