U.S. Copyright Groups Are Concerned About Russia's Handling of Online Piracy
With its invasion of Ukraine, Russia ignited a regional conflict with global repercussions. Thousands of lives have been lost and many more ruined. In response, many U.S. entertainment industry companies took a stand by ceasing their Russian operations. Through the IIPA, many of the same companies now want to urge Russia to keep online piracy in check.
[...] As we have documented previously, more than a hundred Russian movie theaters have started to show pirated movies in Russia in response to the sanctions. While clearly illegal, the chairman of the Russian Association of Cinema has sympathy for the plight of these struggling theater owners.
The Russian Government has also made matters worse for US copyright holders. A few months ago, it proposed a 'forced licensing' bill that would effectively legalize piracy of media produced by "unfriendly" states, including the US.
These developments are causing concern among organizations such as the IIPA, which counts the MPA, RIAA, and ESA among its members. The group recently shared its thoughts with the US Trade Representative for its annual review of Russia's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.
[...] "The harm caused by commercial-scale piracy in Russia cannot be adequately addressed with civil measures alone; rather, enhanced administrative actions and penalties and criminal remedies are needed," IIPA writes.
When push comes to shove, copyright infringement just doesn't matter.
IIPA = International Intellectual Property Alliance. Letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (PDF).
Previously: Russia Mulls Legalizing Software Piracy as It's Cut Off From Western Tech
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:33PM (4 children)
There's no evil too vast that one can't blame it on the victims. This flimsy pretext is the primary Russian justification for eight years of war and suffering. It's time we stop honoring these flimsy pretexts.
The government of Yanukovych started the coup by suddenly dropping an associate membership treaty with the EU which would have been substantially advantageous for Ukraine. Then followed three months of huge, escalating protests - you know, hundreds of thousands of people - and said coup.
Given that Putin was the only benefactor of that original move, it sure looks like Yanukovych was acting like a puppet of Russia. And similarly, the vast turnout for those protests sure looks like a Ukrainian coup not a NATO/US coup.
And Ukraine had plenty of time, and a genuine election to fix that original coup.
I find it interesting how pathological this jingoism is. How many times have these facts been pointed out to you? How many times have you retreated behind the flimsy excuse that it's somehow proganda and can thus be safely ignored? It's not only grossly dishonest, it's hugely disrespectful of genuine democracy - all in favor of a murderous thug.
It's time for you to do the right thing. I don't expect some sort of apology. But I do expect you to acknowledge that this war is wrong on several levels. Let's have some honor, integrity, and ethics here.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @06:22PM (3 children)
Yeah, that's the "American official's" story, which, in your appeal to authority, take at face value... Oh well...
Look in the mirror, boy...
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:01PM (2 children)
That's so pathetic. You just can't help but ad hominem futilely. I don't care whose story this is supposed to be. I care whether it's the real story. And well, this sure looks like the real story to me. Show me that evidence, if you have it. If you don't have it, then get lost.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 02 2022, @08:47PM (1 child)
That's the expected response from a person that's under the influence
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday October 03 2022, @01:40AM