The Spanish
Government approved a new legislation that will block websites deemed to
violate copyright infringements. A new body within the Ministry of Culture will
be in charge of managing and coordinating the process, which is independent
from any other civil or criminal procedure. An individual or a collective
management organisation can make a request to the new body and ask the internet
provider to remove unauthorised content on the website. The Decree, will come
into force on 1 March 2012. Meanwhile, the Government adopted a new regulation
on private copying, which came into effect on 1 January 2012. According to the
new rule, the compensation for private copying will no longer be paid by
manufacturers or importers. Instead, the Spanish government will pay an amount
based on the estimation of the damage caused by the private copying. The money
will be deducted from the national budget.