Russian Federation

[RU] State Permits for Collective Societies Issued

IRIS 2011-2:1/36

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

The Ministry of Culture has completed a process of awarding special permits envisioned by Article 1245 of the Fourth Part of the Civil Code introduced on 1 January 2008 (see IRIS Plus 2008-2). On 24 September 2010 it awarded the Russian Union of Rightsholders (RSP), headed by famous film director Nikita Mikhalkov, the status of an accredited organisation. This is in fact a governmental licence to collect fees on all imported electronic devices and blank recordable media on behalf of authors.

The Russian Union of Rightsholders will collect 1 percent of the price of blank media and electronic devices and will redistribute this sum among copyright holders in a bid to fight losses inflicted by piracy. The collected sum could amount to USD 100 million per year.

The Federal Service to Control Observance of Law in the Sphere of Protection of Cultural Heritage (Rosokhrankultura - http://www.rosohrancult.ru/) at the Ministry of Culture was assigned by a governmental decree of 29 December 2007 to conduct the (misnamed) accreditation procedure. In 2008-2010 the procedure was used in all six fields of collective management, including public performance, broadcasting and cablecasting of musical works.

Four organisations have won the status. They are the Russian Authors’ Society (RAO - http://www.rao.ru/); the All-Russian Organization for Intellectual Property (VOIS - http://www.rosvois.ru/); the Partnership to Protect and Manage Rights in the Sphere of Arts (UPRAVIS - http://www.upravis.ru/); and now the Russian Union of Rightsholders (RSP - http://www.rp-union.ru/).