Russia Just Made A Ton Of Memes Illegal

[Wilikon]

In post-Soviet Russia, you don’t make memes. Memes make (or unmake?) you.

That is, at least, the only conclusion we can draw from an announcement made this week by Russia’s three-year-old media agency/Internet censor Roskomnadzor, which made it illegal to publish any Internet meme that depicts a public figure in a way that has nothing to do with his “personality.”

Sad Keanu? Nope.

Sad Putin? Absolutely not.

“These ways of using [celebrities’ images] violate the laws governing personal data and harm the honor, dignity and business of public figures,” reads the policy announcement from Roskomnadzor.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/04/10/russia-just-made-a-ton-of-internet-memes-illegal/

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[umairsaleem]

This country is becoming another USSR after Puttin‘s back, And they will still call Russia a free and democratic country.

[Rmcdermott927]

In other news, Putin put a bounty on grumpy cats head. 

[Balthazar]

Roskomnadzor is just an executive body, it follows the existing law and has no power to initiate legislation or the right to "prohibit" something.

So I can do anything and they can't stop me directly. The only thing what they can do is ask me to delete the picture. Of course I'll say them "get the fuck out of me" and then they'll initiate a lawsuit on this case. And this lawsuit will end with a failure, because no judge will take it seriously.

[Snorek]

Roskomnadzor is just an executive body, it follows the existing law and has no power to initiate legislation or the right to "prohibit" something.

So I can do anything and they can't stop me directly. The only thing what they can do is ask me to delete the picture. Of course I'll say them "get the fuck out of me" and then they'll initiate a lawsuit on this case. And this lawsuit will end with a failure, because no judge will take it seriously.

It is quite sad that your country is pushing ridiculous laws like this. Don't you think it is just something straight out of book "1984" by George Orwell? What do you think russian government forbid next, because if they outlawed memes already I feel that they could now do anything... and soon you may not be so happy about it.

[Balthazar]

It is quite sad that your country is pushing ridiculous laws like this.

There is no such law. It's just a moronic comment by the RKN's representative... No more, no less. Of course it's sad that there are fools on such positions, but shit happens.

Don't you think it is just something straight out of book "1984" by George Orwell?

Actually, I think this article is just something straight out of book "1984" by George Orwell. Oceania's (USG == wannabe Inner Party of Oceania) ministry of truth is pushing the propaganda against its competitors. Lack of facts? No problem! Just invent some shit and claim that someone famous said it. Don't forget to add that he has some power to make it real and that's it. You're done.

What do you think russian government forbid next

These guys (Maxim Ksenzov with his subordinates) have nothing to do with the government.

Roskomnadzor is just an executive body, it follows the existing law and has no power to initiate legislation or the right to "prohibit" something.

Read my previous message again, please, and stop pushing the BS.

[neurotypical]

Rusia is a beautiful country with a lot of good people, too bad their leaders have been nutjobs all the way thought history. So much wasted potential. This meme thing sounds straight out of april fools. Now they'll need TOR to even make some stupid paint jokes, just wow.

[Balthazar]

So much wasted potential.

Wasted potential is represented by the people who unconditionally believe any shit.

I know that it's not funny but I can't stop laugh. It seems that I'm going to die of laughter while reading this thread. Already tried these steps without any success.

[notlist3d]

It surprises me they would do this.  Seems like it just set's a target for trolls.

Not trolls know Memes bug them enough to outlaw some.  I predict it causes much more use from trolls and other like that.

[llanillo]

Definitely "give that man a cookie", there are plenty of funny memes about putin, i really think this will not change anything in the way people use memes, the internet is big...

[Nemo1024]

It is quite sad that your country is pushing ridiculous laws like this.

There is no such law. It's just a moronic comment by the RKN's representative... No more, no less. Of course it's sad that there are fools on such positions, but shit happens.

Don't you think it is just something straight out of book "1984" by George Orwell?

Actually, I think this article is just something straight out of book "1984" by George Orwell. Oceania's (USG == wannabe Inner Party of Oceania) ministry of truth is pushing the propaganda against its competitors. Lack of facts? No problem! Just invent some shit and claim that someone famous said it. Don't forget to add that he has some power to make it real and that's it. You're done.

What do you think russian government forbid next

These guys (Maxim Ksenzov with his subordinates) have nothing to do with the government.

Roskomnadzor is just an executive body, it follows the existing law and has no power to initiate legislation or the right to "prohibit" something.

Read my previous message again, please, and stop pushing the BS.

Good and to-the-point replies, Balthazar. It's quite telling that the West's favourite game of Russia-bashing is intensifying now...

[jaysabi]

Roskomnadzor is just an executive body, it follows the existing law and has no power to initiate legislation or the right to "prohibit" something.

So I can do anything and they can't stop me directly. The only thing what they can do is ask me to delete the picture. Of course I'll say them "get the fuck out of me" and then they'll initiate a lawsuit on this case. And this lawsuit will end with a failure, because no judge will take it seriously.

It doesn't look like the courts will take this lightly, the decision to censor memes comes directly after a Moscow court already ordered a site to take down memes:

Russian censors have determined that one of the most popular forms of Internet meme is illegal. According to Roskomnadzor, the Kremlin’s media watchdog, it’s now against the law to use celebrities’ photographs in a meme, “when the image has nothing to do with the celebrity’s personality.”

The new policy comes on the heels of a court decision in Moscow, where a judge ruled that a particular photo meme violates the privacy of Russian singer Valeri Syutkin. The court’s decision targets an article on Lurkmore, a popular Wikipedia-style Russian website that focuses on Internet subcultures and memes.

The court ordered Lurkmore remove controversial meme "BBPE" with Syutkin

Moscow, on 7 April. According to the decision of the Meshchansky Court of Moscow common network meme "BBPE" with photographs of the Russian singer Valery Syutkina obscene and signature must be removed from the pages of the online encyclopedia "Lurkomore» (Lurkmore). Thus the Court granted the petition Roskomnadzora, who represented the singer in court.

Over the next 30 days Lurkmore must remove meme with a portrait or Syutkin Roscomnadzor make resource page in a single register of banned information (which it does, however, regularly, on different occasions).

Photo by Valery Syutkina with an appropriate inscription for several years used the Internet meme BBPE, "Beat a woman by ... (person)", probably due to the fact that intelligent and cheerful person Syutkina better than others opposed to the absurd slogan that allows you to instantly achieve a comic effect.

Earlier in December Meshchansky Court in Moscow refused Roskomnadzor in considering a claim for blacklisted page online resource "Lurkomore» (Lurkmore) to offend Valery Syutkina meme known in abbreviated form as "BBPE", as applied to him "wrong applicant ".

According to the creator of "Lurkomorya" scandalous picture two years older than the site itself. Directly involved in the developments took my mother a singer: she was found that the image of his face "used in bad faith."

Site Lurkmore positions itself as an online encyclopedia of contemporary culture, telling, including the history of the origins of the various memes. The Internet provides the following description of the resource: "Lurkomore» (Lurkmore) - informal, unformatted, frivolous and humorous online encyclopedia, positioning itself as the "Encyclopedia of modern culture, folklore and subcultures, as well as everything else."

Your assertions no court will take this seriously is undermined by the fact that they already are.

[redsn0w]

What a stupid "law", as always the Russia is the land of censorship.

The new declaration by the government’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor, issued through its VKontakte page, says it’s now illegal to “impersonate” a celebrity using his or her photo in a meme. In other words, in the near future we may be seeing broken links for dozens of brilliant parody accounts created by Russians.

http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-just-banned-celebrity-memes-2015-4?IR=T
http://www.vocativ.com/world/russia/the-unusual-case-that-led-to-russias-new-meme-ban/#ixzz3X6hyqfv4

[DLCseller]

So , you're saying that Putin banned memes?
It's a good thing they don't ban the internet.
If they ban it, its only in Russia. lol 

[xhomerx10]

It took a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights to swat down a similar law in France only recently.

Eon, 61, a former social worker, was arrested as soon as he got out his sign, although it did not feature Sarkozy's name. The state prosecutor brought a case against him for offence against a head of state, and in 2008 he was ordered to pay a symbolic fine of €30 and given a criminal conviction.

 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/14/france-conviction-sign-sarkozy

 Wonder how many other countries have such arcane laws in place?

[cryptocoiner]

    In America, you drive a car.
    In Soviet Russia, car drives you!

    In America, you watch Big Brother.
    In Soviet Russia, Big Brother watches you!

    In America, you break law.
    In Soviet Russia, law breaks you!

[abyrnes81]

   In America, you drive a car.
    In Soviet Russia, car drives you!

    In America, you watch Big Brother.
    In Soviet Russia, Big Brother watches you!

    In America, you break law.
    In Soviet Russia, law breaks you!

Not only in soviet Russia but also in other reason, like China. However I don't understand why ban memes, them are so funny and make me laugh every time I see one. Maybe they want also to ban the "happiness".

[Souldream]

It took a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights to swat down a similar law in France only recently.

Eon, 61, a former social worker, was arrested as soon as he got out his sign, although it did not feature Sarkozy's name. The state prosecutor brought a case against him for offence against a head of state, and in 2008 he was ordered to pay a symbolic fine of €30 and given a criminal conviction.

 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/14/france-conviction-sign-sarkozy

 Wonder how many other countries have such arcane laws in place?

This was not a "meme" or any carricature... but he directly insulted the president in public.

I would like to see "Poutine" insulted in public by some Russian citizen to see how much they will stay in live.... when you see that simple woman get goulag for making a song in a church against the Poutine's World....

Anyway since long time we know that the word "democratic" is not used in Russia... changed it with "corruption" ...this has more common sense !

[EternalWingsofGod]

Well this seems like an unusual law so I looked for another source
Can't really trust in the Washington post with an American view that may be twisting the topic.

Upon further analysis though it seems to be true looks like they want to defend personal privacy rights in order to prevent libel, sort of like the case where this autistic girls image is being used to represent an anti vaccination campaign.
http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/1335166/calgary-mother-fights-to-remove-facebook-hate-speech-page-that-stole-photo-of-daughter-with-down-syndrome/

A person who believes that their image is being used inappropriately can report the offenders to Roskomnadzor or sue them. "Web sites are essentially given the choice of blocking the offending content in Russia, or seeing their whole sites get blocked across the country,” the Post writes.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/04/russias-internet-censor-reminds-citizens-that-some-memes-are-illegal/

[chmod755]

Is it illegal to create memes or to share those memes? Or both?