The State Department of Intellectual Property has taken the first steps to address the problem of illegal distribution of copyrighted objects on the Internet.

Last week, a meeting of the Ukrainian-American cooperation group on intellectual property law enforcement, "Combating Internet Piracy," was held at the State Department of Intellectual Property, chaired by State Department employee V. Chebotarev.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the State Department, the US Embassy, ​​the Internet Association of Ukraine, the State Committee for Information Technologies and Communications, the State Committee for Radio Broadcasting, the Telecommunications Chamber of Ukraine, and associations that protect copyright holders' rights. Andriy Khvetkevich, CEO of Service Online, also attended.

The main issues discussed at the meeting were related to problems of property rights violations, particularly on the Internet.

The meeting participants discussed the legislative regulation of copyright and related rights online and the role of copyright holders in ensuring the legality of copyrighted works. The meeting also addressed the activities of internet service providers in this area, particularly their efforts to combat online piracy. Specific questions were raised regarding the work of law enforcement and regulatory agencies in combating piracy.

During the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of conducting joint information and educational campaigns aimed at informing end consumers and businesses, as well as raising public awareness regarding the negative consequences of online piracy.

During the meeting, members of the Internet Association of Ukraine emphasized that Ukraine criminalizes content interference, but providers struggle to acquire licenses to distribute content, as the financial terms offered are unfavorable to market participants. The country lacks libraries where copyrights can be purchased, and furthermore, there is no database of copyrighted objects, which significantly complicates the operations of providers.

Another problem facing the country is the comparison between internet providers and cable TV operators in terms of copyright protection. Market participants believe this is inappropriate, as the internet is an on-demand service, while cable networks select and broadcast content. Experts from the Internet Association of Ukraine believe that the user, not the provider, should bear responsibility for copyright and related rights infringement.