IT and Authority: “Svyaz-Expokomm-2011” outcomes

Outcomes of the largest exposition “Svyaz-Expokomm-2011”, Moscow, May 10-13, 2011, were summed up by the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia Igor Shchegolev. The exhibition showed that great interest to telecommunications is displayed not only by specialists but ordinary citizens as well. “For the Russians Internet and mobile communications services have become fundamental”, the Minister stressed.

Igor Shchegolev announced that the wide spread of Internet causes an acute problem of struggle against piracy and copyright protection. He believes that in order to ensure protection of rights of intellectual property right holders it is highly important to develop convenient mechanisms which would enable users to pay for information.

The Minister turned particular attention to inadmissibility of censorship on Internet. “Censorship – is a preview and blocking of information. As to Internet it is hardly possible to perform. This would delay information publication on Internet and seriously distort it as a live, very flexible and prompt mechanism”, Igor Shchegolev mentioned. At the same time he is convinced that it is necessary to monitor compliance with the law on Internet.

The Minister highlighted that it can be efficiently done globally. “To perform this we need a dialogue with our international partners – in order to agree on what things on the Web are absolutely intolerable regardless of the country or culture”, Igor Shchegolev concluded.