Allofmp3.com, one of the biggest remaining barriers between Russia and the WTO, is about to be torn down. After endless negotiations, the Russian government finally agreed to shut down this music download site, along with others based in Russia.

Allofmp3.com has been offering ridiculously low-priced, illegal downloads using a loophole in the legal system. In their statement, they denied any allegations, asserting their position as a law-abiding company which adheres to Russian law. "AllofMP3 doesn't expect the Russian government to take any action against the company since it operates within the current law. The company is fully committed to its business," an Allofmp3.com spokesperson said. Allofmp3.com also said that they have been paying royalties to copyright holders via the Internet Society and the Russian Multimedia. The USA has never recognized the Internet Society as a legitimate organization and expects Russia to make these groups stop acting without right holder consent. The US administration has suggested detaining Russia's entry into the WTO until they take a serious step toward the protection of intellectual property rights.

Apparently, Russian government has recognized the equity of charges against the company, and ruled to shut down the site in June 2007.

MS NEWS