A reform driven by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sparked strong controversy in Congress after its original wording included penalties of three to seven years in prison for certain unauthorized uses of the official graphic identity of the State. The discussion raised warnings about a possible impact on memes, cartoons, and political parodies shared on the internet.
The project is part of a package of reforms on industrial property and copyright presented by Sheinbaum in May 2026. The proposed Article 403 Bis established sanctions for anyone who used, reproduced, imitated, or incorporated, on a commercial scale, logos, domain names, or other official signs of public powers and government agencies.
The wording drew criticism because it did not initially establish an explicit exception for satirical content. The PAN coordinator in the Senate, Ricardo Anaya, argued that a person could face a penalty of up to seven years if they used the government graphic identity in a parody.
The controversy reached cartoonists and content creators. Some expressed concern that legislation originally intended to combat counterfeiting and the improper commercial use of official symbols could end up affecting expressions of political satire.
