State Fund for Import Substitution’s Controversial Software Sales
The State Fund for Import Substitution in Critical Industries (GFIs) has embarked on a controversial initiative to sell software from key Western vendors that have exited the Russian market. Reports from early buyers indicate that they received hacked versions of these programs, sourced from torrent trackers.
This unusual scheme became possible following the enactment of a law in 2025, which allows the state to claim intellectual property rights on foreign software utilized in critical infrastructure if the original owner ceases operations within Russia. Shortly after this legislation was passed, the Import Substitution Fund requested several companies, including Adobe and Microsoft, to transfer the source codes of their software to the fund as the new rights holder. However, for reasons yet to be disclosed, these companies did not respond.
In a statement released in December 2025, the GFIs asserted, “In light of the actual refusal of foreign legal entities to comply with our legitimate requests, we reserve the right to utilize alternative technical means to continue supplying critically important software to consumers within the Russian Federation.” The phrase “alternative technical means” appears to refer to hacking tools created by unknown authors, readily available for download on the internet. For instance, when installing a licensed version of Adobe Photoshop from the GFIs, users are instructed to disable their internet connection and execute a file named autocrack.bat. Similarly, a licensed version of Nero Burning ROM comes with a KeYGeN.exe file and a user guide in Russian.
Each purchase includes a digital certificate claiming that the software was legally acquired from the GFIs. This certificate is purportedly used to distinguish legitimate imported software from illegal copies.
Despite the fund’s efforts to “reintroduce” products from departing companies into the Russian market, many users have reported technical issues, particularly with antivirus software flagging these programs. Additionally, the pricing has raised eyebrows: a licensed version of WinRAR costs 2,950 rubles, while Adobe Photoshop is priced at 18,650 rubles per month, notably lacking any cloud functionalities, including generative AI features. In contrast, Adobe offers a subscription for approximately per month. The Import Substitution Fund has not commented on its pricing strategy but emphasizes that both individuals and legal entities are required to use only licensed software.
