Moscow - Following a Russian court ruling that acquitted the company's former head of copyright infringement, discount music download site AllofMP3.com plans to re-open for business, Reuters reported.

AllofMP3.com sold music downloads at much cheaper prices than those offered by iTunes and other retailers.

The site claimed to be operating in accordance with Russian copyright law, and compensating copyright holders through the Russian Organization for Multimedia and Digital Systems (ROMS).

"We pay royalties to those who sign up with us and ask for them. But none of the majors, among them I mean labels like EMI and Universal, want their money," Oleg Nezus of ROMS told Reuters.

"I've been sending them letters since November of 2005, stating there's a dividend. The labels don't respond."

Major record labels disagreed with this reasoning, saying they had not authorized their copyrights for distribution by AllofMP3, and along with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), urged Russian prosecutors to file copyright charges.

The site also drew the ire of the U.S. Trade Representative, who cited AllofMP3 as a sign of Russia's lack of respect for intellectual property, and a barrier to its accession to the World Trade Organization.

AllofMP3 was shut down in July, just before a meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and President Bush.

However, earlier this month a Moscow court acquitted former AllofMP3 head Denis Kvasov of copyright infringement charges.

A statement on AllofMP3.com said it would re-launch shortly, but did not provide a specific timetable.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/36mdbn

http://tinyurl.com/2597s3 (DMW previous coverage)

http://www.ifpi.org

http://www.allofmp3.com