The controversial “Sinde´s Law” on illegal downloading from the Internet is a step closer to becoming law as it passes through the Senate with 244 votes in favour and 12 against.
Now the bill must return to the Congress where it was heavily defeated in December. However, following a pact between the main political parties which has watered down the law, it is expected to pass easily and could be in effect by the summer.
Congress rejected the law, which is intended to protect author´s rights, in December because the opposition party, Partido Popular, would not agree to the closure of offending websites within 48 hours. As the modified law now stands websites which offer downloads without permission of the authors still face closure however the whole process of investigating and blocking a website will now be subject to judicial oversight, will be processed by a lower court and will be over much longer time period.
The Minister of Culture, Ängeles González-Sinde, after whom the law has been named, has said she is confident the first website closures will be applied this summer.
