Public Civil Actions in data privacy breaches

Class actions are used in various jurisdictions as a key mechanism for the protection of collective rights. The Brazilian legal action that most closely resembles class actions in the USA is the Public Civil Action (ACP), which has served over the years as the primary tool for protecting personal data in Brazil. Before the LGPD […]

Processing of personal data for public security purposes

The processing of personal data for public security purposes triggers the application of various provisions outlined in the Brazilian Data Protection Law (“LGPD”). Analogous to the European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the LGPD excludes the processing of personal data for specific purposes, wherein public interest is pronounced, from its purview. These include national defense, […]

Can a media outlet be held liable for an interviewee’s statement?

In 1995, a print newspaper published an interview with a lawyer who accused a political activist of having carried out a terrorist attack back in 1966. The activist filed a lawsuit against the news company seeking indemnification for moral damages.  The lower court ruled in favor of the offended party, but the decision was overturned […]

Statute of limitations for copyright infringements in Brazil

Brazil’s Copyright Law (“BCL”) does not contain any express provisions concerning statute of limitations. It follows that the general provisions of the Brazilian Civil Code (“BCC”) on limitations shall apply in relation to copyright infringements, and it has been the task of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice to decide what particular provision of the BCC […]

Controllers’ liability in cases of personal data breaches

The Superior Court of Justice (“STJ”, together with the Supreme Court, the two highest Brazilian courts) issued a decision last March restricting the controllers’ liability related to personal data breaches.   A claim seeking compensation for moral damages was filed by a consumer against a Brazilian power utility company due to a leakage of personal data, […]

News content: a battle between producers and distributors

Last August, the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice issued a ruling concerning press clipping services. This case relates to a copyright infringement claim brought by a newspaper against a clipping company that utilized its journalistic content as a basis for crafting customized clippings. The central issues examined by the Court are: (i) whether journalistic works are entitled to protection under copyright law, and if so, (ii) whether clipping services could qualify for any of the exceptions stipulated in […]

Democracy under attack: how it relates to digital platforms’ business model

Fake news – information propagated with the intention to mislead – is a weapon against democracy. Although it is not a novel phenomenon of the 21st century, the constant use of digital platforms, the massive processing of personal data, as well as a crisis of trust in reliable institutions lead to an increased likelihood of […]