Russia: Introduced Bill 184016-8 including requirement for compulsory licensing for copyrights

On 19 August 2022, Bill 184016-8, allowing for compulsory licensing for copyright-protected works, was introduced in the State Duma. The Bill aims to introduce a legal framework to allow entities to obtain a compulsory license on copyright-protected works from “unfriendly countries or persons under their influence”. The Bill aims to provide two avenues for obtaining the compulsory licence. In the first instance, if the right holder terminated the license agreement on the copyright-protected work “unreasonably”, the entity or individual would be able to obtain a compulsory license. The second legal proposed avenue would allow any entity to obtain a license in court if the copyright-protected work hasn’t been used in Russia. The compulsory license will apply to all copyrightable works, including computer programs, music, literature and television content.