Greek Government Vows Action On Rampant Piracy

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has called for decisive action by the Greek government to tackle the country's piracy problem—and has drawn an encouraging response.

IFPI CEO John Kennedy used his May 26 keynote address in Athens to launch a stinging attack on Greece's piracy record. "With a piracy rate of around 50%, Greece is one of the very few Western European countries where illegal music copies almost outnumber legal sales," Kennedy told delegates at the inaugural Greek Music Forum. "For a country which, in its own right and as a member of the [European Union], has an important example to set to the rest of the world, it is unacceptable for piracy to be tolerated to this degree."

The Greek music market had a retail value of $89.3 million in 2004, according to the IFPI. Kennedy said he expected the Greek government to implement a nationwide anti-piracy strategy involving the culture, public order, trade and justice ministries as well as rights holders.

"The laws must be executed effectively and pirates brought to book," he added, demanding "seriously deterrent sentences and heavy financial penalties."

Kennedy and IFPI Greece managing director Panos Theofanellis met with government officials during Kennedy's visit for the conference.

The discussions with Minister of Public Order Georgios Voulgarakis and Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos, who oversees media issues, were "positive," Theofanellis says.

Piracy was the main topic. The Greek government is drafting new, tougher anti-piracy legislation, Theofanellis explains. He informed the IFPI delegation that he expects the proprosed legislation will be debated in the Greek parliament by the fourth quarter.

The legislation would bring Greek intellectual-property law into line with the European Union Enforcement Directive.

In addition, Roussopoulos promised action against broadcasters that are not paying neighboring rights fees, according to Theofanellis.

"We asked him simply to enforce the law," Theofanellis says. Under existing legislation, he adds, "if a radio station does not have a [valid] contract with a neighboring rights society, he can revoke the license."

Theofanellis plans follow-up meetings on piracy and other key issues with the country's Deputy Development Minister Ioannis Papathanasiou and Minister of Justice Anastasios Papaligouras.

The May 26-27 conference opened with a speech by Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, who pledged that the government will institute laws to contain piracy.

"Art is not culture alone," he told delegates, "it is development. Development of humanity, of society—and of the economy."

Government action is already under way, says Constantinos Polyzogopoulos, director of the Culture Ministry's intellectual-property organization, OPI, which coordinates the anti-piracy efforts of various Greek associations and trade groups.

Polyzogopoulos says OPI is organizing seminars on intellectual-property rights in police academies. "We've also called on the education ministry to introduce the subject of [intellectual-property] rights into school curriculums nationwide," he says.

Theofanellis says he is cautiously optimistic about the increased dialogue with government. "It's positive in terms of words," he says.However, he adds that if no concrete steps are taken by year's end, the IFPI might consider approaching the office of the United States Trade Representative to have Greece named a Priority Foreign Country, facing possible trade sanctions.

"At present, Greece is on the [lower-level USTR] Priority Watch list," he says. "We don't have to ask right now; as soon as we can see the government really wants to have intellectual property organized in Greece, then I will have no problem."

The forum took place at a central Athens hotel. Attending were some 800 delegates from all sectors of the music industry plus government officials and broadcasters.

Athens-based music channel MAD TV organized the event with assistance from Theofanellis, who also owns indie label Archangel. It was endorsed by the IFPI and the Greek Culture Ministry. The schedule included discussions on piracy, intellectual rights, new technologies, marketing and broadcasting.

Theofanellis was impressed with the turnout and the results. "[It] opened the door to dialogue with government authorities," he says.

But MAD TV chairman/CEO Andreas Kouris was disappointed at the lack of state support for the forum, which he had hoped would feature more government speakers. He plans to restage the event in 2006, however, with a focus on how music-related businesses can work to fight piracy regardless of government support. Next year's event may also include live performances.

This year, Kouris says, "for the first time, all the sectors involved in [Greek] music realized there are common gains and there should be common goals. It is vital that we work together on solving problems, rather than discussing issues behind closed doors individually." ••••