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posted by cmn32480 on Monday July 20 2015, @12:07AM   Printer-friendly
from the elon-musk-will-want-his-tech dept.

Dmitry Lopatin, a 26-year-old scientist who invented a cheap new kind of solar battery, has come across an unexpected obstacle. He was slapped with a three-year suspended jail sentence, for using banned materials in his invention. The researcher was facing 11 years behind bars, but the prosecutor's office dealing with the case agreed that a suspended sentence would suffice, the TASS news agency reported.

From rt.com:

Lopatin got in trouble with the authorities for using a solvent called gamma-Butyrolactone in order to make his solar batteries. It turned out this was a banned substance in Russia. He had placed a mail order for the solvent from China, and he was arrested when he went to collect it from the post office in June.

The researcher had tried to use a different substance, but found that it was too toxic to work with.

"In my work I was using a solvent which is toxic and can cause cancer. That is why I tried to find a substitute. I found one via the Internet and ordered it," he told RT.

"A month and a half later the parcel reached customs and I was called in and detained. Police launched a criminal case against me and I was interrogated. There were several court hearings. I chose to order from China because of the strict laws there. I had no idea that in China I could order a solvent which is banned in Russia."

Given that he is a researcher, is the use of the banned substance reasonable?


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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by shipofgold on Monday July 20 2015, @12:21PM

    by shipofgold (4696) on Monday July 20 2015, @12:21PM (#211379)

    While it is undoubtedly an inexact science, assessing his intent is what is needed to determine the punishment.

    Is his research vaporware or is there a working prototype that could use this solvent? Does he have any history of drug use or selling?

    I am guessing it went down something like: He travels to Paris and shows his battery. Talks to some people about a particular problem he is having and they recommend this particular solvent. Back home he does a quick internet search and orders some from the top of the list...the fact that nobody else in Russia is selling it never enters his mind.

    In this case the Russians probably did the right thing. Gave him a stern warning and publicized it to get the word to the public that every chemical on the internet isn't necessarily legal.

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  • (Score: 1) by dr_barnowl on Tuesday July 21 2015, @08:23AM

    by dr_barnowl (1568) on Tuesday July 21 2015, @08:23AM (#211834)

    If they have a brain they'll also grant him a license to handle and import the stuff.