Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development is reportedly considering unblocking major piracy sites to address the absence of Western movies and TV shows that have been banned in the country.
Russian officials have been advocating for the mass distribution of pirated content since March 2023, aiming to harm Western companies that suspended their activities in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow appears to be moving towards legalizing piracy by lifting restrictions on websites illegally streaming content from Western firms not officially active in Russia.
Proposed conditions include the content not being legally available on Russian streaming services, not shown in cinemas, and lacking “extremist LGBT materials and propaganda.”
The move is seen as an attempt to provide Russian consumers access to Western content amid a significant reduction in Hollywood-produced films and TV series due to content license withdrawals in response to the Ukraine invasion.
In January, Russian lawmakers began drafting a bill to legalize showing pirated content in cinemas across the country, resulting in films like The Batman and Avatar: The Way of Water being released without rights holders’ consent.
The latest proposal represents a more extensive, state-sponsored approach to piracy, allowing Russian consumers to access restricted Western content.
A study commissioned by RBC in March revealed a 40-50% reduction in Hollywood-produced films and TV series offered by legal streaming services in Russia, prompting the market to seek content from other countries like South Korea, Turkey, India, and China.
Simultaneously, legal streaming sites in Russia face censorship, as evidenced by the removal of the popular TV series Olga from the TNT channel site and its streaming service after the lead actress, Yana Troyanova, criticized the invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the challenges of freedom of expression in the country.
