In order to better protect the works of Latvian authors and promote the use of legal content, the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) will be able to restrict and block pirate websites, according to amendments to the Copyright Law adopted by the Saeima in its final reading on Thursday, December 12.

The amendments will add to the copyright framework the restriction of access to websites where copyright or related rights have been unlawfully published.

In the future, authors will be able to turn to the NEPLP if their rights are infringed and their works are published illegally on the internet.

The changes to the law will also allow NEPLP to restrict or even block illegal and harmful websites. Until now, individuals could go to court to restrict pirate websites.

“This is just one of the steps we should take to promote the use of legal content, in particular, to protect the works of Latvian authors against illegal use,” said Leila Rasima (Progressives), Chair of the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, which is responsible for the draft law.

Ivars Āboliņš, chairman of the NEPLP, told MPs earlier that these powers would help NEPLP protect the works of Latvian authors. He gave the example of a case where two days after the premiere of a Latvian film, it could be watched freely on the internet, and no one in Latvia had the power to take action against this pirate site.

Theoretically, the police can do this, but in practice no one does, Āboliņš said.