Based on the US Library of Congress, the Republic of Belarus just lately released legislation which makes it illegal for Belarusian people and citizens access and/or use foreign websites (for commercial reasons). Violations from the law are acknowledged as a misdemeanor and create a charge as high as $125.

What the law states requires companies and people which are registered as entrepreneurs to simply use domestic domain names for�providing online services, performing sales, or swapping emails. This likely implies that domain holders with any link with outdoors services will probably have to�forfeit�their domain names.

What the law states will start on The month of january 6, completely wrecking the advantages that the open Web might have around the economy and excellence of existence for people.�From the LoC:

It seems that business demands from Belarus can't be offered on the internet when the company is applying online services situated outdoors of the nation. The tax government bodies, with the police and secret police, are approved to initiate, investigate, and prosecute such violations.

Furthermore, what the law states states the proprietors and managers of Internet caf�s or any other locations that offer internet access may be in prison for breaking this Law and penalized as well as their companies may be closed if customers of Internet services supplied by these places are located going to websites situated outdoors of Belarus and when such behavior from the clients wasn't correctly recognized, recorded, and reported towards the government bodies. What The Law States states this provision may affect private people when they allow other persons to make use of their house computer systems for browsing the web.

What the law states serves in complete contrast to a different Malaysian law, which requires restaurants in Kl (the 2nd biggest city in Malaysia) to possess Wi-Fi. Rather than trying to improve connectivity, The Belarusian Government is clearly attempting to assert complete control on the internet.

This is significant the law now authorizes the federal government to determine a blacklist of web sites to become blocked by ISPs. Content for example pornographic websites and something that consists of content of the extremist character is going to be blocked.

More in the LoC:

Bloggers think that these measures will result in outdoors websites obstructing access from Belarus. For instance, suppose someone in Belarus buys something from Amazon . com, which isn't a Belarusian company and therefore isn't registered in Belarus. The transaction is against the law, so the Belarusian Attorney General would send an email to Amazon . com telling it that it's breaking national law and can be prosecuted.

What the law states, the industry pure regression, shares many overtones and practical functions using the much maligned SOPA bill within the U . s . States. And like SOPA, the Belarusian law will stifle innovation and plague its economy.