Brazil's courts weigh copyright damages and big‑tech liability

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) will resume a hearing on June 9 concerning a long‑running plagiarism dispute. The panel is considering whether interest and monetary correction should start only after the liquidation phase of the judgment, rather than from the date of the original infringement. Legal experts warn that adopting the new approach could set a precedent that dramatically reduces compensation in many extracontractual liability cases, potentially weakening the principle of full reparation.

Meanwhile, the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) is set to reconvene on June 10 to review challenges to the expanded responsibilities of large digital platforms. The review follows two decrees issued by President Luiz Inácio Lula's government that detail obligations for social‑media companies and assign the Agência Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD) to enforce them. The case addresses how platforms must handle illegal content such as terrorism‑related material, hate speech, and suicide‑inducing posts, and it could shape the balance between freedom of expression and user protection in Brazil's digital sphere.