TV talk show in Russia

Envato Authors AudioJungle
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Hey everyone,

I’m looking for advice or shared experiences regarding unlicensed music use in Russia, especially when it involves regional TV.

Here’s my situation:

My track was used as the intro and outro music for the Russian talk show (aired on regional channel in Russia).

It seems to have aired weekly since at least 2019, potentially totaling over 250 episodes.

I never sold a license for that usage, and no cue sheets were submitted to my PRO.

I’ve tried contacting the TV station and the production team, but haven’t received any response.

My questions:

  1. Has anyone dealt with similar copyright issues with Russian broadcasters?

  2. Is it realistic to pursue legal action or claim retroactive royalties in a case like this?

  3. Have you worked with local lawyers or had success going through PROs for Russian claims?

  4. Any tips on what to expect if I escalate this (cost, time, chances of success)?

I’d really appreciate any input, especially if you’ve navigated this type of situation before — even outside of Russia.

Thanks in advance!

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Hi @ShymonMusic,

Wow, that does sound like a big deal if it’s been airing since 2019.

As far as I can remember, I’ve been in similar situations three times though never in Russia. In all cases, I managed to sort things out by communicating directly with the network or production companies. They purchased the correct licenses fairly quickly, usually claiming they weren’t aware they needed an extended one. One of those cases involved a track used in prime time across 20 episodes, and it ended up generating a decent PRO income for me.

All the conversations were polite and got resolved pretty quickly without needing to involve lawyers.

In your case, if they’re not responding, that’s not exactly a great sign. I hope it gets sorted out easily, but if not, and based on what you said above, I’d say it’s probably worth getting legal assistance if you still don’t hear back from the parties involved.

Best of luck! :four_leaf_clover:

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And how did you determine this (find this usage)?

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Content ID

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i wish i can understand russian

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Hi !!! You have an unenviable situation. The fact is that Russia recognizes international law when it benefits it, and does not recognize laws when it does not benefit it. Nevertheless, submit your evidence to arbitration at your place of residence. Good luck!!!

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Shortly after I sent an email to the TV station requesting resolution without legal escalation, their entire YouTube channel and publicly available episodes were removed. Fortunately, I was able to download and retain two episodes: one from 2019 and second from 2024.

Now I’m gathering different offers from Russia based lawyers.

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