SORAINEN is representing the interests of Bilþu birojs, a company, in a copyright dispute with AKKA/LAA (the Latvian authors’ society – Copyright and Communication Consulting Agency/Latvian Authors Association) which brought a court claim for damages. The dispute stems from Boris Grebenshikov’s concert in Riga on 1 December 2009. Bilþu birojs made a copyright agreement with Grebenshikov to record the concert and distribute DVD copies in the Baltic States. Bilþu birojs fully settled accounts with the author and issued the DVD. Notwithstanding, AKKA/LAA filed a court claim for a licence fee alleging that the work had been used without the author’s permission. On 21 November 2012, Riga City Central District Court satisfied the claim. However, the judgment was reversed by the Supreme Court on 10 November 2015. In its judgment the Supreme Court indicated that the court of first instance had not assessed the issue whether Boris Grebenshikov could himself have protected his copyright. Bilþu birojs’ position is that AKKA/LAA has no right to bring a claim for compensation of losses caused to Boris Grebenshikov because, first, Boris Grebenshikov himself did not exercise the right to protect his copyright; second, the case involves no violation of copyright. The case was reviewed again at Vidzeme Urban District Court and on 5 April 2016 the court dismissed the claim. The judgement is subject to appeal.
The interests of Bilþu birojs were represented in court by SORAINEN senior associate Andris Tauriòš.