New Mechanism for Piracy Prevention in Ukraine

Amendments to the Ukrainian law “On Distribution of Copies of Audiovisual Works, Phonograms, Videograms, Computer Programs, Databases”, entered into force on October 4, 2018, introducing a new mechanism for combating piracy.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, which issues hologram stickers, also known as control marks, for products subject to copyright protection, has recently started to publish information about the issued marks on its website within three working days from the date of the issue. Copyright holders and their representatives now have an easy access to the information about the applicants and the issued control marks, including their quantity and registration numbers. This creates a more transparent system and facilitates monitoring of potentially infringing materials. Previously, the information on the issued control marks could only be obtained by filing a formal written request.

Another novelty is that the applications for obtaining control marks now have to be filed on electronic data carriers, such as optical discs or USB flash drives, which should speed up the processing of applications. However, the applicants also have to file the documents in hard copy until further notice. Applications are usually considered within three working days, but if an application contains incomplete information or if any clarifications are needed, this procedure can take up to 10 days.

By: Igor Alfiorov

For more information, please contact Igor Alfiorov at our Ukraine office.