Belarus Introduces New Measures Against Cybersquatting

On September 18, 2019, Decree No. 350 related to the Internet use came into force in Belarus, introducing a new mechanism against cybersquatting.

Starting from January 1, 2020, information on domain name owners and domain names registered under the Belarusian country code top-level domain (.BY, .БЕЛ) will be provided without the owner’s consent, in electronic form, free of charge, to state authorities, courts, and notaries through the state information system. Companies and individuals will also receive the information free of charge, but will have to file a written request with the technical administrator of the national domain zone, currently hoster.by.

Previously, companies and individuals could gain access to information on domain name owners only at the request of a court or a law enforcement body, which significantly lengthened the process and resulted in additional costs for trademark owners looking to protect their rights.

Prepared by: Anastasia Khioni

For more information, please contact belarus@petosevic.com.

Source: Official Internet Portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus