Mexico Senate committees approve Ley Antimemes copyright reform, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Senate committees in Mexico approved the reform known as the “Ley Antimemes,” which provides for fines of up to 40,000 Unidades de Medida y Actualización (UMA), equivalent to more than 4.6 million pesos, for digital platforms that fail to meet certain obligations related to copyright.
The initiative, promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum, was endorsed by the joint Economy and First Legislative Studies committees with 19 votes in favor from Morena and its allies and seven against. The session lasted less than 40 minutes.
The proposal reforms the Federal Copyright Law and has drawn criticism from opposition legislators, who warn of possible censorship risks and restrictions on freedom of expression on social media. The ruling modifies Article 114 Octies and adds Articles 114 Nonies and 232 Septies, establishing new responsibilities for digital platforms and internet service providers facing copyright infringements.
Among the main measures, economic sanctions would be administered by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), under the scenarios set out in the reform.
During the legislative discussion, senators from the PAN and PRI questioned whether the new provisions could be used to restrict critical content, parody and satirical publications. PRI senator Carolina Viggiano warned that the reform could affect freedom of expression, while Morena legislators defended the need to protect copyright against illegal distribution of digital content.
The initiative does not establish a general ban on memes, although the opposition believes the content removal mechanisms could lead to excessive restrictions on social networks. The article distinguishes this initiative from a separate reform on industrial property and criminal law, also called “Ley Antimemes,” which provides prison sentences of one to five years for fraudulently using symbols, documents or graphic identities of public institutions to commit crimes.
That provision does not impose prison terms merely for creating or sharing memes, caricatures or political criticism.
The reform on digital platform responsibility was previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies on October 7 and advanced in Senate committees on November 3. Reports consulted confirm approval in committee and ongoing legislative discussion, but the parliamentary process is not yet concluded.
The controversy keeps open the debate over the limits between copyright protection and the freedom of expression guarantees of users, journalists and content creators in Mexico.
