Russiatoday.com is reporting:

A Russian court has fined DEEP PURPLE for “illegally” performing their own songs. Bloggers have already called the decision “fantastic in its idiocy”. The concert in question took place on October 19, 2008 in Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don.

According to the court’s ruling, the musicians – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover – should have obtained a license from the all-Russian NGO, Russian Authors’ Society for the public performance of any of their songs. The organization represents the rights of foreign performers in Russia – even without these performers giving the NGO permission to represent them.