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“RussianProperty” dislikes idea to help LenFilm and Gorky Studio regain a copyright in films made before 2002

“RussianProperty”, (Rosimushestvo) federal agency on state property management, gave negative opinion on proposition, made by Russian minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky. He has sent letter to Russian prime-minister Dmitry Medvedev and requested regain copyright in movies made by LenFilm and Gorky Film studios to these studios.

Chairman of LenFilm, Fedor Bondarchyk, told that Russian Property gave negative opinion on this proposition. “We came to a standstill, but will ask again” – he told. The proposition provides the studios with exclusive copyright and moral rights in all audiovisual works made by these studios before 2002. But what about the fact, that moral rights are not transferable under Russian law?

In 2014 Gosfilmofond refused to transfer rights in “gold collection of movies” to OJSC LenFilm because this company is not successor of soviet studio LenFilm and therefore OJSC’s claims are not justified. “Commercial organisation OJSC LenFilm is a part of soviet studio, which was separated from soviet studio in 2003 for privatization by presidential order. And the soviet studio has been renamed Moviefund of LenFilm Studio and became a part of Gosfilmofond.” – explained deputy of director Vasily Shilnikov.