Introduces new rules to regulate the Internet in Belarus

President of Belarus on February 1 signed Decree № 60 "On measures to improve the use of the national segment of the Internet." The document is aimed at protecting the interests of citizens, society and state in the sphere of information, higher quality and cheaper Internet services, to ensure the further development of the national segment of the Internet.

The decree contains several provisions aimed at protecting copyright of "piracy" on the Internet. So, the internet, literature, science, music, photography, audiovisual works, works of art, other objects of copyright and related rights, enjoys legal protection in the territory of Belarus, shall be subject to the requirements of the legislation on copyright and related rights in including with the consent of their respective owners. Communications and (or) material media that are distributed via the Internet would have to have a hyperlink to the source of information or the media, previously put these news reports and (or) materials.

With increasing number of online services provided via the Internet (eg, sale of goods or works), all the more urgent becomes the problem of protecting consumers' rights. Because this business a long time remained outside the legal field, there were no tools to protect those who have suffered from inadequate implementation of this form of commercial activity.

In this connection, the Decree of the secured obligation of business entities that implement in the territory of the Republic of Belarus of goods (works, services, legal services ) using the Internet, with 1 July 2010 to carry out this activity with the use of information networks, systems and resources of the national segment of the Internet, placed on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

Introduce the state registration of these networks, systems and resources, which will be held Internet service providers for application principle in the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of any authorized organization. The order of state registration, list of documents needed for its implementation, will be determined by the Government before May 1, 2010.

In order to ensure the safety of citizens and states from July 1, 2010, Internet service providers will be required to carry identification of user devices of users of Internet services, to record and store information on such devices and provided Internet services.

The decree regulates the first mechanism to restrict access to information on-demand Internet services. For example, on-demand Internet service provider is obliged to restrict access owned by this user subscriber unit to the information content of which is aimed at the dissemination of pornographic material, violence, cruelty and other acts prohibited by law.

The decree comes into force on 1 July 2010.