Selected year snapshot
For 2024, the active event in this file is Ley 64 de 10 de octubre de 2012, sobre Derecho de Autor y Derechos Conexos (as amended by Ley 90 de 2019).
60%
Current rationale
As of 2025, Panama's copyright law in force is Ley 64 de 2012, as amended by Ley 90 de 15 de agosto de 2019 (which created the Ministry of Culture and affected administrative articles 152 and 159 but did not modify the exceptions and limitations chapter). The exceptions and limitations relevant to research remain unchanged from the 2012 law. The most permissive exception for research purposes is Art. 67 (private/personal reproduction by the copier, single copy, non-profit), which permits full-work reproduction but is restricted to private/personal use by individuals. No general fair use, fair dealing, open research exception, or TDM exception exists. The quotation exception (Art. 68) is limited to short passages. The library exception (Art. 69) is limited to preservation/replacement. Educational exceptions (Arts. 70-71) are limited to excerpts or classroom communication. No amendment between 2012 and 2025 has introduced a TDM exception or broadened the research-relevant exceptions. Classification: LIGHT BLUE. The private/personal use restriction is the binding constraint. Non-commercial restriction is classification-neutral.
Exceptions considered
Reproduction for exclusively personal/private use of the copier, single copy, non-profit purpose
Quotation of short passages from lawfully published works for criticism, teaching, or informatory purposes
Reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement of deteriorated/lost copies
Reproduction of excerpts for illustration in teaching at educational establishments
Communication of works in classroom teaching activities
Law changes
Ley 15 de 8 de agosto de 1994, por la cual se aprueba la Ley sobre el Derecho de Autor y Derechos Conexos
Baseline · Effective 1994-08-08
60%
Relevant section: Art. 67, Art. 68, Art. 69
Dates: Effective 1994-08-08 · Enacted 1994-08-08
Why this score
Panama's copyright law in force on 1990-01-01 was Ley 3 de 1922 (Código Fiscal provisions on copyright) and subsequent decrees, but the full statutory text of the pre-1994 law could not be verified via web search. The earliest verifiable comprehensive copyright statute is Ley 15 de 1994, which entered into force on 8 August 1994. Under Ley 15 de 1994, the key research-relevant exceptions included: Art. 67 (private reproduction for personal use of the copier, single copy, non-commercial), Art. 68 (quotation from lawfully published works for teaching, criticism, or informatory purposes, limited to short passages), and Art. 69 (reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement). The private-use exception (Art. 67) was the most permissive for research, permitting reproduction of full works for personal/private use by individuals, but it was limited to private/personal scope and did not authorize sharing or institutional use. No general fair use, fair dealing, or open research exception existed. The quotation exception was limited to short passages (RED-level). The library exception was limited to preservation/replacement, not general research copying. Therefore the most permissive exception for research was the private-use provision, yielding LIGHT BLUE. Because the actual 1990-01-01 text could not be verified, this baseline is set at the date Ley 15 de 1994 entered into force.
Exceptions considered
Private reproduction for exclusively personal use of the copier, single copy, non-commercial purpose
Quotation of short passages from lawfully published works for teaching, criticism, or informatory purposes
Reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement of copies
Source links
Ley 64 de 10 de octubre de 2012, sobre Derecho de Autor y Derechos Conexos
Relevant update · Effective 2012-10-10
60%
Relevant section: Art. 67, Art. 68, Art. 69, Art. 70, Art. 71
Dates: Effective 2012-10-10 · Enacted 2012-10-10
Why this score
Ley 64 de 2012 repealed and replaced Ley 15 de 1994 as Panama's comprehensive copyright law. It entered into force upon publication in the Gaceta Oficial. The new law maintained a similar structure of exceptions and limitations. The key research-relevant provisions include: Art. 67 (reproduction for exclusively personal/private use of the copier, single copy, non-profit); Art. 68 (quotation of short passages from lawfully published works); Art. 69 (reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement); Art. 70 (reproduction for teaching purposes in educational establishments, limited to excerpts); and Art. 71 (communication of works for teaching in classrooms). No general fair use, fair dealing, or open-ended research exception was introduced. No TDM exception was introduced. The private-use exception (Art. 67) remains the most permissive for individual researchers, permitting reproduction of full works for personal use, but it is restricted to private/personal scope and does not authorize sharing or institutional use. Classification remains LIGHT BLUE. Non-commercial restriction in the private-use exception is classification-neutral per the rules.
Exceptions considered
Reproduction for exclusively personal/private use of the copier, single copy, non-profit purpose
Quotation of short passages from lawfully published works for criticism, teaching, or informatory purposes
Reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement of deteriorated/lost copies
Reproduction of excerpts for illustration in teaching at educational establishments
Communication of works in classroom teaching activities
Source links
Ley 64 de 10 de octubre de 2012, sobre Derecho de Autor y Derechos Conexos (as amended by Ley 90 de 2019)
Current law confirmation · Effective 2012-10-10
60%
Relevant section: Art. 67, Art. 68, Art. 69, Art. 70, Art. 71
Dates: Effective 2012-10-10 · Enacted 2012-10-10
Why this score
As of 2025, Panama's copyright law in force is Ley 64 de 2012, as amended by Ley 90 de 15 de agosto de 2019 (which created the Ministry of Culture and affected administrative articles 152 and 159 but did not modify the exceptions and limitations chapter). The exceptions and limitations relevant to research remain unchanged from the 2012 law. The most permissive exception for research purposes is Art. 67 (private/personal reproduction by the copier, single copy, non-profit), which permits full-work reproduction but is restricted to private/personal use by individuals. No general fair use, fair dealing, open research exception, or TDM exception exists. The quotation exception (Art. 68) is limited to short passages. The library exception (Art. 69) is limited to preservation/replacement. Educational exceptions (Arts. 70-71) are limited to excerpts or classroom communication. No amendment between 2012 and 2025 has introduced a TDM exception or broadened the research-relevant exceptions. Classification: LIGHT BLUE. The private/personal use restriction is the binding constraint. Non-commercial restriction is classification-neutral.
Exceptions considered
Reproduction for exclusively personal/private use of the copier, single copy, non-profit purpose
Quotation of short passages from lawfully published works for criticism, teaching, or informatory purposes
Reproduction by libraries and archives for preservation or replacement of deteriorated/lost copies
Reproduction of excerpts for illustration in teaching at educational establishments
Communication of works in classroom teaching activities