Belarus passed a law that legalizes digital piracy against countries it considers “hostile”. This means that the country will be able to use copyrighted material. without the need to request authorization from the owner. The new law, signed by President Alexander Lukashenko, is a response to economic sanctions imposed by Europe and the United States after their support for Russia in the war with Ukraine.
In accordance with torrentfrik, Law on limitation of exclusive rights to objects of intellectual property intended for copyright holders or licensing organizations. It establishes that if the author or his representative belongs to the country that committed hostile acts against Belarusthe government may use the content without permission.
Belarus allow piracy of movies, series, music or software under the pretext of reducing the critical deficit in the domestic market. According to the legislature, the decision is aimed at develop the intellectual, moral and spiritual potential of society, providing access to the achievements of world culture and the events of modern life.
Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is permitted if the copyright holder belongs to a hostile foreign country […] who banned or did not give consent to the use of these objects, lawfully published on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The legislation deals with computer programs, audiovisual works, films or cinematographic entertainment, musical works and broadcasts.
Belarus draws inspiration from Russia to legalize hacker attacks
Belarus followed the Kremlin’s tactics after receiving wave of economic sanctions for his role in the Ukrainian war. The Western blockade has led Russian cinemas to survive on piracy. Commanded by Lukashenka they also approved “parallel import”a mechanism that allows local companies to buy goods from any company outside the country that legally purchased them.
In this case, if the product obtained by parallel import is protected by copyright, you do not need to request authorization. An important provision of this law is that make people pay to use unlicensed content. Users must deposit money into a bank account operated by the National Patent Office, which will hypothetically deliver it to the author.
owners can claim money for a maximum period of 3 yearsOtherwise, Lukashenka’s government will stay with him. This is a solution that sounds good on paper, in fact an alternative that few or no one will use. Assuming you are the author of the work, you will have to contact the Patent Office to get your money back. The problem is that the only option is through Belarusbank, an institution under European sanctions.
Finally, Belarus passed a law allowing the Belarusian authorities to seize the assets of citizens and companies of hostile states.
Source: Hiper Textual
