There is a new law that is unique to Belarus, which was just passed by the country's parliament. That is, Belarusians are free to use software and watch pirated videos without fear of punishment.
However, there is one condition for the new regulation that was passed on December 20, 2022. That is, pirated content can only come from unfriendly countries, such as the United States, Britain, and members of the European Union.
This rule is a kind of response to the various sanctions imposed by these countries on Belarus as a result of supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we were quoted as saying from Techspot, Tuesday (10/1/2023).
But interestingly, even if the copyright owners of pirated content lose their copyright in Belarus, they can still get paid for the pirated content, even if the payment is not full.
The new regulations allow the National Patent Authority to collect payments for pirated content for three years. So, during that time the content owner can withdraw the payment money.
So, the cost is not determined by the content owner, it is also determined through a fair market price. Because the price for this content will be set by the government, but with unclear boundaries.
If within three years the payment is not claimed by the owner, then the money will become the property of the government. Even if the owner takes the funds, they must pay 20% to the government.
From the existing rules, of course the only benefit is the Belarusian government. This rule is valid until December 31, 2024, but of course the validity period can be extended at any time.
Belarus itself was previously known as the country with the most stringent internet rules, according to Comparitech data updated in January 2022. Belarus is the country with the 4th most stringent internet rules, below North Korea, China and Iran.