ArmenPress, Armenia
July 27 2005
POLICE STARTS MASSIVE CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL REPRODUCTION OF DISCS AND
CASSETTES
YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS: In what looks like the start of a
massive crackdown on local recording companies who routinely violate
copyright law Armenian police have opened criminal proceedings
against Reco Records company after seizing tens of thousands of
illegally produced CDs from its shops and storehouse.
A spokesman for police, Sayat Shirinian said today the owners of
the company failed to produce agreements with a cohort of Armenian
pop music singers whose songs the company was reproducing on CDs.
Shirinian said the criminal case was started in line with an article
of Armenian penal code for violation of copyright. He said the police
was acting on a hint from Armenian Copyright non-governmental
organization that several companies dealing with recording were
ignoring the copyright law.
He said police officers discovered thousands of illegally recorded
CDs and special equipment. He also said several Armenian pop-singers
were questioned and confirmed they did not sign agreements with the
company to allow it to reproduce their music on CDs. A man selling
Reco Records CDs at a wholesale market in downtown Yerevan admitted
to buying some 40,000 drams worth CDs from the company daily
beginning from last February having eared 25 million drams in income
but paid no taxes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress