‘Any illegal video downloading online is, as a matter of fact, an act of piracy, so providers allowing users to do that must be prosecuted in compliance with the copyright laws, even if this means filing a criminal suit against them,’ claims Tatiana Pryanishnikova, Marketing Director of EA Cinema Holding, relating to Internet providers who have been offering new videos at very low prices.

‘These offenders must be fought against here and now before this illegal business grows stronger. We haven’t received any complaints of this kind yet, but I am inclined to think this is a matter of time. Dealing with sales of pirated CDs in our streets will unavoidably lead to them going online. Downloading videos online is now enjoying an ever-increasing demand; online sales tend to go up, whereas specialized store sales tend to drop. IT development makes damage done by illegal Internet providers overwhelming and could potentially destroy the legal market altogether, which, in its turn, would make copyright holders go bust,’ Ms Pryanishnikova observed.