http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/ten_strikes?akid=700.450896.5hVZPC&rd=1&t=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib7-vSrp6y8&feature=feeduYikes.
The bill is meant to make streaming digital copyrighted materials (film, music, games). If passed into law, bill S. 978 will require all internet users who have uploaded anything with copyrighted content must take down any video with copyrighted content.
Yes, it includes your gaming videos.So if you have a test video of a new event on Blockland, sorry, you must take it off of YouTube. Made a walkthrough of Portal 2 or gave an awesome soundtrack from Left 4 Dead 2 on the internet? Sorry, those must go down to. But that's not the worst part.
The REAL bad part of this all is how it makes uploading these types of entertainment anywhere on the internet punishable. If the bill does pass, you may not upload new content with copyrighted material in it.
What does this mean? Eksi wants to post the new part of his Chocolate Bar Tennis videos, he must recieve permission directly from Eric Hartman. Found a new feature on World of Warcraft you'd like to share? Send a letter to Blizzard as you need exclusive permission for posting it. Decide it's not worth the trouble to ask for permission? If your video or content
gets streamed over 10 times, you are faced with either a hefty fine of a few thousand US dollars or a jail term not exceeding 5 years. Just think: IGN and Gamespot collapsing overnight.
And not only gaming videos. If you still have a video of your freshman years where you sung one of Lady Gaga's songs, that counts as well.
This bill was meant to only protect upload and access to things like TV shows and full movies, but it only states "the criminal penalty provision for criminal infringement of a copyright".
Though I AM in Hong Kong, I am still unsure whether or not this affects me since YouTube and most other entertainment sites are situated in the United States.
So yeah, bill S978.
Yikes.