Russian minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky has sent a letter to Russian prime-minister Dmitry Medvedev. In this letter Medinsky requested Medvedev to regain lost copyright in movies made by Lenfilm and Gorky Film studios to these studios. Such measure could help these studios to earn at least 200 million roubles in a year, Medinsky believes.
Such measure is a part of a plan to support these studios. This measure provides the studios with exclusive copyright and moral rights in all audiovisual works made by these studios before 2002. Vice-premier Igor Shuvalov directed to “work out”. Russian ministry of culture (MinCult) has confirmed authenticity of the letter. According to MinCult Shuvalov instructed Russian ministry of economic development to work over regaining of the rights in Russian movie catalogues.
Medinsky has reminded that in 2001, when state movie studios have been reorganised, all exclusive rights in movies were transferred to movie funds and then to Federal State Unitary Organisation “United state movie collection” and State movies fund (Gosfilmofond) currently holds copyrights in movies.
Only Moscow Film could avoid reorganization and currently holds copyrights in films it produced. And mostly thanks to it Mosfilm is most cost-effective company among movie studios with state participation, stated in the letter. How it is supposed to regain copyright in films? These studios should get them as a state’s contribution to their capital by presidential order.