Senators Want To Put People In Jail For Embedding YouTube Videos

Senators are old. And most of them never used a computer/only know how to get their emails. They shouldn't be able to draft laws on that.

Senators Want To Put People In Jail For Embedding YouTube Videos

Okay, this is just getting ridiculous. A few weeks back, we noted that Senators Amy Klobuchar, John Cornyn and Christopher Coons had proposed a new bill that was designed to make "streaming" infringing material a felony. At the time, the actual text of the bill wasn't available, but we assumed, naturally, that it would just extend "public performance" rights to section 506a of the Copyright Act.

Supporters of this bill claim that all it's really doing is harmonizing US copyright law's civil and criminal sections. After all, the rights afforded under copyright law in civil cases cover a list of rights: reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works or perform the work. The rules for criminal infringement only cover reproducing and distributing -- but not performing. So, supporters claim, all this does is "harmonize" copyright law and bring the criminal side into line with the civil side by adding "performance rights" to the list of things.

If only it were that simple. But, of course, it's not. First of all, despite claims to the contrary, there's a damn good reason why Congress did not include performance rights as a criminal/felony issue: because who would have thought that it would be a criminal act to perform a work without permission? It could be infringing, but that can be covered by a fine. When we suddenly criminalize a performance, that raises all sorts of questionable issues.

Furthermore, as we suspected, in the full text of the bill, "performance" is not clearly defined. This is the really troubling part. Everyone keeps insisting that this is targeted towards "streaming" websites, but is streaming a "performance"? If so, how does embedding play into this? Is the site that hosts the content guilty of performing? What about the site that merely linked to and/or embedded the video (linking and embedding are technically effectively the same thing). Without clear definitions, we run into problems pretty quickly.

And it gets worse. Because rather than just (pointlessly) adding "performance" to the list, the bill tries to also define what constitutes a potential felony crime in these circumstances:

the offense consists of 10 or more public performances by electronic means, during any 180-day period, of 1 or more copyrighted works

So yeah. If you embed a YouTube video that turns out to be infringing, and more than 10 people view it because of your link... you could be facing five years in jail. This is, of course, ridiculous, and suggests (yet again) politicians who are regulating a technology they simply do not understand. Should it really be a criminal act to embed a YouTube video, even if you don't know it was infringing...? This could create a massive chilling effect to the very useful service YouTube provides in letting people embed videos.

Stupid government yet again putting their noses where they shouldn't.

What about congress doesn't pass a freaking new law for the next 5 years and instead review actual laws to see if they are constitutional? Because a lot of them are not or the federal government has no freaking reason to go there. The constitution has left many of those areas to the states, but somehow the federal government has found a way to use the commerce clause to get into EVERYTHING...

Ah yes, I forgot, for that to actually happen, GOOD AND HONEST PEOPLE would need to be elected.... and no way that happens considering the reelection rate in 2010 was 92%.

EDIT: Seems it was already posted... Sorry...
Here in breaking news

what fascists

they should all swing for treason

revolution is coming

the coming insurrection

WE WILL START TO PUSH BACK

Easy solution,

Stop linking, embedding anything from YouTube. And if youtube stops allowing links, streaming and embedding. then we have to stop...right?

Then...let Youtube take them on. Done.

They rely on links, referrals and embedding all wrapped up in advertising and traffic. If they want to take on youtube...go ahead. These Govt. officials don't understand the Constitution...let alone the Net.

Ain't gonna be pretty.

On the flip side, It will lessen the amount of "End Of The World" and "Proof:Best UFO footage ever!" threads here on ATS!!

Originally posted by redbarron626
On the flip side, It will lessen the amount of "End Of The World" and "Proof:Best UFO footage ever!" threads here on ATS!!

Well, somebody had to say it....

Originally posted by jude11
Easy solution,

Stop linking, embedding anything from YouTube. And if youtube stops allowing links, streaming and embedding. then we have to stop...right?

Then...let Youtube take them on. Done.

They rely on links, referrals and embedding all wrapped up in advertising and traffic. If they want to take on youtube...go ahead. These Govt. officials don't understand the Constitution...let alone the Net.

Ain't gonna be pretty.

Those are the thoughts I was having as I read the source material. And furthermore, Youtube won't be the only powerful entity with a stake in the outcome. This is what happens when laws are allowed to be written by well-connected lobbyists. I can't remember which idiotic congressperson/senator it was who said, "Our job is making laws, not reading laws." And that, I think, pretty much sums it up....

Like our prisons aren't overcrowded as it is.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

film a cop, go to jail, embed that video, go to jail, smoke here, go to jail, do this, go to jail, might as well just start in jail, wait...

Reply to post by yourmaker

I wouldn't be shocked at all if pretty soon farting in public sends you to jail. And they will decide how many years you will serve based on how quickly your fart clears the room.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Taken from Youtube, I hope 11 people watch it.

reply to post by Vitchilo


that senator is really a caveman in this century i think

I look across the pond in puzzlement as it seems that you are rushing to become that which you've always despised.

As a local Liberal Leader would say.. you appear to be infected with the "Big Rot" (big bureaucracy and big business causing a 'Big Rot' in society)

I hope we (in the West) come to our senses and find a way to stop the rot infecting our systems of governance.

reply to post by Vitchilo


they love slinging out felony crimes don't they? let's just turn everyone into felons and be done with it.