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Comment by SXX | Hacker News Reader

Their possible motivation for releasing code as open source is to allow some other Russian companies like VK Group to build their IP on it without having any deals with them directly. Just now VK Group announced their in-home game engine will be based on this code.

I can guess that Gaijin Entertainment had some contracts with companies in Russia, but after moving their business out of Russia it's now easiest way to fulfill the terms of some IP licensing deal.

Yandex is doing the same thing, but other way around by releasing more and more of their code as open source. It let them to cleanly trasfer IP from Russia-poisoned company to their Israel company.

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Open source as sanctions busting. Interesting.

You know, PGP is “exported” as a book to go around export regulations. So this is not new.

None of the companies are actually under any sanctions, but obviously having any licensing deals or IP transfers with companies located in Russia is legal hazard.

VK Group is definitely sanctioned in the USA & EU.

No they are not. Otherwise their apps wouldn't be on Google Play and App Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vkontakte....

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vk-social-network-messenger/id...

The CEO is sanctioned, which makes dealing with the company complicated.

https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=34596

Would be difficult to pay with SWIFT cut off?

Russia is not cut off from SWIFT. There are multiple banks that doing USD / EUR payments in and out, but with minimal amount of 20,000 EUR and some 200-500 EUR fee.

And you can also transfer bunch of other currencies much much cheaper. It's mostly question on whatever you have paperwork for bank outside of Russia to accept that payment.

PS: Only normal people are affected by those restrictions. Companies and super-rich cronies can still move their money freely and pay for whatever military components they want from EU / US:

https://theins.press/en/politics/266147

and Gaijin's motivation for having VK build their IP on it is that VK will contribute to the development of the engine? or does some Russia-only Gaijin subsidiary benefit monetarily?

I honestly have no insight in their motivation here, but I shared my guesses.

From legal standpoint 99.9% of game development companies originated from Russia never held any IP within the country legal framework to begin with. It was a rule of a thumb of doing any IT business: register everything on Cyprus or in other functioning country. Usually regional office is only received money from holding company to pay for ads, pay salaries and minimal taxes.

So unlike giants like Yandex they were never under Kremlin direct control and could withdraw out of country rapidly without any losses.

As far as I remember, formally, Yandex Russia is also a subsidiary of a company based in the Netherlands.

That's true, but majority of Yandex business was always inside Russia. Also Kremlin's Sberbank held golden share in Yandex since 2019 to veto any changes in company they dont like.

For game development companies like Gajin it was always just one of the markets even if important one.

> from Russia-poisoned company to their Israel company.

That sounds really offensive, and not to the companies.

I guess as "proud" owner of Russian passport I have all rights to say that.

As a person who can't distinguish between people and a government, you don't.

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