The Law on online cinemas is adopted in the first reading

Today, January 13, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill on online cinemas, introduced by the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy Shamsaile Saraliev (United Russia) and a member of the Security Committee Andrei Lugov (LDPR).

It is reported by Interfax .

The bill developed by the Media Communication Union (ISS) makes amendments to the law “On Information, Information Technologies and On Information Protection”, which establish a 20 percent restriction on the share of foreign owners in the authorized capital of Russian online cinemas.

Also, any forms of monitoring of foreigners over online cinemas are not allowed, as a result of which foreign owners would have the opportunity to directly or indirectly control the organizer of the service, control it, and also actually determine the decisions made by them.

The explanatory note to the bill defines online cinemas as audiovisual services that monetize their services by viewing advertising or providing video content to the domestic consumer for a fee.

Roskomnadzor will maintain a register of online cinemas, which daily for a month visit more than 100 thousand users from the Russian Federation (more than 20 thousand for regional services).

Online cinemas will have to bring the property structure in accordance with the bill until March 1, 2017.