Official: Foreign owners should not influence Russian e-cinemas

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (PRIME) -- Amendments to a Russian bill on regulation of work of online cinemas should not allow foreign investors to influence local companies, Deputy Communications Minister Alexei Volin said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a forum.

“It is necessary to avoid indirect impact from foreign owners. It’s important to understand that it’s oriented on the Russian market,” Volin said.

Contract agreements of online cinemas should also be in focus. “Because it should not be the case that an online cinema for the Russian audience has mainly contacts with foreign producers and broadcasters that show content here. In essence, they should not secretly penetrate the market,” the official said.

Mass media earlier reported that representatives of the Internet industry proposed amendments to the bill on online cinemas to distinguish the responsibility of local and foreign owners. Russian video services could be separated from foreign and have their own regulation.

The bill on online cinemas caps foreign interest in audio and visual services with professional content with 20% from June 1. Online cinemas will be also banned from promoting political parties and election campaign materials.

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