Russian authorities are indicating that they will comply with demands coming out of the US regarding intellectual property rules as part of their bid to join the World Trade Organisation. That, of course, can't be good news for rogue Russian download platform allofmp3.com because the IP rule changes the US want are likely to end the ambiguities in Russian copyright laws that allow allofmp3.com to claim they trade legitimately.
Russian Minister Of Economics And Trade, German Gref, told reporters yesterday: "I think that in the coming two weeks we will reach a final agreement. In principle, we have agreed with the US on all questions connected with intellectual property rights". Gref didn't mention allofmp3.com by name, but, as previously reported, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab did when she discussed Russia's IP obligations last week.
All that said, allofmp3.com owners Mediaservices are still up for fighting. They told reporters this week: "Universal, Warner Music, Sony BMG and EMI have repeatedly mischaracterized the company as part of a campaign to secure a more favorable royalty structure. Mediaservices is convinced that its business model is legitimate and that it maximizes demand for music and spurs consumers to buy more music."