Here's a story from the G8 Summit that apparently didn't get very much attention in the mainstream press. It seems that, while most of the countries' leaders expressed support for greater internet regulations when it came to copyright issues, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev questioned the validity and necessity of such laws. Part of the G8 event was an attempt to put together specific recommendations on "internet governance" with the suggested text concerning intellectual property reading:
"With regard to the protection of intellectual property, in particular copyright, trademarks, trade secrets and patents, we recognize the need to have national laws and frameworks for improved enforcement. We are thus renewing our commitment to ensuring effective action against violations of intellectual property rights in the digital arena, including action that addresses present and future infringements."Straight out of the RIAA/MPAA playbook, of course.
"The declaration reflects an absolutely conservative position that intellectual property rights should be protected according to the existing conventions," said Medvedev. "No one questions that, but I have repeatedly stated that, unfortunately, those conventions were written 50 or almost 100 years ago, and they are unable to regulate the whole complex of relations between the copyright owner and users."I think the final sentence may be accurate, though, I'm sure that heavy lobbying from the entertainment industry impacts their views as well...
Characteristically unafraid to ruffle his fellow leaders' feathers, Medvedev continued "Unfortunately, this was not included in the declaration because, in my opinion, my colleagues have a more conservative opinion than is necessary at the moment. Or maybe they just don't use the Internet and have little understanding of it."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed setting up a new flexible copyright scheme on the Runet, as the Russian-language part of the internet is known.
In a statement released on the Kremlin's website on Thursday, Medvedev instructed the country's communications ministry to draw up amendments "aimed at allowing authors to let an unlimited number of people use their content on the basis of free licensing."
The proposed copyright system is on a par with the initiative launched by Creative Commons, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that has created copyright licenses that allow owners to share their content for free with certain restrictions.
The proposal comes after Medvedev sat down for a cozy chit-chat with some of Russia's top bloggers and journalists including Anton Nossik and Ivan Zasursky in April, in the latest attempt to push his image as a tech-savvy Twitter enthusiast.
Medvedev has also instructed the Culture and Mass Communications Ministry to prepare proposals reducing the responsibility of online media outlets for readers' comments on their websites.
A Kremlin statement said the modification to the media law should "limit the scope of the responsibility of the desks of media outlets spread over the internet for placing comments of readers and remarks made by third parties that violate Russian law, including legislation on defending against extremist activities."
The president gave the ministry until August 1 to act on the instructions.
MOSCOW, June 2 (RIA Novosti)