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On 6 July 2012 the State Duma adopted an amendment to the advertising law that although is laconic may play a critical role for online media in Russia. The amendment is to the 2006 Federal Statute “On Advertising” (see IRIS 2006-4/34). It extends the list of the media where advertising of alcohol products is banned (Art. 21 para. 2) by adding “information-telecommunication network “Internet”. Since 2011 alcohol products in the Federal Statute “On Advertising” include beer or beer products. The amendment means that any placement of alcohol advertising in any form in Runet (Russian segment of Internet)...

On 11 July 2012 the State Duma (parliament) adopted in the final reading a federal statute titled О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон “О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию” и отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации (“On amendments to the Federal Statute “On the Protection of Minors against Information Detrimental to their Health and Development” and to other legal Acts of the Russian Federation”). It was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on 28 July 2012. The new Statute introduces a number of changes to the regulation of Internet, not...

On 25 May 2012, the Thirteen Arbitrage Appeal Court of St. Petersburg (commercial court of second instance) upheld a ruling of the court of first instance that found the popular social network VKontakte liable for a violation of the intellectual property rights of two record label companies (S.B.A. Music Publishing and S.B.A. Production). A fine of RUB 210,000 (approximately EUR 5,000) was imposed upon VKontakte for the act of placing on the social network’s website and making available to the public the music and phonograms of 17 songs of the Russian pop groups “Maksim” and “Infinity”. The act...

The President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev by his decree of 17 April 2012 set legal conditions to establish a TV channel “Public Television of Russia.” Its aim shall be to inform population “in a timely, trustworthy and all-sided manner on current affairs of domestic and foreign policy, culture, education, sciences, spiritual life and in other spheres.” A Council on Public Television shall be established within three months to provide “public control over the activity of the TV channel.” Candidates for the Council will be put forward by the citizens, approved by the Public Chamber...

The Russian Supreme Court has recently held two Plenary Meetings that resulted in similar resolutions that provide explanations to all judges in the country on the issues of court practice relating to crimes of terrorism and extremism. The Resolution “On Judicial Practice Relating to Criminal Cases on Crimes of an Extremist Nature” of 28 June 2011 instructs judges that when adjudicating on such cases they should take into account both security of public interests (i.e., foundations of the constitutional regime, and integrity and security of the Russian Federation) and protection of human rights...