New Bill Makes Illegal Streaming A Felony

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

How does one stream for profit? Do people get payed to watch stuff or do people make money off of showing streams or something? Cause the way this is said only means they'll be punishing people who upload stuff on streaming paysites, not the actual people doing the streaming. Therefore the title is very misleading, streaming is still legal, uploading things to be streamed is what may be outlawed.

 

[TehAardvark]

Yeah I don't think that's going to work. There are a ton of copyrights out there, how the hell do you know if you're breaking one when you watch a video? Shouldn't the burden be on the sites to regulate what they have up and check whether or not it's illegal? Why punish the people watching videos on a site that checks as legitimate? I hope I'm misreading and this only applies to either the person uploading the stream or those charging to watch it because otherwise we're waltzing down bullsh*t lane where you're going to need to sign forms in triplicate and send them in for approval before you log on anything.

 

[volcanblade]

I could be very wrong but I think what is meant is uploading the stream. If not they're going to have a really hard time doing anything with it.

 

[RandallJohn]

Well, there goes the entirety of my television watching. Awesome.

 

[CoverYourHead]

There seems to be some confusion. From what I understand, this bill doesn't punish people who are watching streaming, only those who are actually streaming it. So don't worry unless you're streaming! Which is good news for me, because I need to find my sub'd animes somewhere!

 

[rancher of monsters]

My first thought, how will this affect my porn?

No worries, if you keep your lolicon stashed away, out of sight in a small flash drive hanging on your neck with a password you'll most likely not get caught.
Oh, you were talking about internet porn! Ah... Ignore what I just wrote down, I read it somewhere... in, eh.... National Geographic!

I wasn't aware that National Geographic did articles on lolis.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I don't see how they'll actually enforce this and if they do, it'll be a further waste of money in a fruitless "war on copyright".

 

[rsvp42]

While it's logical to put the same penalties on streaming as are on sharing/downloading copyrighted works, I'm unclear on who is under threat of litigation here. Is it the sites that allow such streaming like Stagevu and Justin.tv or the users that post the videos?

 

[vxicepickxv]

Here's a link to the actual bill

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s978is/pdf/BILLS-112s978is.pdf

It's a bit more complicated than explained above.

My first thought, how will this affect my porn?

How do you get your porn?

I wonder if this will harm people streaming their screen as they play videogames?

It depends on a wide variety of factors.
1. Are you making a profit?
2. Are you doing this more than 10 times in 180 days?
3. Are you costing more than 2,500 USD in damages to the original copyright holder?
4. Are you doing it without the permission of the copyright holder?

If you answer no to any of those questions, then it doesn't affect you.
Desert Bus For Hope is live streaming, but can answer no to all four of the questions.
The Escapist can answer no to three of the four questions, and therefore is in the clear.

Does anyone watch streams of stuff anyway?
I surely don't.

Any video you watch without having to download is streaming. This bill is written to go after the hosts of streaming materials, not the viewers.

EDIT : Fark Acronym time IANAL - I am not a lawyer.

 

[VanTesla]

I'll love to see them enforce it...

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

I don't stream at all, but I was nervious untill I saw this

Additionally, the Motion Picture Association of America states that those who "stream videos without intending to profit" will not be prosecuted under the newly amended law.

It's one thing to give something someone else made away for free (which I still think is wrong), it's another to make money off of it.

So put me down as cautiously optimistic

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

There seems to be some confusion. From what I understand, this bill doesn't punish people who are watching streaming, only those who are actually streaming it. So don't worry unless you're streaming! Which is good news for me, because I need to find my sub'd animes somewhere!

Yeah, the title is extremely misleading. It's almost as this is IGN.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

So we won't be prosecuted for streaming just so long as we don't profit from it? I can live with that.

IT's not illegal to download via bit torrent, its illegal to share via uploading. At least where im from anyway.

My first thought, how will this affect my porn?

You're first thought, especially given your avatar, should have been "How will this affect my ponies?"

 

[TheIronRuler]

My first thought, how will this affect my porn?

No worries, if you keep your lolicon stashed away, out of sight in a small flash drive hanging on your neck with a password you'll most likely not get caught.
Oh, you were talking about internet porn! Ah... Ignore what I just wrote down, I read it somewhere... in, eh.... National Geographic!

I wasn't aware that National Geographic did articles on lolis.

*wink* They SURE DO!
Don't they? *wink*
Just remember to use potent security (and encryption) on the flash-drive contents to avoid sitting in Jail, doing what you love reading about.
I should stop now.

 

[vxicepickxv]

So we won't be prosecuted for streaming just so long as we don't profit from it? I can live with that.

If you're WATCHING the performances, you won't be prosecuted at all. If you're the one providing them, then you could be.

EDIT : Again, IANAL

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

So we won't be prosecuted for streaming just so long as we don't profit from it? I can live with that.

If you're WATCHING the performances, you won't be prosecuted at all. If you're the one providing them, then you could be.

EDIT : Again, IANAL

What about abridged series, then? They stream copyrighted video, but don't make a profit (except from merchandise, but that's different). I assume they're protected by free use and parody laws, right?

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

So we won't be prosecuted for streaming just so long as we don't profit from it? I can live with that.

If you're WATCHING the performances, you won't be prosecuted at all. If you're the one providing them, then you could be.

EDIT : Again, IANAL

What about abridged series, then? They stream copyrighted video, but don't make a profit (except from merchandise, but that's different). I assume they're protected by free use and parody laws, right?

I don't think fair use protects them, at least not in the states.

Examples of fair use include commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship.

Parody I think protects them, however. Again, I don't know. I'm just going by wikipedia.

 

[Sleekgiant]

There seems to be some confusion. From what I understand, this bill doesn't punish people who are watching streaming, only those who are actually streaming it. So don't worry unless you're streaming! Which is good news for me, because I need to find my sub'd animes somewhere!

Streaming =/= viewing so I don't see how this is confusing. Also unless someone is charging for the stream, I don't even see how this law is applicable. It'd be like the police arresting me for inviting people over to watch a DVD I own.

My first thought, how will this affect my porn?

Amatuer livestreams shall be unaffected :3

I'll love to see them enforce it...

They won't.

Also Fair Use applies here.

 

[Antari]

So if this passes this will essentially make 50% of the content on youtube illegal. I wonder how they are taking this.

 

[vxicepickxv]

So we won't be prosecuted for streaming just so long as we don't profit from it? I can live with that.

If you're WATCHING the performances, you won't be prosecuted at all. If you're the one providing them, then you could be.

EDIT : Again, IANAL

What about abridged series, then? They stream copyrighted video, but don't make a profit (except from merchandise, but that's different). I assume they're protected by free use and parody laws, right?

That's the thing, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know the extent of the law.