🎶 RAO and 24 Chasa TV settle copyright dispute

The parties reached a compromise and agreed on a long-term contractual framework for future cooperation. This agreement will enable the OTT platform to legally utilize the entire musical catalog managed by RAO.

The litigation was initially triggered by a ruling from the Arbitration Court of the Sverdlovsk Region, which had previously upheld RAO’s lawsuit against 24 Chasa TV LLC and Ekaterinburg-2000 LLC. The companies had been streaming television channels over the internet without distributing royalty payments to music composers. Citing clarifications from the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the court of first instance confirmed RAO’s statutory authority and ruled that internet broadcasting constitutes a form of communicating works via airwaves or cable, thereby requiring strict copyright compliance.

Igor Shlykov, legal counsel for 24 Chasa TV, noted that until recently, the specific nature of legislation in this domain left room for varying legal interpretations. However, constructive dialogue allowed both sides to eliminate legal uncertainties, mitigating high litigation risks for the service and allowing it to focus on the technological development of the platform.

According to RAO data, online platforms have become significantly more proactive in securing music licenses following the publication of a specialized industry Memorandum in April 2025. The document explicitly codified the principle that internet streaming is legally equivalent to traditional broadcasting.

Alexei Karelov, Executive Director of RAO, emphasized that the organization prioritizes out-of-court dispute resolutions, as the timely execution of licensing agreements helps the media business minimize the risks of unexpected expenses and claims from rightsholders.