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Putin signs law on Russian software pre-installation on smartphones, computers

The law provides that when selling certain kinds of technically sophisticated goods, consumers should be provided with an opportunity for using such goods with preinstalled Russian programs

Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin

© Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law stipulating the need of preinstalling applications targeted at the Russian audience on smartphones, computers and TV sets with the Smart-TV function. The document was posted on the official website of legal information on Monday.

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The law provides that when selling certain kinds of technically sophisticated goods, consumers should be provided with an opportunity for using such goods with preinstalled Russian programs for computers. The Russian government will determine the list of technically sophisticated goods and the procedure of compiling and maintaining the list of Russian programs to be preinstalled on such goods, along with their pre-installation procedure.

A bill stipulating liability for the sale of technically sophisticated goods without the preinstalled Russian software has been recently submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. The bill suggests fines for violations of prescribed requirements in the range from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles ($466.9 - $778.1) for officials and from 50,000 to 200,000 rubles ($778.1 - $3,112) for legal entities.

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