Mexican Senate advances reform targeting misuse of official graphic identity

Mexican Senate commissions have approved reforms to the Federal Penal Code and the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property, a move colloquially dubbed the ‘Anti-Meme Law’. The legislation aims to combat piracy and the unauthorized use of official government branding, logos, and digital domains.

Under the modified proposal, individuals who use institutional graphic identity or official documents ‘on a commercial scale’ to induce error or deception with the intent to commit an offense could face one to five years in prison and significant fines. The maximum prison sentence was recently reduced from seven years during the legislative process.

The proposal has sparked intense debate regarding freedom of expression. Opposition lawmakers from parties such as PAN and Movimiento Ciudadano argue the law could be used as a tool for censorship, potentially targeting political satire, parodies, and memes used to criticize the government.

Proponents, including members of the Morena party and Commission President Javier Corral, maintain that the law is not intended to punish satire or criticism. They assert the measures specifically target commercial exploitation and fraudulent activities that misrepresent the official origin of communications or services.