USA estimates damage inflicted by Russian pirates at $1 billion

American producers of intellectual property estimate the damage inflicted upon the US economy by Russian pirates alone at $1 billion, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce William Lash said at a press-conference in Moscow Wednesday. He has not specified however the period the estimate is applied to.

William Lash is confident that these pirate activities violate not only the rights of the producers but also the rights of Russian consumers. In his opinion, it is detrimental to the further development of the country, Russian businessmen, performing artists and cultured people.

William Lash reported that Russian interior ministry officials had refused to meet with him to discuss matters connected with the violation of rights of intellectual property. He accounted for this lack of desire to get together by the impossibility to defend what cannot be defended.

He cited the figure of Russia's legitimate DVD market capacity as 30 million copies while its actual volume amounts to 340-370 million copies.

Having been exposed to all the variety of fake video, CD and computer discs during his three-day visit to Russia, the US assistant secretary got amazed at the resourcefulness of Russian pirates. He showed newsmen a box with the inscription "Kill Bill-2", saying he had bought it and a number of other DVDs when having had a stroll to the Kremlin last Sunday and was sure it was a fake because the movie was not yet on sale in the United States.

William Lash was astonished not so much at the fact of forging a new movie which has been just shown at the Moscow film festival as at the idea to place the first part of the movie at the same disc as well.

The main violators of the rights of intellectual property producers are Russia and China. The damage inflicted by the latter is also estimated at about $1 billion, added Willim Lash.