Ukraine Drafts Amendments to Copyright Legislation

The draft law amending various copyright-related acts in Ukraine recently entered the parliamentary procedure. The amendments aim to harmonize various copyright-related regulations in Ukraine and bring Ukraine’s legislation in line with EU copyright legislation.

The draft more clearly defines work for hire. Under current regulations, the proprietary rights belong to the employer only. The amendments specify that this also applies when the employer is a governmental body, and that the proprietary rights for computer programs and databases belong to the employer unless otherwise defined in the agreement.

The amendments also aim to better regulate the system governing copyright collectives and permit a copyright holder to grant copyright permissions to the general public through a public copyright license.

Finally, the draft increases the minimum fine for copyright infringement from EUR 5 (USD 6) to EUR 25 (USD 31).

By: Oleksandra Odynets

For more information, please contact Oleksandra Odynets at our Ukraine office.