Russia Agrees to Shut Down AllofMP3.com, Clamp Down on Piracy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 29, 2006 - 2:43pm.

Washington - Russia has agreed to shut down the controversial website AllofMP3.com -- which sold cheap song downloads without label permissions -- as part of an agreement designed to allay U.S. concerns about the country's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

A document on the website of the U.S. Trade Representative says Russia has agreed to take actions against AllofMP3.com and similar illicit sites; enact legislation next year to stop collecting societies from acting without the consent of rights holders; and work to implement the 1996 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Internet treaties.

Russia has also agreed to further crack down on its large pirate CD and DVD industry, with greater monitoring of disc manufacturing and increased penalties for piracy.

The country will also set up a "hotline" between the U.S. Trade Representative and Russia's Minister of Economic Development and Trade to exchange information on piracy and counterfeiting.

The U.S. Trade Representative had previously pointed to sites like AllofMP3.com as evidence that Russia does not respect intellectual property, and that such sites could hamper Russia's accession to the WTO.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/y86fzo (PDF of U.S.-Russia agreement)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/macworld/20061129/tc_macworld/allofmp320061129
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/28/us_russia_copyright_hotline
http://www.allofmp3.com