Over the last couple of years, the US was the only member of the 149-nation WTO that was blocking Russia's application to the WTO because it had reservations on Russia's human rights record, state control over key energy resources, intellectual property rights, and restrictions on the activity of foreign companies.
Now the US is satisfied that Russia has complied with these, the US and Russia just signed an 800-page trade pact, which leaves Russia free to join the WTO
FUll story here
The big deal? one of it's previous reservations, Russia's dealings with intellectual property rights was SOLELY accountable to
AllofMP3.com, that fantastic MP3 distributer allowing 'legal' downloading of songs for pennies.
The US heavyweights already put strong pressure on AllofMP3, with Visa and Mastercard persuaded to cut of AllofMP3 from all transactions, but this aggreement means that the Russian government will now have to take action against AllofMP3 (either now or once it is a WTO member).
Who know what that action may be, but disclosure of user details may well be one of them, given the RIAAs track record on such things...
Be wary boys and girls.