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posted by janrinok on Thursday September 29 2022, @08:44PM   Printer-friendly

U.S. Copyright Groups Are Concerned About Russia's Handling of Online Piracy

With its invasion of Ukraine, Russia ignited a regional conflict with global repercussions. Thousands of lives have been lost and many more ruined. In response, many U.S. entertainment industry companies took a stand by ceasing their Russian operations. Through the IIPA, many of the same companies now want to urge Russia to keep online piracy in check.

[...] As we have documented previously, more than a hundred Russian movie theaters have started to show pirated movies in Russia in response to the sanctions. While clearly illegal, the chairman of the Russian Association of Cinema has sympathy for the plight of these struggling theater owners.

The Russian Government has also made matters worse for US copyright holders. A few months ago, it proposed a 'forced licensing' bill that would effectively legalize piracy of media produced by "unfriendly" states, including the US.

These developments are causing concern among organizations such as the IIPA, which counts the MPA, RIAA, and ESA among its members. The group recently shared its thoughts with the US Trade Representative for its annual review of Russia's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

[...] "The harm caused by commercial-scale piracy in Russia cannot be adequately addressed with civil measures alone; rather, enhanced administrative actions and penalties and criminal remedies are needed," IIPA writes.

When push comes to shove, copyright infringement just doesn't matter.

IIPA = International Intellectual Property Alliance. Letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (PDF).

Previously: Russia Mulls Legalizing Software Piracy as It's Cut Off From Western Tech


Original Submission

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Russia Mulls Legalizing Software Piracy as It’s Cut Off From Western Tech 35 comments

Russia mulls legalizing software piracy as it's cut off from Western tech:

With sanctions against Russia starting to bite, the Kremlin is mulling ways to keep businesses and the government running. The latest is a creative twist on state asset seizures, only instead of the government taking over an oil refinery, for example, Russia is considering legalizing software piracy.

Russian law already allows for the government to authorize—"without consent of the patent holder"—the use of any intellectual property "in case of emergency related to ensuring the defense and security of the state." The government hasn't taken that step yet, but it may soon, according to a report from Russian business newspaper Kommersant, spotted and translated by Kyle Mitchell, an attorney who specializes in technology law. It's yet another sign of a Cyber Curtain that's increasingly separating Russia from the West.

The plan would create "a compulsory licensing mechanism for software, databases, and technology for integrated microcircuits," the Kommersant said. It would only apply to companies from countries that have imposed sanctions. While the article doesn't name names, many large Western firms—some of which would be likely targets—have drastically scaled back business in Russia. So far, Microsoft has suspended sales of new products and services in Russia, Apple has stopped selling devices, and Samsung has stopped selling both devices and chips.

Presumably, any move by the Kremlin to "seize" IP would exempt Chinese companies, which are reportedly considering how to press their advantage. Smartphone-makers Xiaomi and Honor stand to gain, as do Chinese automakers. Still, any gains aren't guaranteed since doing business in Russia has become riddled with problems, spanning everything from logistics to finance.

Also at TorrentFreak.


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @08:52PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @08:52PM (#1274225)

    "The harm caused by commercial-scale piracy in Russia cannot be adequately addressed with civil measures alone...

    Yeah, it's time to call in the troops...

    If Russia can destroy the copyright cartel, they should be praised. More people will be freed to address real issues like infrastructure

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by HammeredGlass on Thursday September 29 2022, @08:53PM (1 child)

    by HammeredGlass (12241) on Thursday September 29 2022, @08:53PM (#1274226)

    It's not like there isn't a hundred years of content, much of which is higher quality film-making, to peruse and enjoy instead of continuing to support West D.C..

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by stretch611 on Friday September 30 2022, @02:39AM

      by stretch611 (6199) on Friday September 30 2022, @02:39AM (#1274282)

      It's not like there isn't a hundred years of content, much of which is higher quality film-making, to peruse and enjoy instead of continuing to support West D.C..

      And thanks to Disney, everything from the time of Steamboat Willie (1928) until now is still copyrighted. So, nearly all of that 100 years is copyrighted.

      That being said, the right's campaign against so-called "woke" companies like Disney means that the next time copyright extensions come it it may finally fail.

      Also, I will be filled with schadenfreude when the right loses campaign funding as blowback to this and similar feigned outrage towards other companies.
      But, I will also not shed any tears over the content industry having everything pirated

      --
      Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
  • (Score: 5, Touché) by Opportunist on Thursday September 29 2022, @09:06PM (3 children)

    by Opportunist (5545) on Thursday September 29 2022, @09:06PM (#1274235)

    Make movies again they wouldn't want to show in Russia. Just start making remakes of the action movies of the 80s where the evil bad guys were pretty much invariably Russians.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by legont on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:41PM (1 child)

      by legont (4179) on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:41PM (#1274257)

      Majority of new American movies are homosexuality propaganda as far as Russian law is concerned so they are not allowed anyway.

      --
      "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
      • (Score: 3, Touché) by Opportunist on Friday September 30 2022, @10:33AM

        by Opportunist (5545) on Friday September 30 2022, @10:33AM (#1274313)

        So between movies containing jingoistic "USA, USA" chanting and gay pride marches, what's left for Russia to pirate?

    • (Score: 4, Touché) by Captival on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:47PM

      by Captival (6866) on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:47PM (#1274258)

      They pretty much already are. You aren't allowed to have Islamic terrorisms or Somalian pirates or inner city gangsters as your villains anymore, so evil white males is the only thing left.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Snotnose on Thursday September 29 2022, @09:33PM (27 children)

    by Snotnose (1623) on Thursday September 29 2022, @09:33PM (#1274240)

    Russia is leveling cities they have no chance of occupying. They are shelling nuclear power plants. They are torturing and executing civilians.

    FFS, they invaded a peaceful neighbor and killed millions of civilians!

    And someone is worried about copyright?

    Give me a fucking break.

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:26PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:26PM (#1274248)

      > And someone is worried about copyright?

      Well, the (C) holders are worried about copyright. It falls in the category of "professional worry"--lawyers are paid to do this stuff.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:53PM (17 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:53PM (#1274252)

      A "peaceful neighbor"?! Oh murrrder! That's worth a thousand Funny mods!

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by khallow on Friday September 30 2022, @12:24AM (16 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday September 30 2022, @12:24AM (#1274264) Journal

        A "peaceful neighbor"?!

        Ukraine was indeed peaceful before Russia took over Crimea and then followed up with an eight year civil war.

        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @04:31AM (15 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @04:31AM (#1274294)

          Yes, according to "American officials"™...

          • (Score: 2) by Opportunist on Friday September 30 2022, @10:35AM

            by Opportunist (5545) on Friday September 30 2022, @10:35AM (#1274315)

            No, according to ... well, pretty much everyone who isn't RT or some other Russian propaganda outlet.

          • (Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Friday September 30 2022, @12:01PM (13 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday September 30 2022, @12:01PM (#1274319) Journal
            Don't be an idiot. What conflict was there before Russia initiated it? This really goes back to the start [soylentnews.org] of Putin's reign.

            [janrinok:] I was in Moscow on behalf of my Government from 1999-2002. I can assure you that there were numerous visits by NATO staff and representatives of many NATO countries visiting Russia - all trying to build a friendly relationship with Russia.

            When Putin came to power as acting President following the early resignation of Yeltsin, there was an immediate chilling of any such friendly attempts on the part of the Russians. Many of the cooperative political, military and cultural links that had already been created were shut down by the Russians. Despite the West's best efforts not to have winners and losers, Putin and many others felt that they had already lost and were looking at how to regain their once influential position in the world. Many Russian politicians despised the West while the population were still enjoying a much more friendly and less threatening relationship with foreigners. From that point onwards my time in Russia became a more unpleasant experience.

            Whatever has happened since it is not because the West didn't try to find a reasonable compromise position from which both sides could more forward.

            And there are terrible consequences to that. For example, Russia could be of the massive European trade market right now with huge benefits for its people and economy. Instead, it's a weakening pariah tilting at imaginary windmills and killing tens of thousands in the process.

            Sure, we could consider janrinok an "American official" or whatever. But he's right. It's time to stop this massive dysfunction - stop blaming others for this failure.

            • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @05:16PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @05:16PM (#1274358)

              Silly emotionalism... The only people that don't want a prosperous European Union or Russia, or active trade between them, is the US... Our business is dedicated to protect its market share from competition by any means necessary, collateral damage be damned

              stop blaming others for this failure

              Yeah, please do, look in the mirror instead

              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @01:52AM

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @01:52AM (#1274395) Journal

                The only people that don't want a prosperous European Union or Russia, or active trade between them, is the US...

                That's why the US encourages (and has allowed for the better part of a century) massive investment by the EU? While Russia stokes the far right anti-EU groups? Blocked the Ukraine from gaining associate status in the EU? And obsesses over NATO cooties?

                Our business is dedicated to protect its market share from competition by any means necessary, collateral damage be damned

                Keep in mind that "our business" is multinational.

                stop blaming others for this failure

                Yeah, please do, look in the mirror instead

                Because that's somehow relevant? I find it remarkable how you can't even understand what's going on, much less put forth a coherent argument. But it's my fault somehow. Perhaps if I look hard enough in the mirror, I can figure out what sort of brain parasites you got?

            • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @04:49AM (5 children)

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @04:49AM (#1274417)

              What conflict was there before Russia initiated it?

              The NATO/US coup of 2014 started this war...

              • (Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:33PM (4 children)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:33PM (#1274458) Journal

                The NATO/US coup of 2014 started this war...

                There's no evil too vast that one can't blame it on the victims. This flimsy pretext is the primary Russian justification for eight years of war and suffering. It's time we stop honoring these flimsy pretexts.

                The government of Yanukovych started the coup by suddenly dropping an associate membership treaty with the EU which would have been substantially advantageous for Ukraine. Then followed three months of huge, escalating protests - you know, hundreds of thousands of people - and said coup.

                Given that Putin was the only benefactor of that original move, it sure looks like Yanukovych was acting like a puppet of Russia. And similarly, the vast turnout for those protests sure looks like a Ukrainian coup not a NATO/US coup.

                And Ukraine had plenty of time, and a genuine election to fix that original coup.

                I find it interesting how pathological this jingoism is. How many times have these facts been pointed out to you? How many times have you retreated behind the flimsy excuse that it's somehow proganda and can thus be safely ignored? It's not only grossly dishonest, it's hugely disrespectful of genuine democracy - all in favor of a murderous thug.

                It's time for you to do the right thing. I don't expect some sort of apology. But I do expect you to acknowledge that this war is wrong on several levels. Let's have some honor, integrity, and ethics here.

                • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @06:22PM (3 children)

                  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @06:22PM (#1274486)

                  The government of Yanukovych started the coup

                  Yeah, that's the "American official's" story, which, in your appeal to authority, take at face value... Oh well...

                  Let's have some honor, integrity, and ethics here.

                  Look in the mirror, boy...

                  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:01PM (2 children)

                    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:01PM (#1274503) Journal

                    Yeah, that's the "American official's" story,

                    That's so pathetic. You just can't help but ad hominem futilely. I don't care whose story this is supposed to be. I care whether it's the real story. And well, this sure looks like the real story to me. Show me that evidence, if you have it. If you don't have it, then get lost.

                    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 02 2022, @08:47PM (1 child)

                      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 02 2022, @08:47PM (#1274621)

                      That's so pathetic.

                      That's the expected response from a person that's under the influence

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:21AM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:21AM (#1274437)

              Instead, it's a weakening pariah tilting at imaginary windmills and killing tens of thousands in the process.

              Well, it doesn't matter, the Russian oligarchs didn't lose too much, otherwise Putin would suddenly fall too ill to govern.
              It may still happen in 2023.

              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @12:43PM

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @12:43PM (#1274448) Journal

                the Russian oligarchs didn't lose too much

                Keep in mind that the oligarchs aren't that powerful. Putin reshuffled them when he rose to power a couple decades ago (such as a media takeover that saw several oligarchs lose their Russian holdings). And at least two have likely been murdered since (Boris Berezovsky [wikipedia.org] and Nikolai Glushkov [wikipedia.org]).

                Basically, there's a large coterie of business leaders that got that way through patronage from Putin and maybe in a number of cases are merely property managers for Putin. My take is they aren't the ones who would initiate change in Russia by getting rid of Putin. You'll have to look elsewhere.

            • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday October 01 2022, @12:59PM (2 children)

              by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @12:59PM (#1274451) Journal

              we could consider janrinok an "American official" or whatever

              Hardly, I am a Brit!

              • (Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @01:29PM (1 child)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @01:29PM (#1274454) Journal
                I guess you'll be discomforted by your station in the American empire.
                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 02 2022, @08:37PM

                  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 02 2022, @08:37PM (#1274619)

                  You're wagging the dog. The Brits still rule (Brain). The US is their muscle (Pinky)... So, in the grand scheme, Janny outranks you. The latrine needs cleaning, get to work, or you're fired!

    • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @01:59AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @01:59AM (#1274277)

      and killed millions of civilians!

      Citations needed for that hyperbole.

      • (Score: 2) by Opportunist on Friday September 30 2022, @10:37AM (2 children)

        by Opportunist (5545) on Friday September 30 2022, @10:37AM (#1274316)

        We're currenlty only holding at about 50,000 murdered civilians. The millions mentioned had to flee from the invaders.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:27AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:27AM (#1274438)

          The millions mentioned had to flee from the invaders.

          Ummm... that [wikipedia.org] was supposed to be a comedy.

          • (Score: 2) by Opportunist on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:07PM

            by Opportunist (5545) on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:07PM (#1274505)

            Looking at their Rotten Tomato rating, the movie is about as successful as Russia's assault.

    • (Score: 2) by pgc on Friday September 30 2022, @06:24AM (1 child)

      by pgc (1600) on Friday September 30 2022, @06:24AM (#1274306)

      It shows how little of a fuck they really give about Ukraine.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:34PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:34PM (#1274459) Journal
        If you were expecting "give a fuck" from the **IA, you're doing it wrong.
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Friday September 30 2022, @01:58PM

      by Freeman (732) on Friday September 30 2022, @01:58PM (#1274333) Journal

      I'm assuming you're talking about the current Russia and the current "not a war" war in Ukraine. Unless something very screwy has happened, very recently. They've not killed millions of civilians in the current conflict.

      However, I do agree with your thinking about people worrying about Russia and copyright. The bigger issue is that they're invading the Ukraine.

      --
      Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:17AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:17AM (#1274436)

      Give me a fucking break.

      Make it short, then get back to work, you slacker!

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Barenflimski on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:14PM (1 child)

    by Barenflimski (6836) on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:14PM (#1274245)

    "Pay me or I can't go on 8 vacations!"

    These people have lost their minds. These things only exist on paper to start with. They only exist in a bunch of laws written by people trying to protect their fortunes.

    Find me one person that has been so hurt by failure to uphold their copyright, that they ended up dead.

    I'd love to see this stuff dismantled.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:32AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:32AM (#1274439)

      Beurocracy

      Is that "the power/rule of the maghrebis [wikipedia.org]"?

  • (Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:56PM

    by SomeGuy (5632) on Thursday September 29 2022, @10:56PM (#1274253)

    I thought all theaters and distribution had gone digital, making it "impossible" to show anything, at least vaguely recent, without a license.

    So what exactly are they doing?

  • (Score: 4, Touché) by oumuamua on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:18PM

    by oumuamua (8401) on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:18PM (#1274254)

    *Bond spoiler alert*

    Now they have the perfect excuse to bring James Bond back from the dead and fight a new cold war.
    New story lines for almost any Marvel superhero.
    A new generation of war movies, with plots centering around how horrible war is and how it is to be avoided at all cost and how negotiations broke down before this very war.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by mrpg on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:51PM (1 child)

    by mrpg (5708) Subscriber Badge <reversethis-{gro ... yos} {ta} {gprm}> on Thursday September 29 2022, @11:51PM (#1274260) Homepage

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cry_Me_a_River [wikipedia.org]

    Cry Me a River may refer to:
    Music

            Cry Me a River (album), by John Hicks, 1997
            "Cry Me a River" (Arthur Hamilton song), written by Arthur Hamilton in 1953, popularized by Julie London in 1955, and recorded by many performers
            "Cry Me a River" (Justin Timberlake song), 2002
            "Cry Me a River", a song by Pride and Glory from Pride & Glory, 1994

    Other uses

            Cry Me a River (film), a 2008 Chinese short film by Jia Zhangke
            Cry Me a River (play), a 1997 revised version of Joyce Carol Oates's 1991 play Black
            Cry Me a River, a 1993 novel by T. R. Pearson
            "Cry Me a River", a 1996 Betty and Veronica comics story by Frank Doyler

    • (Score: 5, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @12:33AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2022, @12:33AM (#1274265)

      Crimea River

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