Spain approves Ley Sinde to Fight Piracy

 

The new Partido Popular government of Mariano Rajoy has approved legislation to close websites which offer illegal content.

The Law of Economic Sustainability (also reefer to as "Ley Sinde") was passed in the new government's second cabinet meeting since taking office last week, in a bid to clamp down online piracy.

The previous PSOE government had been criticised for bowing to pressure form internet consumer groups and their inability to find a solution to problem : "I think it is a quite a gesture that it has passed so quickly. And very positive," said Spanish Film Academy President and veteran distributor of Alta Films Enrique Gonzalez Macho. "If it wasn't approved until now it's because it was because they didn't want to."

According to the Deputy PM and Government spokesperson, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, the measures "enforces the rights of the owners, creators and other rights holders rights against the profitable sacking of their assets on illegal downloading websites" and ensures that "Spain joins the international standard in the fight against piracy."

The Minister also commented how a commission of intellectual property would decide on the creation of body which could close a website found to be violating the law.

The government also called an end to a previous measure, known as the 'digital canon', that taxed all electronics, CDs, DVDs, MP3, MP4, etc... to cover the costs of anticipated private copy and pay for authors' rights. Opponents argued that the law is unconstitutional, aswell as claiming it confused the public into thinking it was acceptable to download illegally, given that they had already paid a tax.