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Russian legislators proposed to ban apps for copyright infringement

They proposed the new draft law. It introduces new definition – the owner of app. App owner is the owner of software for computer where the information, containing copyrighted subject matter excluding photos or containing information necessary in order to receive such copyrighted subject-matter with help of telecommunication networks, is placed without proper permission of right holder or other legal ground.

What Roskomnadzor does under proposed law? It defines hosting provider and in case of copyright infringement notifies hosting provider thereof. Notification must be in two languages – Russian and English. It seems the Russian legislators always take in attention only apps stores they know thanks to OS – Apple App store or Google play. If hosting provider does not react, the restriction of access should follow.

If right holder finds app and believes it infringes its copyright, the right holder has the right to notify the owner of web-site, where app is hosted, of the owner of app of copyright infringement. The reaction of app owner as well as rightholder must be prompt. The draft law gives 24 hours for reply.

The right holder must provide all information confirming its copyright and complement it if necessary. If the app owner or web-site owner, where the app in question is hosted, has all evidence, proving legality of app, it has the right not do delete app and must notify the copyright owner thereof.