MOSCOW, August 3 (RAPSI) – The Moscow Commercial Court is to hear an 8 billion-ruble (about $109 million) claim of creditors of a company owned by ex-media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky against All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) and NTV TV company over broadcasts of several TV series, lawyer Timur Askhadulin representing interests of Panorama studios has told RAPSI.

The court is to rule on the claims to return to Forward Film company the rights the lawyer alleges were withdrawn from it at a price twice below the market; moreover, even that money has not been paid in full, according to Askhadulin. The respondents are also to pay for the broadcasts of police television dramas they carried out to the lawful copyright holder; after that the media companies are to deal with Gusinsky on their own, the lawyer says.

Gusinsky’s creditors allege that the deals on the transfer of exclusive copyright for the said series are to be ruled null and void, and those rights are to be returned to the bankruptcy estate of Forward Film; the insolvency case of the company is currently heard by the same Moscow Commercial Court.

Earlier, the lawyer has said that Panorama studios filed several claims seeking to annul deals made by the debtor and their respective consequences in the Forward Film bankruptcy case. The respondents, according to Askhadulin, are Swiss company New Century Distribution GmbH and two Russian media companies; co-respondents are VGTRK, NTV, and Russia’s Ministry of Culture.