The law on the Ukrainian language: what needs to be changed in business?

The law on the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language. What does this mean for blog and website owners? Owners of websites and blogs that sell goods or services (including media) need to know that all subjects will have to translate their resources into the state language, if at the moment the site does not have a Ukrainian version. Specialists of the company AIN.UA found out from reputable translators, SEO specialists and lawyers all the nuances regarding the translation of sites, how it affects the budget of the owners, how to save traffic and positions in the search. Also tried to find out what sanctions can be implied for the violation of this law.

The law from the perspective of the owner of the company

Like all other laws, this document provides for a transitional period of eighteen months. The Internet business, for example can translate the user interface, the application, and the website over the period provided. The important nuance is that there is a need to communicate with the customer and organize all events in Ukrainian. During this time, the site and all methods of communication with users should be translated: advertising, subscriptions, communication in messengers, service messages, as well as e-mails.

The law contains a significant provision concerning the volume of information in the Ukrainian language: it should not be less than in Russian. If we now try to translate everything into Ukrainian, but stop updating the translation, then nothing good will come of it.

It is recommended to pay attention to the automation of processes. If you have, to put it simple, a resource in Russian, you will be required to translate it into Ukrainian as well, for this you need to pay attention to working with programmers on automation and simplification of the translation process. How to implement it? In my opinion there are two ways: either translate yourself, that is to have a translator of the Ukrainian language or seek the services of a freelancer or translation company.

Especially strong language change will affect the software developers and site owners:

1. Developers. There should be a user interface, i.e. programs that will be sold in Ukraine in the state language or in the official languages of the EU. It seems pretty easy, but you have to be ready to pay for the work of copywriters, translators, to do additional work - it will not be so fast and expensive;
2. Developers who are involved in state institutions. All of them will use exclusively Ukrainian-language products: sites, software and everything else. This is understandable and makes sense: if there is a need to do gov.ua, then with concern for nationality and language;
3. Resellers. If foreign products are sold in Ukraine, the software in it should be used with a user interface in the Ukrainian language;
4. For site owners. All Internet objects that are designed for consumers of Ukraine and provide services here, must communicate in the state language. No one prevents the website to have the option to select another language, only as a Supplement. The content of sites in Ukrainian should correspond to other languages by one hundred percent. Read more about the translation of sites here https://translate.jurklee.ua/perevod-saytov/.
5. The owners of online stores. For example, store services are offered only in Russian. With the entry into force of the law, it is obliged to translate all its pages, including product descriptions, into Ukrainian. This will result in three months of hard work of programmers and copywriter-translator.

Please, note that the same condition applies to the resources of companies in social networks. There will be no problems with Facebook, but how the language specialist will approach LinkedIn or AngelList is not yet clear.

A few words about liability

The state body for consumer rights has the right to issue the order for violation of the law together with a fine, the amount of which is quite substantial. If the conditions are not met, a fine will also be issued.

From the point of view of Internet advertising and SEO-promotion we have the following:

If we consider the issue in this perspective, the Ukrainian version will expand the number of search queries on which the resource is ranked. This will lead to an increase in the number of users who use the Ukrainian language when searching. With technically correct organization of the working process, you can not only save traffic, but also have additional in perspective. I admit - at first, there will be a slight decrease in traffic, but then all will return with increase.

• Multilanguage can be implemented in different ways, but we must adhere to the basic principles:
• All language versions should be preserved, you can't just translate the site.
• All versions should be placed on different URLS, for example: Ukrainian-on site.ua, Russian - site.ua/ru/.

The question remains unresolved for the Ukrainian media sites, that previously did not have a version in the Ukrainian language, or it does not meet the norms of the newly adopted law. Should they translate content that has been developed over the years? I think not, because the laws are not retroactive. It means that the media should, from the moment the law comes into force, publish the material in Ukrainian or, if necessary, in any other language. That is, the Internet version of the media is also required to make a new version in the Ukrainian language with the setting, display at direct entry and do a gradual filling of content with adaptation for different languages.

Sites should be brought to the norms of the law during the transition period - one and a half years.

From a legal point of view:

The language law requires businesses to carry certain changes. The requirements of the adopted law oblige to serve customers in Ukrainian. The state language of Ukraine, since the signing of the law by the President, is the main language for all activities related to culture, sports, promotional products, information on Internet pages and mobile applications.

The changes also apply to the contractual part of the activity. Now all contracts, license agreements, offers public for users should be in Ukrainian.

The law provides for a mechanism for holding legal entities liable if they do not comply with the established norms. Administrative liability may be incurred for violation of the provision.

The first violation of the requirements of the law is met with a warning and an order to eliminate it. Re-recorded violation comes with a fine, which will be up to six thousand eight hundred hryvnias. For print media - eight thousand five hundred hryvnias.

Criminal liability for business representatives is not provided by the law.