Should Internet content be free in Mexico?

“ Internet content should be free, but not without cost,” stated Carlos Anaya Rosique , chairman of the National Chamber of Mexico’s Editorial Industry (CANIEM) , adding that every content author should be remunerated for their work, even on the internet.

There have been many discussions surrounding authorship online and whether creators must be payed for every download or use of their material, whichever it may be. Should digital platforms operate through licenses that make available copyright works only?

Iván Martínez, founder of Wikimedia Mexico

, has acknowledged that the subject should be discussed, since many people agree that authors deserve some sort of payment for their work, though some changes should be implemented, such as a reduction in the 100-year period that the Federal Law on Copyright establishes for works to be kept from the public domain.

Anaya Rosique expressed that the Internet should be a free access space, but certain products and services offered could be remunerated. “After all, Facebook is only a tool for the purchase and sale of products, Wikipedia offers products that somebody has to pay for. It’s fine that they want to offer these services, but they should also respect copyright law.”

According to experts, Mexicans have gotten used to obtaining everything on the internet for free, while in other countries such as Canada , the United States , and Spain , people who make illegal downloads are more likely to face criminal charges

Carlos Ruiz Díaz

, general director of Mexican Music Editors and the Authors and Composers Society of Mexico (EMMACSACM) thinks that “a work of art can be used freely, but it shouldn’t be free of cost. We must understand that creation is the clearest example of freedom of speech. We need to broaden the range of the copyright law in our country and establish a proper legal framework that sets limits and responsibilities for service providers online so that the digital ecosystem can enjoy a greater legal certainty in the use and exploit of creative works,” he stressed.

Mexico has 79.1 million Internet users

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