This is our answer to Vershbow

Representatives of the Ural Electronic Factory might sue the American embassy. This was said by the official spokesman for the factory Oksana Bozhenok in her interview to the Echo of Moscow radio station on Monday.

The US ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow addressed to the Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin on August 1 with a request of assistance in the investigation of the activity of Russian producers that were suspected of illegal production of music and video compact disks. Vershbow said that he was especially concerned about the fact that some of those productions were arranged at military and scientific enterprises, there was a list of some of them attached to the letter to the Press Minister of Russia.

The first company on the list was the Ural Electronic Factory. The management of the factory totally rejected the connection of their company to the manufacture of bootleg production.

Bozhenok also stressed that the management of the company did not see the letter: “We are looking for an opportunity to see the document with our own eyes, because before we make a step, we have to have the true information, certain documents with precise text.” Oksana Bozhenok did not exclude, however, that the representatives of the factory would not be searching for any excuses, when they read the letter from Alexander Vershbow. She said that they would require to sue the American embassy for that.

Oksana Bozhenok claimed that the statement from the American ambassador was “the interference in the internal affairs of our country,” she added that the factory could probably sue the American embassy and the American Congress.

It was earlier expected that the Press Ministry would settle the question on granting the CD-production licence to the Ural Electronic Factory until August 4. Pursuant to the decree of the Russian government of June 4, 2002, the production of music CDs is subjected to compulsory licensing. The administration of the factory does not exclude that there can be some problems coming up for the company in this respect, but this was not the most horrible thing. The statement from the American ambassador caused considerable damage to the business reputation of the factory, which resulted in huge losses.

Yegor Belous PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov