Obama's task force wants to make unauthorized streaming a felony

[Crow73]

Source: Rawstory

The U.S. Department of Commerce wants to crack down on the unauthorized streaming of video and audio content by reviving a provision of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

In a report released last week, the Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force called for the unauthorized streaming of copyrighted works to become a felony.

“This recommendation was disappointing,” Corynne McSherry, the Intellectual Property Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Raw Story via email. “Legacy content industries need to learn, at last, that they don’t need new enforcement tools, they need competitive business models. As we learned at last week’s Judiciary Committee hearing, creative people are succeeding in the digital economy despite, not because of, copyright restrictions. New copyright penalties won’t lead to more compensation for anyone but lawyers.”

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/06/obama-administration-task-force-wants-to-make-unauthorized-streaming-a-felony/

[bluedigger]

1. Well, that should make the prison industrial complex very happy.

We're going to need a lot more prisons!

[phantom power]

18. +1e6

[Locrian]

24. ohhh! win win! double plus good!

Prison complex AND NSA = win win for BOTH industries!

NSA finds all those downloading 'terrorists' then the prison complex processes them.

[another_liberal]

30. I'm sure . . .

I'm sure their many lobbyists were involved in both crafting the legislation and securing the votes.

[kestrel91316]

51. Truer words were never spoken.

[Garion_55]

2. seems every day lately a new reason to oppose this administration

what a disappointment he has been. we need a real progressive in the white house.

[liberalmike27]

53. Sadly

Agreed. Such a disappointment.

[newfie11]

3. So would this mean the streaming done during occupy would be illegal

Great way to shut down information from getting to the common folks.
Can't have that you know. We must listen only to what big brother allows on the news channels and believe what we are fed.

[JimDandy]

36. Only streaming of copyrighted material would become a felony.

Seems very heavy-handed to change it from a misdemeanor to a felony.

I don't really understand what the industry is going after though. Are they seriously going to charge someone with a felony if a copyrighted song is sung at an event that gets streamed, even if the performance was extemporaneous? Do they charge the singers with the felony, the streamer who didn't know a copyrighted song would be sung until it's too late, or the owner of the equipment to which the event was streamed?

If so there needs to be exceptions for unplanned performances of copyrighted material, especially at public events. Can you imagine a proud parent streaming a kid's birthday party (or even putting it on youtube) and being hit with a felony because a kid at the party was singing or playing a copyrighted song?

[newfie11]

82. This is crazy!

Pretty soon you will need to keep notes to find out what is illegal.

[JimDandy]

87. That is what it seems like it's coming down to alright. n/t

[Scootaloo]

88. "Only?" Here's what that means

If you're producing your own content for a stream, and someone drives by with their radio cranked up so that a piece of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" ends up in the audio of your stream, YOU ARE NOW A FELON. Yes, it's that broad. It's not just if you intentionally (even if unknowingly) upload copyrighted material. It's even if it is beyond your own control.

[JimDandy]

90. The 'beyond your control' is quite a problem, then. n/t

[Scootaloo]

91. It's a "grab bag" law

Essentially corporate-written law, used by corporations to enforce their edicts and desires upon the citizenry. This isn't even masked fascism, this is open-air freerange fascism.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. And the banksters who caused the world economic collapse . . .

still walking around and making gazillions every hour. Don't ya just love a "Democratic" president?

[newfie11]

6. +1billion or maybe trillion

[MotherPetrie]

13. +1

[bvar22]

80. Hey Now!!! Sounds like you are begrudging them their wealth!!!

"We can't begrudge them their wealth."

I know some of these guys, "and they are just savvy businessmen."

"Its the Free Market,
I mean, look at all the Baseball Players."

[cascadiance]

94. Perhaps if we have some of the fines we fine banksters with go to the prison industrial complex...

... directly, maybe we could change the priorities of law enforcement to arrest and throw those bastards in prison that really should be there instead!!

If we can't get our government to do the right things ethically, maybe we could throw the crooks' money at the equation?

[OnyxCollie]

5. Unauthorized streaming = felony.

Torture = policy difference.

[Le Taz Hot]

7. Welcome to Obamaland.

[Maedhros]

55. This is the heart of my disagreement with Obama.

The pro-Obama folks assume that I'm upset with the President because I didn't get the specific sparkly pony I wanted (e.g. Single Payer, etc.).

No, no, no. I'm not angry at the President for what he hasn't done. I'm angry at the President because of all the fucked up things that he has done - offering Social Security as a bargaining chip, appointing Wall Street execs to his cabinet, eliminating habeus corpus, dropping Hellfire missiles on children, etc.

This is just another example.

[Skittles]

65. don't call them pro-Obama

we all want Obama to succeed - the difference is, we call him on his bullshit

[Maedhros]

67. There are some things at which I definitely DON'T want Obama to succeed.

e.g the Trans Pacific Partnership, the "grand bargain" to diminish Social Security, establishment of the surveillance state, criminalization of investigative reporting, et al.

[Skittles]

78. I mean succeed at being a true progressive president

that shit - well, true Democrats, heck, anyone who CARES needs to call him out on it

[Maedhros]

83. I never expected Obama to be a Progressive.

He's a Chicago Machine Democrat.

[Skittles]

84. I had my doubts but I just kept hoping

I guess because that is really all we have left now

[Maedhros]

86. "Hoping for Change" is not as strong a campaign slogan is it? [n/t]

[WCLinolVir]

104. Lesser of evils.Nothing but.

I am surprised by how often I feel like he is effing us over. And look at the fine job Rahm has done in Chicago.

[think]

8. Wonder how companies will feel when their content is ignored

and no longer shared.

[Electric Monk]

72. The president of Adobe once said "I'd rather people pirate our software than buy our competitors" nt

[Scootaloo]

89. Well, given Adobe's products are all above the $500 mark...

Seems more of a concession to the inevitable.

[Hydra]

105. That's where this is leading

I find more in the realm of freeware and internet artists that I like than corp enterprise. Having no money and nobody around who has the products...I don't miss them.

They're grasping sand. In the end, they'll be holding nothing.

[think]

106. As they still kling to sifting thru the data I'll give them this

they still have time to reinvent themselves.....

[Harmony Blue]

9. This confirms that the Obama adminstration

is in the beltway bubble.

So out of touch.

[MotherPetrie]

15. +1

[BuelahWitch]

10. I guess that's one way to get rid of the terminally unemployed

and keep the private prisons full.

[kestrel91316]

52. [phone]

[blackspade]

11. A solution searching for a problem.

[TM99]

12. Well this isn't about piracy that is for sure

because pirates don't stream. They rip and torrent avi's, mp4's, mp3's, mkv's, etc. Streaming is what you do with Netflix. Streaming is sending live video of that protest you are attending. Streaming is what I do when I want to send my ripped and legally owned movies from my computer to my TV in the other room.

No, this is just more authoritarian bullshit designed to control and intimidate. Obama is beyond being a disappointment.

[MotherPetrie]

14. +1

[Carolina]

74. you are so right, TM99

this is just more authoritarian bullshit designed to control and intimidate. Obama is beyond being a disappointment

[ShawnRIN]

99. Good Point

Streaming is very different than illegal downloads.

[jakeXT]

110. Who is behind wiziwig.tv and project free tv ?

[TM99]

112. Sites like these

are aggregates. They link to Youtube and other channels, including major broadcast networks that provide streaming TV online. There is still advertising like regular TV. Are there a few 'pirate networks' in there? Sure, but the majority are not. They just bring it all together so people can watch free shows already provided online.

This will NOT affect real piracy in the least.

[L0oniX]

16. ...because there's nothing more important to do. Sad.

[forestpath]

17. The Obama administration's main function is to be the 1%'s protector/enforcer.

[John2]

64. Your comment

made me look even deeper. This was put forth by the Commerce Department and I wanted to look at the Head of the Commerce Deptment, Obama placed in charge.

The head of the Commerce Department is Judy Pritzker, and she is worth over 1.8 Billion dollars. She is Jewish. She lists herself as a Democrat, but she has donated to George W. Bush, Joe Lieberman, Bill Bradley, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton. She definately has all the bases covered. Romney asked the President something, in a Debate, I found odd. It had something to do with foreign assets, like him? The President never gave an answer to the question, but remarked, it wasn't as big as yours. This country needs a candidate, who is not owned by the wealthy, and think they are superior to every other American. It is all about power and money to these people. Maybe he believes wealth is the driving force behind everything. Even in Foreign Affairs. I'm trying to get into these people's mind and how they see things. For example, I just found out, his Ally in Saudi Arabia offered Putin a lucrative Bribe to drop Syrian President Assad, worth Billions of Dollars, maybe Trillions. We will see if the Russians can be bought?

[forestpath]

71. Yes, she is who I was thinking of when I posted...she is monstrous and Obama's choice

of her - the fact that he seems to hold her in such high regard - says it all about Obama's mindset.

[alp227]

79. "She is Jewish" - And your point is...?

And it's Penny Pritzker not Judy.

[reflection]

19. I assume they mean hosting the stream and not playing the stream?

Read the article at the link and that was the impression I got.

[ronnie624]

116. I don't think so.

The Internet Policy Task Force report noted that streaming content without permission has been considered a public performance violation rather than copyright infringement, and therefore is a misdemeanor rather than a felony. Streaming has been considered “performing” a copyrighted work rather than reproducing or distributing a copyrighted work.

[center]*****[/center]
“This discrepancy is an increasingly significant impediment,” the report continued. “Since the most recent updates to the criminal copyright provisions, streaming (both audio and video) has become a significant if not dominant means for consumers to enjoy content online. The lack of potential felony penalties for criminal acts of streaming disincentivizes prosecution and undermines deterrence.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/06/obama-administration-task-force-wants-to-make-unauthorized-streaming-a-felony/

[darkangel218]

20. Does that mean we cant post anymore youtube videos?

[damnedifIknow]

29. Good question

Love to know the answer myself.

[Fuddnik]

21. Meanwhile Corrections Corporation of America stock goes up.

[Doctor_J]

22. Yep, going after those hard-core criminals

he will go down as the worst Dem president ever.

[BlueManFan]

23. With Bush We Knew What We Were Getting (Escpecially Those of Us Victimized In Texas)

but I feel like the biggest fool on the planet falling for Obama's soaring rhetoric about change. My first clue was his capitulation on "Medicare for all." His inauguration was a potential turning point in American history. Now it's just "same shit...different face behind the podium."

[Doctor_J]

26. I can't get to the DU2 archives

or I'd re-post my primary testimonial from 2008. when he won the GE that year I was physically disoriented for a few seconds and my wife was sobbing with joy. His presidency has been soul-crushing disappointment.

[BlueManFan]

28. I Was In The University Theater Where I Teach Along With Hundreds of Staff and Faculty

in January 2008 and I bet half of them, including me, wept with joy that the long Bush nightmare was finally going to be over. When you say "soul-crushing" disapppointment, with all due respect, even that comes up short!! When you know what you're in for a fight, you can gird your loins and fight on. When the person in whom you place all of your faith betrays you, that's a wound that doesn't heal. It literally kills a part of you. I find myself angrier now, more frustrated, and disullisioned.

[Doctor_J]

76. that must have been memorable. I wish we had done something like that

we were sitting on the couch watching msnbc. Olbermann came back from the 10:00 break and the west coast turned blue and I got woozy. My students and university in general (a liberal Catholic institute) were overwhelmingly for Obama. The joy and hope the day after were unbridled. It was a great distraction from the Koch brothers inexorable take over.

[BlueManFan]

81. It Was Indeed A Cherished Memory Even Those 5 Years and Countless Disappointments Later

But I still remember how great that day felt. And since it was in the theatre it was on a HUGE screen so you got a real sense of being up close to it. Oh well, I'm over 50 years old. I'm used to disappointment.....sigh.

[darkangel218]

58. +1000

I don't know what hurts more, his rw policies or the dissapointment.

[MisterP]

41. alas, their only response is "but we HAVE Medicare for all!!!!"

[BlueManFan]

43. At The Risk of Being A Dolt....

for all whom? They flirted with "Medicare For All" if you were 50 and over, but otherwise I'm unlcear about whom you mean by "all."

[MisterP]

45. I'm talkinbout the wilful "ACA = everyone has healthcare" crowd

[BlueManFan]

48. Ding The Penny Dropped!!!!

I get it. ACA shuttled millions more people into a corrupt, for-profit medical system that makes life and death decisions based on corporate profits. But let me get in line and simply say....."Thanks you sir may I have another?"

[Ash_F]

25. GUYS, we have to support everything Republicans tell Obama to do

That's how we can get Dems in office. 2014 is going to be a banner year!

[Safetykitten]

27. Thanks President Obama! Oh, wait...he is powerless.

[caseymoz]

47. That or . . .

He knows what side his bread is buttered on.

[Madmiddle]

31. This

president is even worse then George Bush. Bush might have been the worse president as far as his hands off approach to legislating, but Obama is sending the United States into the realm of fascism even worse the imagined.

[kestrel91316]

54. Oh, he is not. Bush bent over backwards to hurt women and gays.

[tblue]

111. With W, at least we were all on the same side.

But now we are through the looking glass with at least half of us is trying to beat the rest of us into submission.

[nolabels]

32. No doubt, thought crimes will be next

Soon as the midget minded morons figure it out how to do it

It's seems to me not so much for the loss to media corporations or the prison complex needing more clients but more for propping up of the prying and spying nanny state. It's a way they can say we were investigating someone for one thing and found a few other things. More of the gutting of the 4th amendment don't ya know, and "Yea, we don't spy" so says an NSA

Agent mike? Ya'll good out there

[Helen Borg]

49. There is a lot of talk

about detecting "malintent" around the intel community. There has been for a few years now. And the Government uncritically spends a lot of money implementing silly methods to detect "malintent". These methods are always variants of the old and flawed logic that if you don't act like the average person, say at an airport, then you may be hiding some potentially nasty thoughts.

[wtmusic]

33. As someone who opposes illegal streaming/piracy

I find this focus to be ridiculous.

Stop streaming my phone calls onto a database server, then let's talk.

[JimDandy]

44. Maybe we should copyright ALL of our private communications

(Put a tiny copyright notice on every text message and email or say it before every phone conversation), so your suggestion actually might have the possibility of being valid. Wouldn't that be justice?

[wtmusic]

46. Illegal downloading is already a felony

so I'm not sure if this is bluster or what the intent of this announcement is.

I like your idea, and in fact the notice is not even necessary for copyright protection. Someone with unlimited funds/time could probably make a court case out of it.

[davidpdx]

117. It seems to me like downloading is done more than streaming

The streaming I've seen was not very good and if the connections on either end are not good or if it is overloaded it is worthless. I'm curious when they are going to crack down on the other way. It seems like the only thing definitive that they are doing is going after the big websites.

[cascadiance]

95. Yep, and then put the NSA felons in prison for illegally grabbing our "copyrighted" data!!!

Would be a good way to shove those bastards in prison!

[JimDandy]

98. I wish life was fair so that would happen. n/t

[Helen Borg]

34. Lawyers

And those who are creating these rules are?... Lawyers!

[Fuddnik]

40. And former Senators like Chris Dodd.

He's been pushing this shit for years.

[Dawson Leery]

59. Countrywide Chris.

[OnyxCollie]

63. HAVA author and Presidential candidate Chris Dodd, aka "Friend of Angelo."

Say, did you know that one of the four authors of the law that put unverifiable voting machine in place is now the Secretary of Defense, and that the NSA operates under his purview?

Things that make you go, "Hmm..."

[BlueManFan]

68. Friend Of Angelo------ Firmly In The Tank For The Banksters

[FiveGoodMen]

35. I'd like to take back my two votes for him

He's America's enemy.

[BlueManFan]

69. But Keereist--That would have meant voting for that Grumpy Old Man or Thurston Howell

not much benefit to electing either of those clowns..... Pulling the lever for Obama was the first vote in a long time that I didn't hold my nose to make. Guess I should have taken a whiff of the shit before I got my hopes up.

[FiveGoodMen]

70. Certainly didn't want either of them

Fact is, there were no good choices.

[BlueManFan]

75. Yep---The Deepest Cut Of All

[PatrynXX]

37. they better be very exact

or those dvd/bd to tv's with streaming capabilities will cause problems.

[bobclark86]

38. I've got a felony for them...

it lives in my pants .

Enough about that.

But seriously, shouldn't they worry more about, say, right-wing nutjobs taking over Pennsylvania towns or pretty much any white collar crime?

[Skeeter Barnes]

39. As soon as Obama doesn't have to worry about getting elected again, he will be able to focus on

the things he really wants to do.

[FiveGoodMen]

42. He sure has!

[AngryAmish]

50. Why the fuck does everything need to be a felony?

Do we really need that many prison guards?

[JimDandy]

56. Because the sentences are stiff and involve PRISON time.

Uhemmm...private prisons with government guarantees of 90% occupancy need filling don't cha know?

[darkangel218]

57. Pretty soon everyone will be either an inmate or a guard.

[Helen Borg]

61. It also keeps unemployment figures down

at least, it helps...

[cascadiance]

97. And takes away many of who they go after's right to vote too

[PSPS]

60. Of, by and for the corporations

[FiveGoodMen]

62. "Corporations are people, my friend"

[hughee99]

85. At least until it's time to hold someone responsible for something. n/t

[AverageJoe90]

66. Copyright laws are pretty much a lost cause these days.

Real copyright violators, especially those in certain countries(yes, "Communist" China, we're looking straight at you), almost NEVER get tried for their crimes, ever. But somebody sings "Happy Birthday" at a party, and they could be subject to fines, or even jail time.
It's like something out of a bad '90s B-movie.....but played out in real time.

[alp227]

73. The USA needs a larger Pirate Party!

In the USA, it exists in 8 states. Make it go national! It already is national in places like Sweden.

[obama2terms]

77. Not this crap again

Republicans and democrats alike seem to oppose this, hopefully there's big backlash again like there was last time.

[Maven]

92. Hey kids! Prez Obama says "PROPERTY, not PRIVACY!"

Last edited Wed Aug 7, 2013, 08:50 PM - Edit history (1)

It's the American (Third) Way!

[YOHABLO]

93. Could someone expain the comment by Corynne McSherry >

“Legacy content industries need to learn, at last, that they don’t need new enforcement tools, they need competitive business models.''

[babylonsister]

96. I see stupid people. nt

[DeSwiss]

101. Unfortunately we end up electing them to office. :-| n/t

[DeSwiss]

100. FTA - K&R n/t

[bowens43]

102. once again Obama attacks the poor and middle class to kiss the asses of his corporate overlords.....

this guy is easily the worst Democratic president we have ever had.

[babylonsister]

103. The worst!

[Fearless]

107. +1

This IS getting ridiculous.

[think]

108. I think most people are looking beyond the figure head & at the actual implications

I really don;t give a fuck how Obama feels. I care about the results.....

[Fearless]

109. Since when is petty theft acceptable as a felony??

Because that's what it is. Rental fees for a movie on say Amazon Prime or a similar service run $1-$4 a pop on average. Prison time for that? When the RIAA and MIAA are in charge, yes, that is a reality. Because they over-inflate the value of the item and threaten poor and working class people with draconian fines or prison time.

Welcome to the land of the free.

[bunnies]

113. There is ZERO indication that Obama will go along with this.

Yet he gets ripped to shreds here anyway. *sigh*

[midnight]

114. K&R Thank you woo me with science for pointing me to this discussion....

[jsr]

115. Anything to help our job creators