[Patricoo]

Overreaction. This is meant as a loophole fix but does have a legitimate problem of being too open ended. One of two things are going to happen here. One; its going to get rewritten in order to more narrowly define the people it is trying to capture. Two; it will pass as it is long term and if prosecution actually follows up on crusader campaigns, legislation will change again to fix the loophole.

http://www.openmarket.org/2011/06/30...-mean-for-you/

Easily, companies could change their terms of service to publicly allow streaming and linking through a simple clause so people won't get automatically prosecuted. For example, Notch, the founder of Minecraft, has already stated he's going to do so if legislation passes automatically making all minecraft videos legal. (So you know... if that means anything.)

Currently, if a criminal is selling pirated DVDs or CDs on a street corner, and they’re worth at least $2500, it is a felony. But if that same person is in their basement and felony streaming movies or books, whatever they could do, they could only be charged with a misdemeanor. This legislation fixes that loophole.


[The legislation] does not go after legitimate businesses or innocent people who post a video or post a blog. In other words, the bill is not intended nor does it allow law enforcement to prosecute people who may stream videos and other copyrighted works to their friends without intending to profit from the work of the copyright owner. It also does not allow prosecutors to go after individuals that innocently post links on their blogs to copyrighted protected works.

Its a pain, yes. I totally agree. But its not "OMG END OF YOUUUUTTTUUUBBBEE." That little girl singing a song is not going to get sued out of her college fund.