Copyright rules in Russia

Get to grips with the framework of copyright law in Russia with the 2018 TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.

What are the main sources of copyright law in Russia?

The basic provisions of copyright law in Russia are established by international conventions to which the Russian Federation is a party and by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. However, the main source of copyright legislation in Russia is the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (the Civil Code); specifically part IV of the Civil Code, which was enacted in 2008. In addition, there are a number of governmental regulations and Presidential orders that have been adopted to implement the provisions of Federal laws and are tailored to make provision for specific copyright-related matters and to designate a regulatory regime for such matters.

The Russian Federation is a continental law legal system. However, for the purposes of uniformity of judicial practice, courts usually take into consideration certain relevant rulings of Russia’s Higher Courts. Among them are a joint resolution of plenary sessions of the Russian Supreme Court and Supreme Commercial (Arbitration) Court issued on 26 March 2009, entitled On Certain Issues Caused by the Entry into Force of Part Four of the Civil Code (Resolution No.5/29) and the Review of judicial practice in cases related to the resolution of disputes on the protection of intellectual property rights (approved by the Presidium of the Russian Supreme Court on 23 September 2015). 

The Criminal Code and the Administrative Offences Code of the Russian Federation regulate relations concerning liability for infringements in the sphere of copyright law.

To find out more about subsistence of copyright, ownership, infringement, remedies, enforcement and copyright reform in Russia, download the full chapter below.