A number of Russian TV channels have filed a lawsuit against companies they claimn to be illegally distributing their services in the US.
Kommersant reports that the companies are accused of offering Russian programme packages for between $5 – $15 a month, whereas authorised partners usually charge from $30 to $50 a month.
According to the lawsuit, they intercept the broadcasters’ satellite signals in violation of the law and distribute them in the US for a monthly fee, using the channels’ trade marks in advertising.
The action has been brought about by First Channel. World Network, CTC, Ren TV, TNT Comedy, Rain, and Nostalgia, while the defendants include Informir, Panorama TV and Goodzone TV.
Russian broadcasters have a number of official partners in the US including DirecTV, Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision.
The defendants are understood to be causing significant financial damage to the broadcasters.
In the case of CTC Media, North America currently accounts for 30% of its international revenues.