In late December 2020, Ukraine’s ruling party attempted to bring to an end the long-running saga surrounding the collection of copyright fees from manufacturers/importers of electronic devices able to reproduce copyright-protected content.

The issue has been paralysed due to a stand-off between the Collective Management Organizations responsible for collecting these fees and the impacted business community, which has looked to block the initiative at every turn.

A draft law was tabled in Parliament which aims to revitalize the fee collection system. The proposed changes mainly benefit importers and producers of electronic devices, since the list of devices impacted and the rates themselves will be reduced significantly.

However, there are no guarantees that the new system will secure efficient protection of the rights holders – in which case criticism from the EU and other international partners can be expected, as well as potentially a negative impact on trade relations.

To learn more about these developments and possible future scenarios and what they could mean for businesses click here for the full memo in English.