Ari explained how copyright works as the default intellectual property license, then he went into a more specific discussion of digital content. The audience was particularly surprised to find out that UU ITE (Undang-Undang No. 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik) covers areas such as human rights and pornography that are already covered by other laws.

This means Indonesian copyright law is unclear. Producers may risk huge fines if they don’t know how to protect themselves. For example, UU ITE or RUU RPM Konten (rancangan undang-undang peraturan menteri) gives the power to authorities, especially police, to classify whether a case can be considered as “pornography” or “dangerous content”. Police may examine filmmakers computers if they have an official warrant. Participants concluded the activist community needs a better understanding of these laws.