[Wikipedia-l] Russian pictures - copyright rules

[Ray Saintonge]

Gerard Meijssen wrote:

> AFAIK and IANAL, Russian laws on copyright do not exist. Therefore 
> Russian resources are different. It may be that after the collapse of 
> the USSR the copyright laws have changed, but I am not aware of that.
>
> PS correct me where I am wrong. 

Yes you're wrong.  The idea that Russia does not have copyright laws is 
totally bizarre.  In the absence of any information about the status of 
copyright in a country one should begin from the presumption that at 
least the Berne Convention's "life + 50" rule applies.  Presuming that a 
country does not have a copyright law just because you don't know about 
it is reckless.  Afghanistan may be the only country without copyright 
relations.  See http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/okbooks.html#whatpd

Ec