Colombia: Approval of “Lleras Law 2.0″ Ignites Netizens’ Indignation
The approval by the Colombian Congress of the proposed Law 201 (2012) -popularly known as ’Lleras Law 2.0′- which reforms [es] the framework to legislate and regulate copyright and intellectual property, sparked indignation among Colombian netizens.
The only pending step is the signature of President Juan Manuel Santos, who seeks to present the bill to President Obama as part of a package of requirements for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States during an upcoming bilateral meeting at the Sixth Summit of the Americas. Consequently, the possibility of repealing this law is solely in the hands of the Constitutional Court, the entity responsible for ensuring the integrity and hegemony of the Constitution.
Among its articles, this law covers the issue of television and internet copyright, which according to users and researchers threatens freedom of expression and the ability to share files and exchange material through cyberspace.
Numerous citizens and activists are demonstrating their indignation, and some are sharing their proposals for alternatives. While some bloggers propose strategies [es] to evade the law or create pages to organize protests [es], other activists like Anonymous [es] announce retaliation [es].
