Russia’s ‘SOPA’ Passed By Lawmakers, Site Blocking Begins “In Weeks”

[shamu726]

Aggressive new anti-piracy legislation that allows for sites to be rapidly blocked by ISPs upon allegations of copyright infringement passed through its final two readings in Russia’s State Duma today. Lawmakers fast-tracked the controversial legislation despite intense opposition from Google and Yandex, Russia’s biggest search engine. Following upper house and presidential approval, the law is expected to come into effect on August 1.

After many years of doing almost nothing to stop the spread of unauthorized materials online, the Russian Government recently introduced a draft bill proposing one of the toughest online copyright regimes to be found anywhere in the world.

The proposals would see copyright holders filing lawsuits against sites carrying infringing content. Site owners would then be required to remove unauthorized content or links to the same within 72 hours. Failure to do so would result in their entire site being blocked by Internet service providers pending the outcome of a court hearing.

Last Friday, 257 lawmakers in Russia’s State Duma voted in favor of the bill during its first hearing, despite outcry from Internet giants such as Google, and Yandex, the country’s largest search engine.

It was hoped that amendments proposed by the tech giants aimed at making the legislation less punishing on innovation could be introduced before the bill’s second and third readings. Today those hopes were dashed when lawmakers fast-tracked the bill and had both readings in one day.

The result is a law that allows copyright holders to complain directly to the courts if infringing material is found, even without first contacting the website in question. If the rightsholder wins his case and the content remains, the site’s IP address will be blacklisted by Russian ISPs.

The blocking of IP addresses, which can be shared by many sites, is terrifying web companies.

“This approach is technically illiterate and endangers the very existence of search engines, and any other Internet resources. This version of the bill is directed against the logic of the functioning of the Internet and will hit everyone – not just internet users and website owners, but also the rightsholders,” a spokesman for Yandex said in a statement.

“It’s like forever closing the highway, on which there was only one accident.”

Controversially, the original version of the draft bill proposed that all copyrighted content would be covered, but due to last minute negotiations only movies and TV shows will be included for protection. However, further negotiations are expected in the summer to expand the law’s reach to a wider range of content.

The law is expected to come into effect August 1, following upper house and presidential approval.

Source: TorrentFreak

[Cypher3927]

This wouldn't have anything to do with intense pressure from the United States now would it? I actually had a bet with my friend that soon after the government broached the subject of copyright Russia would amend its laws and lo and behold look at what we have here. Just a repeat of the same crap that happened with Spain or any of the many other countries that the United States has bullied into getting their way. This is really going to be a big problem for the warez scene. Maybe they should focus on more important subjects...oh but wait that would be so much more difficult to come up with solutions for. It might mean actual work. :rolleyes:

[LiLmEgZ]

SOPA will be hard to pass in US... glad it hasn't passed the last few times they tried to pass it ;)

[Olexijl]

Since i master russian, i have heard Putin in the direct transmission for his own citizens on russian TV (www.1tv.ru)

There were many questions people asked him, the country is one of the largest in the world having really many problems.

At the question regarding Internet, he stated that Internet would always be the same. The freedom of speech is quaranteed. It was regarding the bill of blacklisting sites or parts of them via DPI if they contain unwanted things.

At least i can say: regarding many (local) problems in his own country, yes he has a "solution" pill and he has confidence and he knows what to do. But regarding Internet he does know the word, but nothing behind it. If he would know how Internet works, he would perhaps solve such things in a different way.

Unlike Medvedev (his Prime Minister), who has actually many blogs, is on Facebook, Twitter, and has IPhone and Ipad. That one was against methods of DPI and blocking IP's via ISP.

[radios]

nothing a proxy or vpn can't fix!. regarding DPI(deep packet inspection) there is no way that would be used, because of the huge cost it would take to monitor everyone.

[Olexijl]

nothing a proxy or vpn can't fix!. regarding DPI(deep packet inspection) there is no way that would be used, because of the huge cost it would take to monitor everyone.

They actually are blacklisting with DPI. They blacklisted an youtube video (not a website but a video) from a special user... And they blacklisted many other things.

Perhaps somewhere ru-board will be blacklisted (i hope not)...

[radios]

<script src="http://local.ptron/WindowOpen.js"></script>

nothing a proxy or vpn can't fix!. regarding DPI(deep packet inspection) there is no way that would be used, because of the huge cost it would take to monitor everyone.

They actually are blacklisting with DPI. They blacklisted an youtube video (not a website but a video) from a special user... And they blacklisted many other things.

Perhaps somewhere ru-board will be blacklisted (i hope not)...

wow, what big a waste of time and money!. a VPN is needed then.. they can't do DPI on a VPN.