Lawsuits Filed In Colombia To Challenge Local Version Of SOPA

from the bad-laws dept

Mon, Jun 11th 2012 1:59pm — Mike Masnick

You may remember that, a couple months ago, Colombia rushed through its own version of a SOPA-like copyright law. The details were particularly horrifying. Last fall, the US and Colombia signed a "free trade agreement" (FTA). Tragically, like many FTAs put together by the USTR these days, it included something that's the very opposite of "free trade": a requirement to put in place extraordinary protectionist measures in the form of expansive copyright laws. In order to be in compliance with the treaty, Colombia had to pass some really bad legislation. Its first attempt, a few months earlier, failed when the public spoke up. However, in April, President Obama came to visit Colombia on a very high-profile trip. In order to make him happy, the Colombia government rushed through a ridiculously bad copyright bill, making it law with almost no public discourse. Not surprisingly, the bill is terrible.

Thankfully, two Senators have now filed lawsuits challenging the law, saying that it violates privacy rights and limits freedom of access to information. Oh yeah, and it violates the Colombian constitution. The serious problems with the bill had been raised with the Colombian government prior to it passing, but in their rush to make Obama happy, apparently they didn't care.

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Filed Under: access to information, colombia, fta, obama, privacy, sopa, ustr

7 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2012 @ 2:21pm

they were trying to stop Obama from authorizing an all out air and ground strike against Columbia, on behalf of the RIAA, because someone had been seen downloading the latest US top 40 albums! unfortunately, they didn't know who it was as an IP address doesn't identify a person in the next State, let alone the next house, as has been stated in court, so to make sure, they introduced this law as a blanket to cover everyone!
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2012 @ 2:37pm

Please insert this easily abused IP legislation into your laws. That way we can keep the lawyers busy sueing you citizens into bankruptcy, thereby forcing them into labour with the local drug trade to lower the cost of the cocaine for our RIAA parties.

It's WIN WIN!
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PlagueSD (profile), 11 Jun 2012 @ 2:39pm

I see this going one of two ways:

The lawsuit passes and SOPA is deemed unconstitutional thereby officially killing SOPA.

The lawsuit is overturned starting the death of the economic system.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2012 @ 2:59pm

To be fair, I have not pirated one Colombian movie since they have enacted that law.

Or even from before, the law is just that good.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jun 2012 @ 3:17pm

Re:
I on the other hand did end up with some counterfeit Colombian Cocaine, which happened to be baking soda mixed with drain cleanser. But at least I was protected from the dangers of a counterfeit Colombian film... =P
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gorehound (profile), 11 Jun 2012 @ 5:40pm

More disgusting News of the MAFIAA and their BS Tactics.Hope this is shut down in Columbia.
Not all of us in the USA support the BS that is being pushed on foreign Nations !!!
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PlagueSD (profile), 12 Jun 2012 @ 9:04am

Re:
Actually, I think the only people in the US that are supporting this crap are those the MAFIAA are paying off.
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