The U.S. Stands Up For Copyright
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab demanded Thursday to shut down Russia’s allofmp3.com that sells music tracks mostly of western origin. The existence of this web-site, Schwab said, is a material hurdle to complete negotiations on Russia’s entry into the WTO. From time to time, the White House urges authorities of Russia to close allofmp3.com, and this political promotion has fueled the sales already, say owners of the site.
Allofmp3.com that Russia’s Mediaservice registered in 2000 offers more than 850,000 music tracks ($0.15 to $0.25 per a track) of nearly all famous world record labels. The annual turnover of the site is estimated at between $25,000 million to $30 million. The concern of the White House roots in the fact that allofmp3.com sells western music to western buyers.
According to IFPI, the sales of the music files reached $660 million in 2005; Apple’s iTunes Music Store covers 90 percent, and the other sites, including allofmp3.com, share the remaining $66 million.
Owners of allofmp3.com insist they are no pirates. The argument is licenses released by the so-called collective companies of the right control (for instance, Russia’s Multimedia and Digital Nets Co.). Due to imperfect laws, they may grant licenses even for MP3 tracks of singers/musicians with whom they have no contracts available.
Nowadays, the rightholders stake on the amendments that took effect September 1 in Russia and that provide legal protection to Internet music as if it were released on paper, CD or DVD.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 06, 2006
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