The end of digital communism

Anti -pirate law changes the life of the inhabitants of the Internet

On June 21, the State Duma was adopted and from August 1 a new “anti -pirate” law comes into force, which allows to quickly block sites that illegally post films. How the life of Internet companies and users of the network will change-The New Times sorted out

The new law does not yet affect musical works, but the VKontakte social network has already begun to delete music

"It's not tired that everything is decided only from above without asking the opinions of the people?" - So begins the first entry in the group "Return VKontakte music." The group appeared on June 17, three days after the “anti -pirate” bill* the State Duma adopted in the first reading. VK users were offered to sign an online showing to Vladimir Putin asking for an intervene in the situation: Internet piracy, the compilers of the petition are sure of the new law, but “mass dissatisfaction in society, especially among the young generation”, are guaranteed. At the time of delivery, the petition was signed by 33.5 thousand people.

Users in confusion

On June 19, it became known: only cinema will relate to the new law so far - they will not touch music on the Internet. But there are still a lot of upset users, kilometers of discussion on the network are devoted to this topic. “Now I can listen to what I want, read what I want, watch what I want. Then you have to - what will they allow? " -The user of VK Elena Vlasova, a 48-year-old Muscovite, an amateur, judging by the profile, is outraged by Soviet film classics. “Elena, no one forbids you your desire, just pay and want further,” answers her Sergey Kozlov, who lives in Cuba. “Sergey, I pay for e-books, because I know where online stores are. Tell me where to pay for music and films? " - Elena asks and in response receives several links.

“I do not mind paying, as is done in America and Europe. Give me the same salaries as there, and I will be happy to vote with a ruble for downloaded content, ”writes in the same discussion Evgeny Marinov from Irkutsk.

“Well, at least the books were left,” users summarize.

Subjects of dispute

“The Internet space introduces a completely new, simplified procedure that allows you to block the resource with illegal content placed on it,” admits the director of the Bar Assumption College Shishov, which the New Times asked to familiarize himself with the Duma bill. For example, if the copyright holder discovered that his work is illegally used on the Internet, he may demand to block the resource before a court decision, the lawyer explains: “Previously, the need for interim measures had to be proved. Now a person simply brings documents confirming his copyright to the court, writes an application for interim measures, the court imposes them and sends a decision to Roskomnadzor. The department makes a notification to the provider, the provider is associated with the owner of the site and asks him to block access to a specific work. ”

“Internet companies proposed introducing into the law a provision that would oblige the copyright holder before going to court, notifying the information intermediary,” Tatyana Komarova, head of the Yandex media group, told The New Times. That is, the author has the right to file a lawsuit only if they did not answer his appeal. Moreover, many resources, such as VKontakte or Rutracker.org, and so willingly block content if they receive a request from the copyright holder. But the deputies did not accept such an amendment.

Secondly, Internet companies were proposed clearly to register in the law: Roskomnadzor may demand that the provider block only a specific page, and not the entire resource. The deputies partly went towards: the regulatory authorities are primarily required to provide the provider with detailed information, which will determine the exact location of illegal content, up to a specific page. If the provider does not react, then the requirement of Roskomnadzor will be redirected by communication operators, and they can already block both the page and the entire resource, depending on their technical capabilities.

This situation may well arise if the provider, for example, is outside the country and refuses to comply with the requirement of Russian legislation, explains one of the co -authors of the law, State Duma deputy Robert Schlegel: “To block a specific page is more difficult than blocking the site. It all depends on the technical equipment of your communication operator. If he has the necessary equipment (and large operators usually have it), then they will only close access to a particular page, if not, the entire resource is blocked. ”

Why movie?

The copyright holder of the film, if the tape enters the Internet in the very first days after the publication, loses up to 60–70% of the profit. “Cash fees (in cinemas) is only the first two weeks,” says Pavel Krasheninnikov, the head of the State Duma Committee **, through which the bill passed. - Therefore, it is so important to promptly block the pirate distribution ... They decided to start with the cinema so far, and the amendments for music and books will be ready in the fall. The writers are indignant that they were not protected. ”

Deputy Schlegel told The New Times that the need to combat piracy only on his memory has been discussing for five years: “There were many proposals and options for the law, and now it has come for the time to save at least manufacturers of domestic cinema.”

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Only 13% of respondents watch new films in cinemas, and 17% download them on the Internet for free

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Another co -author of the law - the former actress, and now the deputy from Fair Russia, Elena Drapeko, recalled that the filmmakers have repeatedly met with Vladimir Putin and complained to him of colossal losses from the activities of the pirates: “From last year we conducted discussions in the State Duma, gathered working groups, studied foreign experience. It was very important to adopt such a law, the implementation of which can be ensured technologically. ”

By the way, Drapeco of Cinema herself does not watch on the Internet: “I somehow downloaded one of my film, but he was very poor in quality.”

According to the media expert Anton Nosik, the new law will be beneficial not only to domestic filmmakers, but also to foreign ones: “Of the ten films that have gathered the largest cash desk in Russia in 2012, only one is domestic.”

There are loopholes

The new law directly affects millions of Russians. According to the Levada Center survey, which was held on May 23–27 of this year, only 13% of respondents watch new films in cinemas, and 17% download them on the Internet for free. With music, the alignment is even more indicative: only 9% of respondents buy music discs in stores, while 27% prefer the same “free network method”.

Anton Nosik told The New Times that for those who download free content, they will not create a new law of serious obstacles - there are still loopholes. This was also confirmed by the leader of the unregistered Pirate Party of Russia Pavel Radudov: “We are already developing options for how to circumvent this law. There are traffic encryption technologies within another traffic - VPN. Those who block access to social networks at work know what it is - you can go, for example, to the VKontakte network through another site, which is also called anonymizer. Now we are thinking about the instructions on how to quickly deploy such a subnet. ”

Lawyer Philip Shishov is also not sure that the proposed measures will save the copyright holders: “Well, you will block one resource, so your work will be posted immediately on another, new.”

The lawmakers did not think about whom about law -abiding citizens who are ready to pay for watching films, but do not know who and how. Indeed, in the Russian Internet there are simply no powerful paid resources comparable in the wealth of the VKontakte network.

“There is such a problem,” admits deputy Schlegel. - But paid resources could not appear until there are services that supply a lot of free content. The same “VKontakte” will be profitable to legalize cinema and music, agree with the copyright holders and charge a payment for content from users. ”

But if the law, as experts say, still will not help to cope with the Internet pirates, then why is it so hastily-in just two weeks-was accepted in the State Duma?

According to the deputy Dmitry Gudkov, who proposed amendments developed taking into account the opinions of Internet companies, the new law has the opposite side: “Unfortunately, it is likely that this law will not help to receive money for their work, but will create new opportunities for control over the Internet. Since the law does not clearly specify that it is necessary to block only a specific page, Roskomnadzor is left to demand an IP address blocking. ” How exactly will this happen?

“For example, you and I may have different sites, but one IP,” the deputy explains. - If I have pirate content, then you can also block you. And now we will present the situation: the election day, you need to block the Echo of Moscow website or the Rain TV channel. It is enough on one page in the comments to post a link to illegal video - and the entire resource can be blocked for 15 days. I am almost sure that the law will be applied so. ”

Photo: screenshot of the page "VKontakte"