MOSCOW, March 1, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - Alexei Orlov, the head of the Main Directorate for the Struggle Against Economic Crimes of the Interior Ministry, said on Monday that over 900 million rubles (about $31.7 million) worth of counterfeit products were confiscated in Russia last year.
According to him, more than 100,000 enterprises that operated in the sphere of intellectual property turnover were checked during the year. The illegal operation of 4,500 legal entities and individuals, including 500 underground production units, were stopped. As many as 3,500 criminal cases were launched and administrative measures were taken against more than 20,000 people as a result of the checks.
The Interior Ministry estimates that last year the turnover of counterfeit audio and video products in Russia dropped by 15-20% and the turnover of counterfeit industrial products and foodstuffs dropped by 10-15%.
