Consumer Rights under RUSSIAN LAW

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 11:34:24 +0200
From: Michael Kupershtein

Section 15(2) of the Russian `Rights protection of computer software and databases` Act states that:
(The translation was half-automatic, so it's not perfect, but it's pretty good)

In accordance with the third paragraph of article 10 of the present Law, a person who legally owns a copy of a computer program or a database, has the right, without the consent of the copyright owner and without payment of an extra fee, to carry out the following actions:

1. To carry out adaptation of the computer program or a database;

2. To make a copy of the computer program or a database provided that this copy of the program is intended only for the archival purposes or (if the original computer program or database is lost, destroyed or became unsuitable for use) for replacement of legally acquired copy.

However the copy of the computer program or a database can not be used for other purposes and should be destroyed in case further use of this computer program or a database ceases to be lawful.

You can find the original at http://www.compulenta.ru/addon/2001/7/20/16116/

As you can see, it is plainly said that archival copies may be made without the copyright owner's consent. Therefore any software/database distributor that does not provide such a possibility would be in violation of the law, since he'd infringe on the RIGHT to make archival copies. It could be said, then, that the existence of
Elcomsoft's software is the only thing that keeps eBook Reader legal in Russia. Ironic, isn't it?

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