Riga, Latvia, 8th June 2000

The Anti-Piracy workshop at Forte Riga 2000, the second and currently the only international forum for the music industries in Central and Eastern Europe, called for radical measures to be adopted by government, the music industry and even consumers in the fight to protect Latvia's development in e-commerce and the creative industries.

The Anti-Piracy workshop welcomed the recent initiatives from the region's governments in the field of intellectual property and rights protection. The new copyright law in Latvia, the ratification of the Rome convention in Estonia, the establishment of specialized units within law enforcement bodies and the tightening of legislation are all positive gestures. However, they will remain just gestures unless accompanied by real action to combat the all-pervasive problem of piracy and counterfeiting in Central and Eastern Europe.

Economic reality

The workshop recognized the underlying economic reality that attracts local consumers to black market sources rather than legal outlets citing a combination of factors which will continue to prevent a return to normal trade practices in all intellectual property products unless they are adequately and urgently addressed.

Awareness and understanding

One prime factor is the alarming lack of education in the field of copyright and intellectual property. This should not be an obscure specialist subject studied at university. Instead, the concept of intellectual property and copyright protection should be introduced into the education system at an early age so as to establish a wide spread and thorough recognition and understanding of the value of music and culture by all members of society and at all levels.

The Internet threat

Fighting piracy in the market places deals with the symptoms and not the causes. As pirates are driven out of the markets, new forms of illegal distribution are found, both physical and electronic. The workshop identified the need for additional funding, manpower and specialist training for the enforcement agencies whose resources are already over-stretched and seem unlikely to be able to tackle the relatively new yet ever increasing problem of Internet piracy with the commitment it demands.

Threat to international credibility

Piracy is not just threatening the region's fledgling music industries, it is also a direct threat to the international prestige and the national economies of the region. The stated objective of many of the region's governments to become full members of the European Union has, for the most part, been supported by the required legislative measures to protect intellectual property. However, more still needs to be done to tackle the problem of piracy at its source. The authorities in neighboring countries must continue to be vigilant at the borders and step-up their action against the illegal production facilities in, for example, Russia and the Ukraine.

Regional pricing

Piracy is not just a local problem confined to state borders. The import and transit of illegally manufactured products makes it an international problem and Internet piracy turns it into a global one. This makes cross-border and international co-operation between law enforcement bodies and the industry an absolute necessity. A key issue to be addressed is the delivery of affordable music in the developing world. An economic structure that provides a viable and dynamic model for both the creators and the consumers needs to be devised. The Anti-Piracy Workshop suggested that the recording industry consider the possibilities of regional pricing so that the incentive to import illegal international product could be significantly reduced.

Victims of organised crime

Piracy is not and never has been a victimless crime. It has become an integral part of international organized crime along with money laundering, narcotics, terrorism and child pornography. The Anti-Piracy Workshop feels that the governments of this region along with the music industry itself should be reminded that measures which remove the commercial incentive for those engaged in organized crime and their practice of regarding intellectual property products as part of their stock-in-trade will, in turn, reduce their direct contact with many young and vulnerable consumers and thus diminish the ease with which their other heinous products can be peddled.

Focus of anti-piracy efforts

While recognising the progress made by Central and Eastern European governments, the members of the Anti-Piracy Workshop nevertheless urge these governments to devote as much effort to educating society in intellectual property rights as well as to enforcing their existing legislation and complying with their international obligations.

Dagfinn Bach, Artspages, Norway
Sarah-Chanderia, Hacate Entertainment Group, USA
Ted Cohen, EMI, USA
Peter Filleul, European Sound Directors Association, UK
Andris Mellakauls, Latvian Association of Music Producers, Latvia

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