Russian Federation

Transformation of Authors’ Rights and Neighbouring Rights in Russia

IRIS 2008-2:1/35

Dmitry Golovanov

Moscow Media Law and Policy Centre

To turn intellectual property into gold is a key business for the creative audiovisual industry. The avalanche of national and world-wide copyright piracy claims concerning audiovisual works is further proof of this. International agreements such as the TRIPS of the WTO take into account the economic value of holding copyright and aim to ensure that copyrights are internationally respected and so does national legislation protecting authors’ rights and neighbouring rights.

Whereas it is true that intellectual property can be turned into gold, Shakespeare also reminds us, through the trials and tribulations of a rather brilliant would-be-lawyer, that “all that glisters is not gold”. In order to judge the financial value of intellectual property, we need to know how and with whom relevant rights originate, how to contract for ownership or use, how and what amount of money to collect for licences and, of course, how to fight legally against piracy.

Russia is a very important player in the economics of copyright and in addition, it is one of the countries that has recently revised its legal framework on authors’ rights and neighbouring rights – not least with a view to possibly join the WTO. All in all this provides enough reason to offer you this IRIS plus, in which Dmitry Golovanov gives a clear albeit colourful picture of the problems, development and current situation of the institution of Russian copyright law.

I highly recommend that you read it!