The Svyaznoy electronics store announced the start of a "parallel import" of gadgets from foreign manufacturers, Kommersant writes . We are talking about Samsung smartphones and watches, the latest line of iPhones and PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo game consoles.

“Parallel import” is the term used to describe the import of goods into the country without the official permission of the right holder, carried out “in parallel” with official deliveries. After the imposition of sanctions, the official supply of many goods ceased, but the Russian press continues to refer to imports without the permission of the copyright holder as "parallel", even if this channel for the import of goods remained the only one.

As Svyaznoy's representative told Kommersant, some of the imported devices will be 10-20% more expensive than those imported into Russia before the start of the war. These stocks will last another 2-3 months.

Svyaznoy will provide a guarantee for electronics imported through parallel imports. The costs of warranty service will be borne by the distributor, and not by the manufacturer, as was the case before the war.

At the same time, it is argued that devices can be activated on the territory of the country: “All these products are intended only for the EAEU countries, so there will be no problems with activating devices. Service covers all devices,” the retailer said.

Earlier it became known that in Russia it is impossible to activate some Samsung smartphones imported through parallel import. According to Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, the problem concerns about 20% of the company's smartphones imported into the country through parallel imports. In May, 45-50 thousand Samsung smartphones entered the Russian Federation in this way, he specified.

The manufacturer requires that the smartphone be activated only in the countries for sale in which it is intended. When you try to insert a Russian operator's SIM card into a new smartphone, it is blocked. You can unlock the phone only in a service center for 5 thousand rubles, but you have to wait about two weeks. To activate the device, you can also insert the SIM card of an operator operating in the geographic area where Samsung officially shipped the gadget and talk on it for several minutes.

The Samsung technical support service confirmed that it is desirable to activate a new smartphone in the country in which it was purchased, or to bring into Russia with a new phone a SIM card of an operator operating in the country where the gadget was delivered. A source close to one of the phone sellers told the publication that several tens of thousands of buyers of Samsung devices imported as part of parallel imports could have difficulties with activation.

In May, the Ministry of Industry and Trade published a list of goods for parallel imports that can be imported into Russia without the permission of their copyright holder. The list contains about 60 items, which includes the entire range of manufactured goods, including a wide range of electronic devices.

The Russian government legalized parallel imports on 30 March. The international principle of “exhaustion” of trademark rights will apply to goods included in the list for parallel import, that is, after the first sale of the original goods, they can be imported into Russia without the permission of the owner. This differs from the national principle of ownership usually in force in Russia, when the right holder controls all supplies, can prohibit their import and demand up to 5 million rubles in compensation in case of violation of the import conditions.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin justified this measure by "the need to meet the demand for goods containing the results of intellectual activity." Although the FAS proposed to legalize parallel imports back in 2018, it was introduced only with the start of tough sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine.

In March, Apple Inc stopped selling iPhones and other products in Russia after the country invaded Ukraine, and Apple Pay is also unavailable in Russia. “We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and support all the people who suffer as a result of violence. We support humanitarian efforts, provide assistance in connection with the unfolding refugee crisis, and do our best to support our teams in the region, ”Apple said.