The COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Would Make Illegal Streaming a Felony

An Anonymous Coward writes:

The COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Would Make Illegal Streaming a Felony:

Providing relief via direct assistance and loans to struggling individuals and businesses hit hard by COVID-19 has been a priority for federal lawmakers this past month. But a gigantic spending bill has also become the opportunity to smuggle in some other line items, including those of special interest to the entertainment community.

Perhaps most surprising, according to the text [PDF link] of the bill (a combination of COVID relief and annual government spending), illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony.

It's been less than two weeks since Sen. Thom Tillis released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works.... [I]t's had very little time to circulate before evidently becoming part of the spending package. If passed, illegal streaming of works including movies and music tracks could carry a penalty of up to 10 years in jail.

[...] On Monday night, lawmakers voted in favor of the package.

The provision was not entirely without opposition, as TechCrunch notes:

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