Copyright Protection Act and Defamation Amendment
Copyright Protection Act and Defamation Amendment
Article 1: Copyright Protection Act Amendments
§1.0 : Article 2§3 that currently reads :
“Creator: The individual or group who produces original content within the community.”
Shall be amended to read :
“Creator: The legal entity that produces original content within the community.”
§1.1 : Article 4§1 that currently reads :
“Members may use copyrighted content without the creator's explicit permission if it is for educational, commentary, satirical, parody, transformative and any other non commercial purposes.”
Shall be amended to read :
“Members may use copyrighted content without the creator's explicit permission if it is reasonably deemed to be for journalistic, educational, research, commentary, criticism, satirical, parody and/or transformative purposes.”
§1.2 : Article 4 shall be amended to add §3 that shall read :
“Any content or work produced in the furtherance of official duties for the government shall not be eligible for copyright protections.”
§1.3 : Article 5§2 that currently reads :
“The burden of proof lies with the claimant to demonstrate ownership of the content.”
Shall be amended to read :
“The burden of proof lies with the plaintiff to demonstrate ownership of the content.”
§1.4 : Article 6 shall be renamed to “Responsibilities of the DoEX and Public Domain”
§1.5 : Article 6§1 that currently reads :
“The Department of Activity shall have the responsibility to register copyrights upon relevant requests by creators. The Registry shall include relevant information such as the Work’s Title, Creation Date, Creator’s legal name and the Registration date.”
Shall be amended to read :
“The Department of Expansion shall have the responsibility to register copyrights upon relevant requests by creators. The Registry shall include relevant information such as the Work’s Title, Creation Date, Creator’s legal name and the Registration date.”
§1.6 : Article 6§2 that currently reads :
“The Department shall submit an annual report to the Senate summarizing the number of registered works, resolved disputes, and any recommendations for improving copyright protections.”
Shall be amended to read :
“The Department shall submit a report to the Senate every 2 weeks summarizing the number of registered works, resolved disputes, and any recommendations for improving copyright protections.”
§1.7 : Article 6 shall be amended to add §7 that shall read :
“Any citizen of SimDemocracy or the State of SimDemocracy may challenge copyright registrations with the Department of Expansion.”
§1.8 : Article 6 shall be amended to add §7.1 that shall read :
“The burden of proof here shall lie with the defendant to demonstrate ownership of the content and the decision shall lie with the Secretary of Expansion but it may be appealed in the lower courts.”
§1.9 Article 7 shall be amended to strike §1 and to renumber §2 to §1.
Article 2 : Civil Code 2025 Amendment
§2.0 : Part V Article 1§4 that currently reads:
“The damages available for defamation shall be payment for any salary or business lost if applicable.”
Shall be amended to read :
“The damages available for defamation shall be payment for any salary or business lost if applicable along with payment for any reputational damage suffered as determined by the court based upon the following factors :
(a) the nature and gravity of the defamation;
(b) the conduct, position and standing of the plaintiff and the defendant;
(c) the mode and extent of publication;
(d) the natural indignation of the court at the injury caused to the plaintiff;
(e) the conduct of the defendant from the time the defamatory statement is published to the very moment of the verdict;
(f) whether an apology and retraction of the defamatory statement was made;
(g) the presence of malice; and,
(h) Such other factors as the court may consider necessary.
The Court may also require the defendant to retract the statement publicly.”
§2.1: Part V Article 1§3 shall be amended and shall read as follows :
“Disseminating defamatory statements with the reasonable belief that they were true is exempt, unless the defendant was willfully blind to the statement’s defamatory nature.”
Authored by Lucas
Passed by the Senate on 20th March 2025
Signed by the President on 21st March 2025
