Russia is discussing the abolition of criminal and administrative liability for the use of unlicensed software. Kommersant writes about this with reference to a document called “Plan of priority actions to ensure the development of the Russian economy in the face of external sanctions pressure.”
We are talking about pirated software from countries that have imposed sanctions in response to the military operation in Ukraine, the newspaper notes. In addition, it is proposed to use a compulsory licensing mechanism for software, databases and topologies for integrated circuits. They may be subject to Art. 1360 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, according to which the government has the right to decide on the use of an invention, utility model or industrial design without the consent of the patent owner “in case of emergency”, including those related to “ensuring the defense and security of the state”.
“In terms of exemption from liability for the use of unlicensed software, we are in favor of a balanced approach in order to stimulate the transition to Russian software,” the ministry said. They added that it is proposed to discuss exemption from liability for the use of software only for those products that have no Russian analogues.
Companies from the technology sector began to leave Russia en masse against the background of the military operation in Ukraine. Among them are Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Intel, AMD, Cisco, Autodesk and SAP. Under these conditions, the government began to develop measures to support the Russian IT industry. Thus, IT companies are exempted from paying income tax and from inspections by regulatory authorities for three years. They will also be given the opportunity to issue loans “to continue working” and for new projects at a rate not exceeding 3%. Employees of such companies will be provided with preferential mortgages, Mishustin said. In addition, until they reach the age of 27, they will receive a deferment from conscription for the entire period of work.