The decision by the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), by which the business entities that produce or import equipment and material aids used in the reproduction, for personal purposes, of legally published works are freed from paying compensatory remuneration, causes damage to the state and violates copyright, chairman of the public organization National Association “Copyright”, composer Liviu Stirbu stated in a news conference at IPN on November 13.
Liviu Stirbu said the AGEPI director Lilia Bolocan in this case protects the interests of businesses, not the rights of authors. The AGEPI director personally asked that “Copyright” should withdraw the lawsuits filed against a business entity that refused to pay the remuneration.
“Copyright” requested that AGEPI should explain its decision and wasn’t satisfied with the answer. “All the arguments were reduced to the fact that Missis Lilia Bolocan personally assumes responsibility for what will follow and all the arguments will come later. We cannot understand why these arguments cannot be provided right now,” said the composer, adding that the situation is inadmissible from legal and economic viewpoints.
Oleg Gutium, a member of the Administration Board of “Copyright”, said it is an unprecedented situation and they filed claims to a number of courts of law. “We are waiting for a response. We also wrote a letter to the Premier. We are waiting for an answer from AGEPI to our request to issue us with the reasoned decision because the text published in the Official Gazette is not explicit,” stated Oleg Gutium.
In a press release issued last weekend, the AGEPI said the payment of compensatory remuneration for the reproduction of works for personal purposes and the reprographic reproduction by libraries, archives and other institutions repeatedly caused controversies. The AGEPI will empower a collective management organization to collect the compensatory remuneration and the copyright owners will get the deserved remuneration.
