Copyright changes adopted by Duma

The State Duma today passed on a third reading government-proposed amendments to the law on copyrights. The vote was 353 in favor and 35 opposed.

The changes are intended to bring the 1993 law into conformity with international standards on the protection of intellectual property and, specifically, with the stipulations of the Berlin Convention on the Protection of Works of Literature and Art. Copyright protection has been extended from 50 years to 70 years. In addition, holders of copyright may now seek damages for infringements of their rights of up to more than USD 166,000 or the relinquishment of all copies of the infringing document. The law now also includes reference to the Internet: all material published through this electronic means are now considered fully published and thus protected or liable, as the case may be.