Blocking Pirate Sites is not Enough, Russia should Shut them Down
Russia has implemented a wide variety of anti-piracy measures in recent years. Thousands of copyright infringing sites have been blocked and even 'unauthorized' VPNs and proxies are outlawed. However, according to the IIPA, which includes the MPAA, RIAA, and other entertainment industry groups, this is not enough. There can be little doubt that Russia has some of the most agressive anti-piracy policies in the world. After it became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2012, the country made several promises to protect creators’ rights and take action against infringing websites. In the years that followed, processes for website takedown policies were streamlined, and more recently Russia’s telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor issued ISP blockades against thousands of pirate sites. To ensure that it wouldn’t be easy to circumvent these blockades, Russia’s Government also implemented a law that outlaws all VPNs and anonymizers that bypass site blocking measures. Com...