Russia has become primary source of pirated CDs and software in Finland

Russian judicial system too lenient towards forgers

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Russia has overtaken Estonia as the principal country of origin of pirated CDs, DVDs, videotapes, and computer software for the Finnish market. In 2002, some 2.5 million illegal copies of films and music generated in Russia ended up in Finland, against 0.5 million counterfeits from Estonia.
      "Vyborg has become the new hotspot of pirate merchandise for Finland", says project manager Antti Kotilainen from the Anti-Piracy Centre in Finland, CIAPC.
      A parliamentary commission is now preparing a new copyright law that would render the import of pirate copies for private use illegal. The new law would become effective from the beginning of next year at the earliest.
      The pirating industry in Russia is estimated as the second largest in the world after China.
     
Electronic and audio-visual media are fairly well protected in Russian legislation. The anti-piracy campaigns, however, have often been hampered by a lack of action and an unwillingness by the police, the prosecution service, and the law courts to take action. Corruption plays a very significant role.
      This year, police units have raided three pirate factories, which is seen as a sign of improvement.
      Grigori Jegorkov, from the economic crime department of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, says police investigate the piracy cases, but the real problem is the slack handling of such cases at the level of the judiciary.
      "Laws would enable a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but in reality all the perpetrators get is a fine."
      Last year, in 46 prosecutions of crimes related to illegal production of audio-visual media, in only two cases was a prison sentence handed down.
     
According to the Russian Academy of Justice specialist Marina Karelina, the problem in Russia is the incoherent practice of dealing with copyright violations. In Russia, all the law courts from general to administrative to arbitrage courts may handle copyright cases.
      "We should adopt the European model, where only one seat of justice concentrates on copyright violations", Karelina says.
      Intellectual property constitutes 25-30 percent of world trade. It is estimated that organised crime profits more from counterfeit products than from drug trafficking.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Winner of Venture Cup business plan competition attacks Internet piracy (21.5.2004)
  Customs: Full enforcement of new piracy import ban close to impossible (15.10.2002)
  Customs report record seizure of pirated CDs at Russian border (13.3.2001)

Links:
  Antipiracy.fi

Helsingin Sanomat