Pres spox says Kremlin watches, not comments on Nginx case

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (PRIME) -- The Kremlin is watching the situation with media holding Rambler Group and web service Nginx closely, but is not authorized to comment on the matter, the president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

“Certainly, we’re following it very attentively, but we don’t consider ourselves in the power to comment on it,” Peskov said.

Last week Nginx’s Moscow office was searched in a criminal case opened on suspicion of violation of author’s rights. The service was designed in early 2000s by Igor Sysoyev, Rambler’s former employee. Sysoyev together with another Rambler employee, Maxim Konovalov, established Nginx in 2011. U.S. firm F5 Networks acquired the business in spring for U.S. $670 million.

The case was initiated by Lynwood, representing Rambler’s interests at court, which said that Nginx was a product of Rambler’s former employee and any use of this program without Rambler’s consent violated its exclusive rights.

On Monday, Rambler’s board of directors ordered the management board to ask the law enforcement entities to terminate the criminal case against Nginx.

The board of directors also ordered to terminate a contract with Lynwood, to which the holding ceded the reclamation rights in 2015, related to violation of the rights for Nginx. Lynwood should be also advised to revoke its lawsuit as well.

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