Streaming piracy is a rampant activity these days, and a number of notable bodies are moving against it. One of such bodies is the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.
Various effective policies, some of which are adopted in foreign countries, were debated at a hearing some weeks ago.
This hearing featured professionals who voiced their individual opinions on how the United States could effectively combat streaming piracy. Basically, this hearing was aimed at making streaming piracy a felony.
What Did They Discuss During the Hearing?
There are two major solutions that were debated by the experts at this hearing. Integrating filters to the system and blocking streaming piracy sites.
As expected of any regulatory and protective policy, there were advantages and disadvantages, including feasibility checks, which were reviewed. The co-president, Jonathan Yunger, of Millennium Media made arguments to show the feasibility of these polices.
More answers were requested for even after the hearing; these requests were communicated on paper. Some answers were recently given by Julia Reda, a former MEP. She made suggestions for the adoption of legal solutions that didn’t cost too much. Other suggestions have also been given by Jonathan Yunger of Millennium Media.
In the bid to make streaming piracy a felony, Jonathan Yunger has made strong suggestions relating to the adoption of piracy site blocking. Yunger is clearly against this act. He has also made suggestions for the application of strict punishments in this battle against pirates.
Another suggestion that was reportedly made by Yunger was to address the gaps in the legal policies that have failed to adequately tackle streaming piracy for the crime that it is. According to him, these legal loopholes have paved way for the widespread activities of streaming pirates.
US Laws That Deal with Streaming Piracy
It is important that streaming piracy and its consequences under the US laws aren’t mixed with downloading piracy; as both crimes are usually addressed and dealt with separately.
Regardless of whatever similarities exist between the two, there are punishments which are separately unique to both offenses. Streaming piracy can cost you up to 12 months in prison. While downloading piracy can get you locked up for five years.
In the attempt to make streaming piracy a felony, some laws have been enacted over the years. But none were successful. Among these are the 2011 Commercial Felony Streaming Act, the PIPA, and SOPA bills.
Yunger tries to make us understand that streaming piracy would have been treated with the same level of severity as other types of piracy, had it been that it was in existence during the enactment of the DMCA. This way, we won’t be facing the challenges that we’re now battling with.
The co-president of Millennium Media also believes that fixing the earlier mentioned loopholes will help to curb the illegal activities of these streaming pirates in the United States. These pirate groups are making a lot of profit off the streaming market in an unfair way.
It’s also believed that he has gotten the support of the Copyright Office, and also the Department of Justice in his effort to make streaming piracy a felony.
Why is This Matter So Difficult?
Regardless of how rampant streaming piracy has become in the United States, it’s still difficult for these offenders to be dealt with; as the present piracy laws don’t do much for this matter. Hence a lot of people are still out there, making considerable profit out of streaming piracy.
Yunger also expressed his desire for the integration of strict measures into existing laws to curb these illegal activities. He believes that enabling laws should be put in place for the Department of Justice to deploy in punishing streaming pirates. Yunger is not the only one to antagonize the activities of these streaming pirates in recent years. There are others who are also actively pushing against this felony. The cause keeps growing, and hopefully justice will soon be served.
Yunger and a couple of other like-minded individuals believe that some of the failed bills, which were passed about a decade ago, should be revived in the combat against streaming piracy.
Conclusion
The rampant activity of streaming pirates all over the United States is an issue that should be rapidly addressed. These groups not only pose a threat to the movie industry, but also to the country’s economy.
Antagonists of these unfair acts, like Jonathan Yunger, are trying to make streaming piracy a felony in the United States. Yunger has addressed the issue extensively, and has even made suggestions about reviving decade-old bills that did not work when they were initially passed.
He believes that the loopholes in the existing piracy laws are as a result of streaming piracy not being in existence during the enactment of the DMCA.
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