Ivan Bliznets, rector of the Russian State Institute of Intellectual Property (RSIIP) said that the number of counterfeit audio and video discs was estimated at 331.5 million.
This figure was calculated according to the methodology used by the Russian Agency for Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent).
Addressing a session involving representatives from the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry, Rospatent, and trademark holders, Bliznets said losses to Russian and foreign copyright holders from piracy amounted to $314 million in 2005.
"To raise the effectiveness of the fight against piracy in Russia, it is necessary to improve legislation on collective management of copyright and related rights along with launching a register of copyright holders that would allow the facts of illegal uses of copyright to be established," he said.
According to U.S. experts, losses from copyright piracy in Russia amounted to $1.7 billion in 2005, and have exceeded $6.5 billion in the past five years. Experts have said virtually all films, music, software and books are counterfeited in Russia and that pirated products account for 67-85% of all copyright material.
On February 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that violations of intellectual property rights represented a serious problem in Russia. "Experts say the share of counterfeit video products totals 70% of the domestic market, whereas the share of pirated software has reached nearly 90% of the market," Putin told a meeting of the country's prosecutors.
