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Embed a Video, Go To Jail?

Posted by Roblimo on from the up-the-stream-without-a-paddle dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A few weeks ago, Slashdot had a post about the new bill in Congress to make streaming infringing videos a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in jail if just 10 people watch the video. As more details come out, the bill keeps looking worse and worse, as it appears that the definitions used in the bill would mean that merely embedding or linking to an infringing YouTube video could put you on the hook for jail time. Obviously, supporters of the bill insist that's not who will be targeted with this bill, but just the fact that they could be should be worrisome enough. We've seen other laws 'misused' in the past."

5 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. five years for 10 viewings? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever happened to our Constitutional protection from cruel and unjust punishments?

    Is this the new War on Drugs or something?

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:five years for 10 viewings? by plunderscratch · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Whatever happened to our Constitutional protection from cruel and unjust punishments?

      Is this the new War on Drugs or something?

      er, I think you allowed successive elected representatives to gradually erode any form of constitutionality in the name of capitalism, which is now being protected by the big corporations who fear that their monopoly may be at risk.

      Drugs and piracy are just bad ok, so please just accept what you are told, do what 'the man' says, be a good citizen and don't forget to inform on your neighbour if you think they are up to no good. They might be terrorists you know!

      --
      Guns don't kill people! Admins do!
  2. Looking from Europe ... by foobsr · · Score: 5, Funny

    The best solution for the interest groups involved would perhaps be to declare all of the US a jail (with some islands for the privileged).

    This would be a rather elegant way to get rid of the 'constitution' 'legally'.

    CC.

    --
    TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
  3. 9viewsonly.com by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    is the name of the video site I'm going to launch!

  4. How did I allow it? by tepples · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think you allowed successive elected representatives to gradually erode any form of constitutionality

    How did I allow it? A lot of these bills became law before I became old enough to vote, and most of the time since then, the candidate for whom I voted lost the election.