Government will allow access without the consent of copyright holders from “unfriendly” nations until December 2024
The government of Belarus passed a law on January 3 permitting residents to access audiovisual media and computer software without the consent of copyright holders from “unfriendly” nations, of which Japan is a part of. The new law will be in effect until December 2024.
Going forward, the state-owned National Patent Authority will process international copyright claims. When individuals or companies import unlicensed or pirated content, they must pay a fee to the organization. International rights holders will then have three years to file a claim. If they fail to do so within the allotted period, the Belarus government will keep the money.
The bill describes audiovisual material as “movies, music, and TV shows” deemed “essential for the domestic market.”…
