In Russia, internet providers will be held accountable for copyright violations.

A new article will be introduced into the Russian Civil Code, stipulating the liability of providers for copyright infringement by users.

The amendments to the code will come into force on September 1. The new article will include a provision stating that "information intermediaries transmitting materials online or providing third parties with the opportunity to post materials online are liable for intellectual property rights violations on a general basis, provided they are at fault." In this case, providers are defined as the owners of content platforms that have made their websites available for hosting user-generated content.

Under certain conditions, providers may be exempt from liability for intellectual property violations.

The Russian authorities believe that such changes to the Civil Code are a response to the demands of the times.

At the same time, Russian lawyers are protesting this legal provision, emphasizing that even if the law is enacted, providers will be unable to verify the legality of user-posted content—they will have to work at the expense of efficiency.

Moreover, such a legal provision also means stricter internet censorship.