Moscow – A music download site that was the poster child for U.S. anti-piracy crusaders and an obstacle to Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization has been shut down by Russian authorities, according to the U.S. government.
The victory, however, was short-lived: The same company behind has launched a similar website that resembles the shuttered service, provides the same legal disclaimers and sells songs at a fraction of the price of iTunes.
Moscow prosecutors declined to comment on whether All had been shut down, leaving it unclear if the government was behind the website’s disappearance.
But the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington, D.C., said Russian authorities severed the connection between the company, Media Services, and its Internet service provider, Master Host, using a court order.
“This action follows months and years of the U.S. government, Congress and industry urging Russia to step up its protection of intellectual property,” Gretchen Hamel, spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative, said in a statement.
