A group of nationally and internationally renowned authors calls on the Government to suspend Lilia Bolocan from the post of director of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). According to them, Lilia Bolocan defends the interests of the business community, not the rights of authors. It happens after the National Association “Copyright” was deprived of the license that enabled it to collect the compensatory remuneration from business entities that produce or import equipment and material aids used to reproduce published works for personal purposes.
The license was withdrawn after “Copyright” filed a lawsuit against a mobile phone carrier that didn’t pay the remuneration. In a news conference at IPN, composer Liviu Stirbu, “Copyright” chairman, said the AGEPI’s decision generated damage of hundreds of thousands of lei to the state budget alone, according to the most modest calculations. Recently, a criminal case was started in this case over abuse power. When the director of an institution like AGEPI, which should defend the rights of authors, is involved in such a case, Lilia Bolocan should be suspended from post.
Composer Oleg Baraliuc noted that remuneration from business entities that produce or import equipment and material aids used in the reproduction of legally published works for personal purposes, which is from the sale of CDs, DVDs and others, is collected all over the world. “Copyright” asked this remuneration from mobile phone carriers too, but one of them refused to pay it and the association went to court. At a certain moment, the AGEPI director requested the association to withdraw the lawsuit, arguing that it should be so or the license that enabled “Copyright” to collect remunerations would be withdrawn. And the license was withdrawn indeed.
Composer and singer Vitalie Catana voiced hope that the association “Copyright” will be able to work again, in accordance with the law. “At least I do not want much and just want everything to be in accordance with the law and our rights to be respected,” stated the music producer.
Pavel Gamurari, the representative of the Union of Composers of Moldova, said that he recently had a discussion with his colleagues from Romania, who said that copyrights in their country are respected indeed and this system is well-organized and is transparent there. Moldova has a law to this effect, but this is not functional. “We demand what we should have and what we deserve,” stated Pavel Gamurari.
Eugeniu Turuta, who published over 60 specialty books in different countries, said the decision taken by Lilia Bolocan is to the detriment of authors and she should thus tender her resignation.
