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On 7 May 2008 the Federal Statute of the Russian Federation О порядке осуществления иностранных инвестиций в хозяйственные общества, имеющие стратегическое значение для обеспечения обороны страны и безопасности государства (“On the procedures of foreign investments in commercial joint-stock companies that present strategic importance for the defence and security of the nation”) entered into force. According to the new statute among such strategic commercial joint-stock companies are those that provide radio and television services, as well as printing and publishing of the mass media outlets. A...

By a decree of Dmitry Medvedev, the President of the Russian Federation, a new Government structure has been introduced in Russia. In particular, point 5 of the decree of 12 May 2008 moved the issues of developing and implementation of the state policy and regulation in the sphere of mass communications and the mass media (including audiovisual media) from the hands of the former Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications (now - Ministry of Culture) to the newly established Министерство связи и массовых коммуникаций (Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications) of the Russian Federation...

In the year 2000, the journalist Aleksandr Grigoryevich Filatenko was convicted of defamation. The reason behind the defamation proceedings was a critical question he formulated during a broadcast live show he was presenting as a journalist working for Tyva, the regional state television and radio broadcasting company in the Tyva Republic of the Russian Federation. The controversial question, based on a question raised by a viewer phoning in, referred to an incident during which the Tyva Republic flag had been torn off a car, which was campaigning in support of the Otechestvo Party candidate. It...

To turn intellectual property into gold is a key business for the creative audiovisual industry. The avalanche of national and world-wide copyright piracy claims concerning audiovisual works is further proof of this. International agreements such as the TRIPS of the WTO take into account the economic value of holding copyright and aim to ensure that copyrights are internationally respected and so does national legislation protecting authors’ rights and neighbouring rights. Whereas it is true that intellectual property can be turned into gold, Shakespeare also reminds us, through the trials and...

New powers were given to the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Mass Communications, Telecommunications and Protection of Cultural Heritage ( Россвязьохранкультура ) by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation in March 2007 (see IRIS 2007-7: 18). The Service now not only provides licensing of broadcasting, as well as organisation and supply of the licensing commission (the Federal Competition Commission), but also performs both the legal regulation and the supervision in this field. In the absence of a broadcasting statute in Russia, licensing in broadcasting is now largely...