To thwart the sanctions taken against it, Russia would have legalized the illegal downloading of video games. And this after the decisions of the major players in the industry.
As the war escalates in Ukraine, many companies have left Russia or temporarily ceased operations. That’s what big gaming companies like PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo do. But Russia has already launched a counter-attack: authorizing software piracy, including video games.
Hacking as a workaround?
As said in the preamble, you are aware that game manufacturers and publishers have suspended the sale of products and services. Products refer to accessories, consoles and titles that go with them. For services, access to PlayStation Store, eShop and Microsoft Store is locked for an indefinite period.
In return, Russia would have changed its rules on intellectual property. The Minister of Economic Development is said to have devised a “priority action plan to ensure the development of the Russian economy under the pressure of external sanctions”. The text would mention “the cancellation of responsibility for the use of unlicensed software in the Russian Federation, belonging to a copyright holder of countries that supported the sanctions”.
In other words, the country would have legalized the illegal downloading of software, including games. People who would use it could not be prosecuted in civil or criminal proceedings. But that would only apply if the illicit software came from a company that took sanctions against Russia. Logic.
Russia 1 – the video game 0?
TorrentFreak, which relayed this news, adds that the scope of this law would imply that these changes would not be lifted as long as the sanctions are still in place. It remains to be seen whether the manufacturers and publishers have considered such a scenario and the possible repercussions.
What do you think of the sanctions taken by industry players? And Russia’s response if true? Tell us everything in comments.
