A ChatGPT-generated image, a photo of Hiroshima, and a line from a Soviet song: the copyright case that helped boot Russia’s only antiwar party off next month’s ballot
Russia’s Supreme Court has ruled to remove the opposition party Yabloko from the ballot in the election for the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament. The Rodina party filed the lawsuit last Friday, accusing Yabloko of an assortment of violations that included copyright infringement, illegal campaigning, and support for extremism. The case went before Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov, who…
The Supreme Court of Russia has ruled to remove the opposition party Yabloko from the upcoming State Duma election ballot. The ruling was based on several allegations, including copyright infringement, illegal campaigning, and support for extremism. The Rodina party, which filed the lawsuit, argued that Yabloko's antiwar stance and opposition to the persecution of the LGBTQ community were extreme and incited extremism.
Additionally, Rodina claimed Yabloko infringed on copyright by using phrases from Soviet songs and a photograph of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as well as by plagiarizing an artwork from 100 years ago. Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov rejected all the accusations, stating that the party holds different political positions and should be allowed to express them.
The Central Election Commission and the prosecutor's office supported Yabloko's removal from the race, citing copyright infringement and foreign funding concerns. Despite the ruling, hundreds of people supported Yabloko, with many teenagers and young adults in attendance. Yabloko was the only party with an antiwar position running in the election.
Opposition figures like Yulia Navalnaya called on people to support Yabloko, but the party disavowed that support due to the risks involved.
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