New changes in American legislation are designed to toughen penalties for illegal streaming of content (including video games). Now violators can face up to 10 years in prison. Against this background, many began to worry that streamers would face criminal prosecution.This became known from the new amendments to the Law on Consolidated Appropriations for 2021, which provides government funding for federal projects and institutions.
Now the package of measures is awaiting the signing of President Donald Trump (Donald Trump).
Most of the changes concerned the expansion of assistance to the population and small businesses in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the extension of payments to the unemployed until March next year. However, there was a place for some consolidated legislative acts in it.
One of the proposals, authored by Senator Thom Tillis, is designed to toughen the punishment for illegal streaming.
The main provisions of the billThe Tills bill concerns all copyrighted content: music, movies, video games, etc.
- Illegal broadcasting of content for the purpose of obtaining commercial benefits will now become a criminal offense (previously it was equated to a minor offense).
- The bill provides for a maximum penalty for repeated violations up to 10 years in prison.
- A special council on copyright infringement complaints will be established to monitor violations.
- He will consider incoming claims and make payments to copyright holders up to $ 30 thousand.Implications for streamers and the industry
Even before the bill was passed, many people began to worry about how the new rules would affect streaming services like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook Gaming.
The issue of tougher penalties for broadcasting copyrighted content is especially acute for streamers who play games live or release recordings with walkthroughs. Moreover, the number of complaints received from copyright holders has increased markedly recently.
However, Senator Tills assured that “no streamer should worry about harassment.” The bill proposed by him is aimed primarily at owners of pirated services that intentionally broadcast copyrighted content.
According to Tills, the American economy loses about $30 billion annually due to illegal streaming. At the same time, not everyone agrees with the proposed changes and methods of regulation.
Reaction to the billThe non-profit organization Public Knowledge, dealing with copyright issues, positively evaluates the clause on the release of users and streamers from liability.
However, its representatives believe that there is no need to tighten criminal legislation now.
The process of adopting the Law on Consolidated Appropriations was also criticized. The document contains more than 5 thousand pages and consists of unrelated bills, which are eventually adopted together with the main package. Also, some officials note that only two hours were allotted for familiarization with the new amendments this year.
The final impact of the Tills bill on the gaming industry and streamers can only be assessed in the future. However, representatives of the film business have already positively assessed the changes in the fight against pirates.