PROSECUTORS DISCUSS INTELLECTUAL PIRACY ISSUES








MOSCOW, March 6. /RIA Novosti correspondent Olga Semyonova/. Ways of combating intellectual piracy were discussed at a 3-day seminar for prosecution staff on: "Protection of Intellectual Property. Legislation and its Use in the Struggle Against Audio Visual Piracy. European Experience", the information and public relations department of the Prosecutor-General's Office of Russia said on Tuesday.


	The seminar, attended by deputy prosecutors from Russia's territories and investigators specialising on crimes of this category, was arranged and sponsored by the Prosecutor-General's Office of Russia, together with the international organisation "TACIS-Intellectual Property Programme /Paris/ and the Russian Anti-Piracy Organisation /RAPO/.


	The interest shown by international and Russian organisations in combating criminal business, according to Prosecutor-General's Office officials, stems from a desire to protect citizens' rights and legal interests against criminal encroachments on intellectual property in audio visual sales, and also by an intention to counter intellectual piracy's adverse effect on the Russian economy.


	Experts estimate that the shadow turnover of counterfeit products is 80 to 85 per cent of the total legal video market, and illegal proceeds exceed 700 million US dollars. Russia's annual trading losses due to copyright law violations amount to about 1 billion US dollars, according to some estimates.