Controversy is building in Spain after the release of a new batch of WikiLeaks cables, which appear to show US diplomatic pressure on the Spanish government to enact anti-piracy legislation. As reported in Spanish newspaper El Pais, the cables indicate threats by the US to put Spain on its Special 301 Watch List of countries not providing adequate protection for intellectual property rights. One 2008 cable reveals plans to make three demands of the Spanish government: announce that internet piracy is illegal; amend a 2006 circular that had been interpreted as saying P2P filesharing was legal; and introduce Hadopi/DEA-style anti-piracy legislation by the summer of 2009. The cables aren’t a huge surprise – Spain was indeed added to the Watch list in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Spanish anti-piracy legislation comes under the WikiLeaks spotlight
