The Law on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights was adopted in 1994. In 1995, Ukraine joined the Bern Convention on the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. In 2001, all necessary amendments were introduced into the Copyright Law. In 2002, the Parliament ratified the agreement to join the Rome Convention on Protection of the Rights of Performers, Phonogram Producers and Broadcast Organisations. Joining the WTO TRIPS Agreement required further harmonisation of the Ukrainian Copyright Law provisions to bring it into line with European and international regulations.
The Law on Distribution of Copies of Audio and Visual Products and Phonograms (2000) regulates norms of copyright and joint copyrights, protecting producers against broadcasters and other product users.
In April 2017, the President signed the Law of Ukraine On State Support of Cinematography in Ukraine adopted by Verkhovna Rada. The law defining peculiarities of film state support in Ukraine also outlines important changes related to the system of copyright and neighbouring rights. In particular, the document supplements Article 1 of the Law on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights by new concepts and their definitions: website, webpage, website owner, webpage owner, hyperlink, digital data, username, host provider, camcording, and card sharing. Website owners and service providers should indicate their contact information, the lack of which could lead to administrative responsibility in the form of a penalty. The law regulates the procedure to cease the violation of copyright and neighbouring rights through the Internet. The law widens the disposition of Article 176 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Camcording and card sharing are classified as criminal offences.
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