Anti-piracy law could “destroy” Russian film business

The Association of Film and TV Producers of Russia expressed grave concern at the Roskino-hosted discussion on co-production, as the panellists discussed the latest proposed law from the Russian Copyrights Holders’ Union, which suggests relinquishing the fight against piracy by taxing internet providers and working with pirate websites.

The main concerns voiced at the event, held at the Russian Pavilion, were that cinema revenues would crash as movies would be watched online before and during theatrical release; legal sites, that have worked to build a legitimate business, would be forced to close; and copyright holders would lose out on sales of their content from more profitable sources

Sergey Selyanov, Head of the Association of Film and TV Producers of Russia said:  “The Russian film and TV industries are upset and nervous.  This law has every chance of being passed and if it is, it will destroy Russian distribution and fundamentally our whole business.”