COLOMBIA
CONGRESS TO MODIFY COPYRIGHT LAW
The proposed legislation brings a series of amendments to Law 23 of 1982 (copyright law) in order to comply with several obligations that Colombia acquired with the United States upon executing the free trade agreement.
Some of the main changes consist of increasing the penalties for offenses related to copyright infringements and extending the copyright protection term from 30 to 70 years for legal entities.
Additionally, the amendment authorizes judges to order the destruction of the infringing materials and authorizes them to order infringers to disclose any infringement related information.
Moreover, the amendment also brings new limitations and exceptions that allow the use of copyright without infringing its owner’s rights.