[Fmpro] Inside "eastern block"

[Lev Zemlinski]

I just want to share a few thoughts about
globalisation, as it was discussed some time ago.
Obviously we must think about global rules in future.
For example so called "eastern block" really is very
different. The copyright problems were often used by
politicians. Let's do not act as them and get real.

As an example, more pro-west oriented Ukraine has much
worse situation with royalty payments (I personally
never got anything from there last years) than Russia.
BTW, Russian cinema theaters pay for performance. And
I heard some horror stories about author laws in
Baltic republics (former SU). One of my friends got
several dollars for a big live show there, he says due
to local laws. And these countries are already in
"western" world!

Speaking about former SU republics, I think Russian
PRO is in the best position. But it gets nothing from
ASCAP for Russian films on air! I personally talked
with the Head of film department not long ago and she
told me that they try to send all necessary
information to ASCAP, but get no response. One of the
Russian leading film composers had to become member of
ASCAP and register himself as American publisher to
get royalties. Do you think that Russian PRO is very
much interested to pay American authors in this
situation? Though ASCAP is sending cue sheets
regularly, I saw them.

Another interesting point is China. They already
formed a PRO and pay at least to domestic authors. Our
local PRO's foreign department says that it's possible
already to find royalties from there, at least to try.

BTW, do you know how many films do they make in China?
Over 400 feature films a year! (And they got Gold Lion
in Venetia this year.)

Few years ago, during stagnation in local film
production, I wrote music for Russian state circus. I
got some royalties from abroad, especially from Japan
and Europe. But I never got it from two countries,
guess which..(though they had shows there) - China and
...USA (oh these "surveys")
Hope, I'm not more bitter than Les :-(

Best,
Lev Zemlinski

And congratulations Mark!

www.zemlinski.ru


       
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