In Russia, access for businesses to experimental legal regimes has been simplified

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law simplifying business access to the mechanism of experimental legal regimes (ELR) in the field of digital innovations. The corresponding document will come into force in 180 days.

The ELR mechanism helps large, small, and medium-sized businesses, as well as individual entrepreneurs, reduce costs and promotes the launch of advanced projects in various fields.

To simplify business access to ELR programs, the list of documents submitted and the timeframes for their consideration are being reduced. For example, the period for the regulatory body to consider an initiative proposal is reduced from 25 to 15 business days; for the business community organization and the highest executive body of a subject of the Russian Federation – up to 10 business days. The period for the Government of the Russian Federation or the coordinating body to consider an initiative proposal is reduced from 30 to 20 business days.

The law also requires ELR participants, who are legal entities or individual entrepreneurs, to insure their civil liability for causing harm to the life, health, or property of others, including as a result of using solutions created with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The ELR program must include provisions on such insurance and requirements for its conditions, including the minimum insurance amount, the list of insured risks, and insured events (where applicable).

This program must also specify the procedure and conditions for the use of intellectual property results (IPR), including those created using AI, in the implementation of the ELR. The ELR entity will maintain a register of persons who have entered into legal relations with it, as well as a register of IPR generated during the implementation of such a regime, including with the use of AI technologies, indicating their rights holders.

In addition, the law provides for the creation of a special commission that will review each case of damage caused by AI technology. The procedure for forming and operating the commission will be approved by the Ministry of Economic Development, and in the area of development, testing, and implementation of digital innovations in the financial market – by the Bank of Russia.

At the same time, the Government of the Russian Federation will annually present to the State Duma and the Federation Council a report on activities carried out within the framework of ELR implementation. The procedure for preparing, disseminating, including publishing, the report will be established by the Government of the Russian Federation in coordination with the Bank of Russia.