Internet and legislation: Relations on Internet to be regulated by Federal Law

By October 2010 the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation jointly with a number of Departments (Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Security Service, Federal Protective Service, Federal Service for Technical and Export Control and Ministry of Justice of Russia) is going to introduce a bill of the Federal law regarding regulation of relations on Internet. The session of the interdepartmental Working group on preparation of the law in draft took place on April, 26 in the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media. 

Within the framework of preparatory work of the document the Working group will compile a glossary of terms associated with Internet and establish borders of jurisdiction of the Russian Federation on Internet.

Departments are going to formulate definition of subjects, which render Internet services, identify their functions and regulatory mechanisms of relations between them.

Moreover, the bill will specify responsibility of information mediators for illegal distribution of information and infringement of copyright and neighboring rights. The bill will oblige telecom operators to suspend access to information resources, released with violation of copyrights and neighboring rights.

The bill will also oblige domain registrars to have on the stuff specialists responsible for cooperation with law enforcement agencies and facilitate ban on groundless limitation of access to data online.

The bill will specify introduction of amendments into certain legislative acts of the Russia Federation, regulating activities of subjects on Internet. In particular, certain amendments are planned to be introduced into Federal laws "On Communications", "On Mass Media”, "On Advertising" and "On Consumer Protection".