On February 18, the RA Commercial Court held the second session on the suit of HSBC-Armenia bank versus “Golos Armenii” and “Yerkir” newspapers. This major Armenian bank had demanded the editions to refute the information disseminated on October 29, 2001 by “Noyan Tapan” news agency and published by them the next day. According to this information, HSBC-Armenia had violated copyright (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, February 9-15, 2002). The claim of the bank to “Golos Armenii” and “Yerkir” was based on the conviction of the plaintiff that the news agency is not a mass communications medium, and therefore, the whole responsibility is to be shouldered by the newspapers.
At the session the court satisfied the request of the attorney, representing the newspapers, about the participation of “Noyan Tapan” news agency in the proceedings. Yet, “Noyan Tapan” will act not as a separate party responding on the suit, but as a third entity on behalf of respondents.
