President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed law No. 1965-IX on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on the abolition of labeling copies of audiovisual works, phonograms, videograms, software, databases.

According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the use of labels as a mechanism to counter the illegal distribution of copies of audiovisual works, phonograms, videograms, computer programs, databases has exhausted itself and is considered as an obstacle to the activities of bona fide manufacturers and distributors of this type of product.

So, therefore, the document signed by the head of state recognizes the law on the distribution of copies of audiovisual works, phonograms, videograms, computer programs, databases invalid.

"Now copyright holders will be able to choose the latest, more modern, individual (exclusive) ways to protect copies that are distributed on tangible media," the office said.

The law also decriminalizes the illegal production, counterfeiting, sale of illegally manufactured, obtained or counterfeited labels for packages of copies of audiovisual works by removing Article 216 from the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Also Article 164-9 was removed from the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, which provided for liability for the distribution of relevant goods, the packaging of which is not labeled.

The law entered into force on January 1, 2022.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 3474 on December 15, 2021.