Hogan Lovells (LexBlog Russia)

The bad news. Right now, gigantic wildfires are burning across Siberia and the Artic Circle that are larger than all the other record-setting fires raging around the world this summer combined. The massive blazes in Russia are fueled by extreme heat waves, unusually high winds, and record-setting droughts attributed to climate change. The Western United...

Today U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act (ANIA) 2020.  The provisions of ANIA are intended to help ensure that the U.S. is competitive with countries like Russia and China on nuclear technology advancement and project development abroad. Among other things,...

Update: On 3 December 2019 the law imposing multi-million Ruble fines for infringing Russian data localization and information security laws has come into force. Since the law has already come into force, new fines may be imposed on companies based on results of Roskomnadzor’s inspections in 2020. Roskomnadzor has already identified the entities it plans to inspect in 2020 but may initiate...

Click here for text in Russian/текст сообщения на русском языке Russia is facing potential restrictions of foreign ownership in digital companies. This follows on similar restrictions over Russian mass media companies and online cinemas which took effect in 2016 and 2017, respectively. These proposed amendments coincide with the announcement of major e-commerce and foodtech JV...

A team of lawyers from Hogan Lovells contributed to the 2019 Chambers Global Practice Guide in Technology, Media, and Telecoms. They provided legal commentary and insights on TMT industry trends and developments impacting businesses in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The chapter “TMT Trends and Developments in Russia” provides an overview of mass...

The Intellectual Property Committee of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was elected at a meeting on 22 November 2018, dedicated to the legal protection of intellectual property assets in the fashion industry. Partner Natalia Gulyaeva, who heads the firm’s IP, Media and Technology Group for Russia / Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has been...

At the end of June, Hogan Lovells inaugurated its new office premises in Moscow with Partner Natalia Gulyaeva hosting the first seminar of our Russia-Asia IP series with Vietnam IP Counsel Nga Nguyen and Hogan Lovells Fidelity China Senior Associate Julia Peng. More than 20 business leaders from the professional services, automotive, consumer products and technology...

Recently, the Russian Data Privacy Authority (Roskomnadzor) organized an Open Doors Day in honor of the International Data Privacy Day. During the occasion, Roskomnadzor officers presented on the authority’s 2017 enforcement activities. They followed this presentation with an open question and answer period, during which they responded to numerous questions raised by attendees. We summarize...

Recently, the Russian Data Privacy Authority, Roskomnadzor, organized an Open Doors Day in honor of the International Data Privacy Day. During the occasion, Roskomnadzor officers presented on the authority’s 2017 enforcement activities. They followed this presentation with an open question and answer period, during which they responded to numerous questions raised by attendees. This post...

On 13 February 2018 the Russian Constitutional Court checked the compliance of the following provisions of Russian Civil Code (the “CCR“) related to parallel import with the Constitution of Russia: Clause 2 of Article 1252 of the CCR on interim remedies applicable to trademark infringements; Article 1487 of the CCR establishing the national exhaustion of...

Led by partner Natalia Gulyaeva, the Hogan Lovells Moscow team represented Novartis in a precedent case for pharma business proving that one can obtain an injunction using patent rights against a generic in Russia before the generic starts sales. It is well known that, in the past, permanent injunctions were granted by Russian courts in patent disputes only...

Two weeks ago, certain territorial divisions of the Russian Data Protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, published their 2018 plans for conducting inspections of local companies’ compliance with Russian data privacy requirements, including with Russia’s data localization requirement. The inspection plans contain a number of prominent multi-national and Russian companies. Within such inspections,...

Two weeks ago, certain territorial divisions of the Russian Data Protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, published their 2018 plans for conducting inspections of local companies’ compliance with Russian data privacy requirements, including with Russia’s data localization requirement. The inspection plans contain a number of prominent multi-national and Russian companies.

On 31 July, the Russian data protection authority, Roskomnadzor, issued guidance for data operators on the drafting of privacy policies to comply with Russian data protection law. Russia’s 2006 privacy law – Federal Law No. 152-FZ of 27 July 2006 “On Personal Data” (Personal Data Law) – requires, among other things, that Russian data operators...

On 31 July, the Russian data protection authority, Roskomnadzor, issued guidance for data operators on the drafting of privacy policies to comply with Russian data protection law. Russia’s 2006 privacy law – Federal Law No. 152-FZ of 27 July 2006 “On Personal Data” – requires, among other things, that Russian data operators must adopt a privacy policy that describes how they process personal data.

On 7 February 2017, the Russian President signed into law a bill (link in Russian) introducing amendments to the Russian Code on Administrative Offences that increases the amount of the fines imposed for violating Russian data protection laws and differentiates the relevant offences’ types. The greatest increase raises maximum fines for certain violations from RUB...

On 7 February 2017, the Russian President signed into law a bill introducing amendments to the Russian Code on Administrative Offences that increases the amount of the fines imposed for violating Russian data protection laws and differentiates the relevant offences’ types. The greatest increase raises maximum fines for certain violations from RUB 10,000 to 75,000 (approx. USD 170 to 1,260).The...

At the end of 2016, territorial divisions of the Russian Data Protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, published their 2017 plans for conducting inspections of local companies’ compliance with Russian data privacy requirements, including data localization. The inspection plans contain a number of prominent multi-national and Russian companies. For instance, the inspection plan of Roskomnadzor’s...

At the end of 2016, territorial divisions of the Russian Data Protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, published their 2017 plans for conducting inspections of local companies’ compliance with Russian data privacy requirements, including data localization. The inspection plans contain a number of prominent multi-national and Russian companies.

In a case with major significance for foreign online businesses that do business in Russia, on Thursday, 10 November the Moscow City Court sustained a lower court ruling that granted the request of the Russian Data Protection Authority to block access to social network LinkedIn within Russian territory. Although the data localization requirement took effect in September 2015, this is the first...

Media reports this week broke the news that a Russian court of first instance ruled this past August to block LinkedIn from Russian Internet users for violating Russia’s data localization law, which requires websites and other businesses that collected personal data from Russian citizens to store that data within the territory of Russia. According to the available court ruling, an appeal was...

On 3 July 2016 the Russian President signed into law a bill amending the Law on Mass Media and Advertising Law (the “Law“), which restricts foreign ownership in TV audience measurement businesses to 20%. The Law provides that TV audience measurements may be carried out exclusively by organizations authorized by the Federal Service for Supervision...

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law “On introducing amendments to the Federal law ‘on fighting terrorism’ and other legislative acts of the Russian Federation related to establishment of additional measures against terrorism and ensuring public security” (the “Law”). Specifically, the Law introduces amendments to the Russian Law on Communications and the Russian Law On...

Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law “On introducing amendments to the Federal law ‘on fighting terrorism’ and other legislative acts of the Russian Federation related to establishment of additional measures against terrorism and ensuring public security.” Specifically, the Law introduces amendments to the Russian Law on Communications and the Russian Law On Information,...

We last reported on Russia’s data localization law earlier this year when the Russian data protection authority, Roskomnadzor, released its inspection plan for 2016. Since then, Roskomnadzor has been conducting compliance inspections both according to the plan and in individual cases when it has reason to do so. The results of those inspections and recent...

In mid-January, the territorial divisions of Russia’s Data Protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, uploaded their 2016 plans for conducting inspections of local companies’ compliance with Russia’s data localization requirements, and there are a number of prominent multi-national companies on the list. For instance, the inspection plan of Roskomnadzor’s territorial division for the Russian Central...

The Right to be Forgotten Law imposes an obligation on search engines that disseminate adverts targeted at consumers located in Russia to remove search results listing information on individuals where such information is unlawfully disseminated, untrustworthy, outdated, or irrelevant (i.e. the information is no longer substantially relevant to the individual in question due to subsequent events...

We are now almost two months into the era of Russia’s Data Localization Law, which came into force on 1 September.  While some expected immediate enforcement, the Russian Data protection Authority, Roskomnadzor, has not yet taken any action for a violation of data localization requirements.  Last month, Roskomnadzor did take formal enforcement action to block...

On 1 September 2015, Russia’s much anticipated data localization law came into force.  In recent interviews with European CEO and The Financial Times, Natalia Gulyaeva, partner in Hogan Lovells’ Moscow office, highlighted some key elements for multinationals to consider when doing business in Russia.  In the interviews, Natalia explains that Roskomnadzor is not likely to conduct compliance...

On 1 September 2015, Russia’s much anticipated data localization law came into force. In recent interviews with European CEO and The Financial Times, Natalia Gulyaeva, partner in Hogan Lovells’ Moscow office, highlighted some key elements for multinationals to consider when doing business in Russia. In the interviews, Natalia explains that Roskomnadzor is not likely to conduct compliance audits...