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RIA Novosti not involved in RTTV brand name dispute - agency

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MOSCOW, March 6 (RIA Novosti) - The RIA Novosti news agency is not a party to the dispute over the brand name "Russia Today" between the English-language television channel and a U.S. Internet resource, the agency's deputy director general said Monday.

Alexander Babinsky said that RIA Novosti founded a company in 2005 bearing the official legal name of "Autonomous non-profit organization TV Novosti." The company launched Russia's first English-language television channel, called Russia Today TV.

"TV Novosti is accordingly a totally independent legal entity, which is obvious from its name. It is not linked to RIA Novosti either legally or financially, and our relations are based only on contracts," Babinsky said.

U.S.-based IPD Group Inc., the founder and owner of the Internet resource RussiaToday.com, which has been operating since 1996, earlier called on RIA Novosti to change the name of the Russian television channel to avoid confusion. However, Babinsky said the issue was not the agency's prerogative.

"We value highly and support the independent editorial policy of TV Novosti, including its choice of the name for the television channel," Babinsky said.

"RIA Novosti has no intention of interfering with these issues. The company named its product Russia Today TV, and this question [the name] was not and did not have to be discussed or coordinated with RIA Novosti," he said.

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