Internet site an obstacle to Russia’s WTO bid

MOSCOW – A Russian Internet site that sells Western pop music at knockdown prices shows no sign of changing its ways despite the United States singling it out as an obstacle to Russia joining the World Trade Organisation, a report said Friday.

As Moscow and Washington continue fraught talks on Russia’s WTO bid, the worldwide sales of music site www.allofmp3.com have become a particular bone of contention, the Kommersant daily said. Russia, the only major world economy not in the WTO, hopes to wrap up membership talks this autumn.But there is no sign of the website giving in to pressure, as its owner, Denis Kvasov, continues to battle a lawsuit in a Moscow court by the international music industry body IFPI, Kommersant said.Kommmersant quoted a defiant representative of the Internet site as saying that complaints by the office of US Trade Representative Susan Schwab were only helping the company.”Susan Schwab markets us so effectively – she could already be our press secretary,” the unnamed spokesperson said.The US concern derives mainly from the fact that the Internet site has found a ready market outside Russia’s borders, becoming the second most popular music site among British consumers after Apple’s iTunes, the paper said.”The White House’s concern is that the site offers Western music to Western consumers and this isn’t the first time that the administration of George Bush has drawn the Russian authorities’ attention to the issue,” Kommersant said.A recent push to conclude years of negotiations has also been hampered by new US sanctions against two Russian companies for providing Iran with equipment that Washington says could be used to develop missile systems or weapons of mass destruction.Kommersant estimated the company’s annual turnover at between US$25 million and US$30 million.Nampa-AFPRussia, the only major world economy not in the WTO, hopes to wrap up membership talks this autumn.But there is no sign of the website giving in to pressure, as its owner, Denis Kvasov, continues to battle a lawsuit in a Moscow court by the international music industry body IFPI, Kommersant said.Kommmersant quoted a defiant representative of the Internet site as saying that complaints by the office of US Trade Representative Susan Schwab were only helping the company.”Susan Schwab markets us so effectively – she could already be our press secretary,” the unnamed spokesperson said.The US concern derives mainly from the fact that the Internet site has found a ready market outside Russia’s borders, becoming the second most popular music site among British consumers after Apple’s iTunes, the paper said.”The White House’s concern is that the site offers Western music to Western consumers and this isn’t the first time that the administration of George Bush has drawn the Russian authorities’ attention to the issue,” Kommersant said.A recent push to conclude years of negotiations has also been hampered by new US sanctions against two Russian companies for providing Iran with equipment that Washington says could be used to develop missile systems or weapons of mass destruction.Kommersant estimated the company’s annual turnover at between US$25 million and US$30 million.Nampa-AFP