The year 2011 closed with the approval of two important regulatory changes bearing on intellectual property. Royal Decree No. 1889/2011 created the new Intellectual Property Commission mandated by the Sustainable Economy Act. The Commission's terms of reference have been expanded to include mediation and arbitration between right holders and rights management societies. However, it is in the area of "safeguarding intellectual property rights from infringement by information society service providers" where the Commission comes into its own to ensure the smooth operation of digital rights management. In its turn, Royal Decree No. 20/2011 on urgent budgetary matters repealed the current system of fair compensation for private copying (or levy), which will become a chapter in Spain's national budget.
Source: Official State Gazette
