Russia battles video piracy; but the pirates shoot back
Posted on 02/12/02 14:34 by Jan Willem                             
Russia battles video piracy; but the pirates shoot back

Russia has currently a lot more problems then only piracy, but still the country is trying to fight the piracy of CDs and DVDs. Unfortunately organized crime is pretty strong in the country and authorities responsible for figthing piracy should fear their life.

Recently the director of the Russian Anti-Piracy Organization had been shot, and also the office of this organisation has been made safe, by using bullet proof doors. But it does not seem to hurt the pirates, the export of the Russian pirated CD/DVDs seems to be expanding:


What is perhaps most worrisome, the police and officials said, is the growing number of local business groups that have begun producing DVD's. As many as six Russian factories are now pumping out unlicensed DVD's, the officials say. Only a quarter of the estimated two million DVD's to be sold in Russia this year were produced legally, and the Russian-made DVD's are turning up in markets in the West.

"Before it was a problem with the import of illegal DVD's, but now they are made here," said Mr. Zemchenkov. "We've found Russian-made DVD's in Brighton Beach," a heavily Russian area of New York. "Now it's a problem not just for Russia but for Europe and the U.S.," he said.


It seems that pirated CD/DVDs is good business and becomes very populair with criminals that don't even hesitate to kill for it. Read the entire story here.

Source: Nytimes.com

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By BoSkin, Monday 02 December 2002 15:45
BoSkin<still the country is trying to fight the piracy of CDs and DVDs> In what way ? The soft and audio CD are literally being sold on every corner there for US$ 2-2.5. For instance, while there I bought the latest Peter Gabriel "Up" a month before the official release. Smilie <Unfortunately organized crime is pretty strong in the country> LOL. It's always been. <authorities responsible for figthing piracy should fear their life.> It goes without saying. <Recently the director of the Russian Anti-Piracy Organization had been shot> That was just a reminder where he actually lived. <"Now it's a problem not just for Russia but for Europe and the U.S.,"> Sure. The common price of a DVD is about US$ 7-9. So, you can just imagine what's this all about. It's the 9-10 figures business, baby ! Wink <It seems that pirated CD/DVDs is good business and becomes very populair with criminals that don't even hesitate to kill for it> Yeah, again, the way it used to be...
By Guest, Monday 02 December 2002 20:32
How dare they sell their Russian DVDs over here in the West! We cannot even play them, due to the Region Code protection! :4
By BoSkin, Monday 02 December 2002 21:11
BoSkinSince they're good at figuring it out...it's coming soon at the store near you :4
By sexyfion, Monday 02 December 2002 23:10
i hope they do the same in USA and shoot the head of RIAA too
By BoSkin, Monday 02 December 2002 23:48
BoSkinhe had forgotten that the RIAA headquaters were in the U.S. but the Russian bratva ("brotherhood"Wink was too close.
By RedDaemon, Tuesday 03 December 2002 09:54
<We cannot even play them, due to the Region Code protection!> He-he!!! You CAN, because they had no RC at all!!! :4
By BoSkin, Tuesday 03 December 2002 10:40
BoSkinSure thing. We were just kidding about RC :4
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