Ukrainian deal offers new hope

Kiev, 21st January 2009

The Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior and local recording industry body UAMI recently signed a “memorandum of understanding” on music piracy.

Under the agreement, the government will cooperate with the industry to systematically tackle Ukraine’s endemic music piracy. Ukraine has a long history of copyright piracy. In 2002, the US imposed sanctions for massive illegal CD manufacturing. Today, internet piracy is the main challenge as it hampers the development of a legitimate digital market in Ukraine.

The deal, which was struck in December 2008, followed lobbying by more than 40 prominent Ukrainian performers and artists, including former Eurovision winner Ruslana.

This group had urged Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to address the problems of internet piracy, lack of ISP cooperation, rogue collecting societies and weak enforcement of broadcasting and public performance rights.

Tymoshenko set up a Music Working Group in response to these calls, giving it power to draft legislative changes and facilitate meetings between the industry and government officials.

Ignat Berezhny, director of the Ukrainian Association of the Music Industry, says: “The ‘memorandum of understanding’ is a great leap forward for the Ukrainian music industry. For the first time, the government has put in place a framework for tackling the online abuse of intellectual property and said it will not allow Ukraine to become a ‘black hole’ for creative rights.”