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Bulgaria again on the IIPA pirate-country list

Bulgaria was one of the countries "deserving a special mention" in this year's report of the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) because of "continuing concerns regarding high levels of piracy, lack of leadership and coordination by certain Bulgarian government officials and the need to improve enforcement of existing laws."

According to IIPA, during 2007, "Internet piracy in Bulgaria reached alarming proportions, no longer a distant second to the longstanding problem of physical (hard goods) piracy."

"End user piracy, particularly in the small and medium enterprises, is still the major threat for the software industry in Bulgaria. In addition to Internet and mobile piracy, the massive burning of copyrighted materials on CD- and DVDRs remains a key element of a landscape still dominated by piracy," the report said.

According to IIPA, the main reasons for continued high levels of piracy "are the prosecutors and the courts, who in practise consistently fail to treat copyright infringements as serious crimes. Unjustified delays permeate the process, and the whole system lacks transparency."

Other countries deserving special mention according to the IIPA were Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, Singapore and Switzerland.

According to the IIPA, copyright piracy was "a scourge which continues to cause an estimated $30 - $35 billion (20.6 - 24 billion euro) in annual losses to the U.S. copyright industries." These figures "exclude losses due to internet piracy," IIPA said.

February 13 2008, photo courtesy of: IIPA, source: www.sofiaecho.com

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Tuesday, October 14 2008

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What`s on in Bulgaria

Theatre

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    What: The play is a compilation of 12 of the best monologues from Bulgarian actor Velko Kunev on the National Theatre stage over the past 30 years. Alone on the stage, Kunev re-experiences the fates, thoughts, worries and fears of his characters - including Ham
    When: October 7 and 25, 7pm
    Where: Ivan Vazov National Theatre
  • Volpone
    What: This comedy, written by English Renaissance playwright Ben Jonson, tells the story of Venetian nobleman Volpone who pretends he’s at death’s door to lure the numerous aspirants to his large inheritance and thereby expose their greed and foolishness. Starr
    When: October 10, 22 and 28 at 7pm
    Where: Ivan Vazov National Theatre

Cultural Institutes

  • Pavel Besta and his inspirations
    What: This exhibition by Czech artist Pavel Besta coincides with his 50th birthday. His paintings are in the realm of the grey and sorrowful. Besta discusses universal questions touching on the beating hearts and disillusioned faces who dwell in the country’s o
    When: Until October 31
    Where: the Czech cultural centre, 100 G. S. Rakovski Str, Sofia

Art

  • Painters from Plovdiv exhibit in Sofia
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    Where: Natally, 38A Gourko Str, Sofia
  • The return of Dimitar Voinov
    What: Racoursi gallery presents Bulgarian painter Dimitar Voinov, who has lived and worked in Germany since 1986. Now, 22 years later, he is exhibiting in Bulgaria for the first time. His paintings reveal the use of classic techniques, combined with ambiguous s
    When: Until October 31
    Where: Racoursi, 4A Han Kroum Str, Sofia
  • Eva Peneva and Yulian Yordanov’s graphics for four hands
    What: This collaboration between two artists is a long-nurtured idea that finally comes to life. Yordanov presents 13 of his graphics including titles like Leda, Fragrance or Temptation. To find an adequate answer to his challenge, Peneva painted glass using va
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    Where: Teo, 34 Macedonia Str, Varna
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    What: Austrian painter Susanne Schuller-Soshana is a true cosmopolitan. As one art critic puts it, she has travelled the world not in 80 days, but in 80 years. During her nomadic life, she has met some of the defining titans of the last century’s art scene – in
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  • The apple in the minds of several artists
    What: Though it has a small exhibition area, this gallery always offers carefully selected artists the chance to flaunt their talents. In this general exhibition nine artists have come together to explore the ‘apple theme.’ Works by Boiko Kolev, Rossen Rashev,
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