State lawmakers in country musics capital have passed a groundbreaking measure that would make it a crime to use a friends login even with permission to listen to songs or watch movies from services such as Netflix and Rhapsody.
The bill, which has been signed by Gov. Bill Haslam and takes effect July 1, was pushed by recording industry officials to try to stop the loss of billions of dollars to illegal music sharing. They hope other states will follow.
The legislation was aimed at hackers and thieves who sell passwords in bulk, but its sponsors acknowledge it could be employed against people who use a friends or relatives subscription.
While those who share their subscriptions with a spouse or other family members under the same roof almost certainly have nothing to fear, blatant offenders say, college students who give their logins to everyone on their dormitory floor could get in trouble.
What becomes not legal is if you send your username and password to all your friends so they can get free subscriptions, said the bills House sponsor, Rep. Gerald McCormick.
Under the measure, download services that believe they are getting ripped off can go to law enforcement authorities and press charges.
The bill expands an existing law used to prosecute people who steal cable television or leave restaurants without paying for their meals. It adds entertainment subscription service to the list of services protected by the law.
Tennessee would become the first state to update its theft-of-cable laws for the 21st century and address the new trend toward Internet delivery of entertainment, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
I think its stupid, college student Josh Merbitz said of the law. The 20-year-old music education major at Middle Tennessee State University said he watches Netflix movies online using the password of his friends father, with the fathers permission.
Stealing $500 or less of entertainment would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500. Theft with a higher price tag would be a felony, with heavier penalties.
Haslam backs idea
Haslam said earlier that he wasnt familiar with the details of the legislation, but given the recording industry presence, he favors anything we can do to cut back on music piracy.
I dont know enough about that legislation, but if its combating that issue, I would be in favor of it, Haslam said.
The recording industry loses money when users share accounts for music services instead of paying separately.
Mitch Glazier, executive vice president of public policy for the RIAA, said the bill is a necessary protective measure as digital technology evolves. The music industry has seen its domestic revenue plunge by more than half in 10 years, from $15 billion to $7 billion, he said.
Bill Ramsey, a Nashville lawyer who practices entertainment law and criminal defense, said that he doubts the law would be used to ban people in the same household from sharing subscriptions and that small-scale violations involving a few people would, in any case, be difficult to detect. But when you start going north of 10 people, a prosecutor might look and say, Hey, you knew it was stealing, Ramsey said.
Music industry officials said they usually catch people who steal and resell logins in large quantities because they advertise.
Among the measures critics is public defender David Doyle. He said an entertainment subscription could be interpreted to mean a magazine subscription or a health club membership.
Kelly Kruger, an aerospace major at MTSU, said she likes to watch Netflix movies online in her dorm by logging in with her mothers account information. Kruger said she hands out the login information to friends.
Even with a law against it, I think people will keep doing it, like illegal downloading, Kruger said.
Off the top of my head I'm not really sure how something like letting someone borrow a login is different than letting them borrow a physical CD or DVD, it can still only be used by one person at a time (1 login at a time).
.
Haslam said earlier that he wasn’t familiar with the details of the legislation, but given the recording industry presence, he favors “anything we can do to cut back” on music piracy.
“I don’t know enough about that legislation, but if it’s combating that issue, I would be in favor of it,” Haslam said.
you can actually stream to 2 or 3 devices at the same time on 1 acnt
Can I watch movies instantly on more than one PC or Netflix-ready device?
A:
Some membership plans allow you to watch simultaneously on more than one personal computer or Netflix-ready device. If you are on the Watch Instantly Unlimited plan or the 1-disc-out-at-a-time plan, you may watch only one device at a time. If you are on the 2-discs-out-at-a-time plan, you may watch on up to two devices at a time. Members on the 3-disc plan can watch on up to three devices. The maximum is four devices -- available for members on the 4-or-greater-discs-out-at-a-time plan.
Your account can have up to six unique authorized devices activated (and associated with it) at any given time, including personal computers and Netflix-ready devices. For example, if you're on the 1-disc plan, you can have up to six devices associated with your account, but you can only watch one of them at a time. If you're on the 2-disc plan, you can have up to six devices activated but can only watch two of them at the same time.
This is from Netflix FAQ's...It's easier to cut and paste rather than try to explain myself.
Heard about this on NPR.
It's to crack down harder on people selling tons of (stolen) accounts and account access, not to go after people sharing with their immediate families or with a few friends.
Great, so the guy readily admits he doesn't know what he's signing? He just signs because RIAA has a big presence there. Way to go TN, way to go.
Heard about this on NPR.
It's to crack down harder on people selling tons of (stolen) accounts and account access, not to go after people sharing with their immediate families or with a few friends.
Off the top of my head I'm not really sure how something like letting someone borrow a login is different than letting them borrow a physical CD or DVD,
you can actually stream to 2 or 3 devices at the same time on 1 acnt
http://www.tennessean.com/article/2...l-crime-TN?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
As cheap as a Netflix subscription is I don't know why you wouldn't have your own but this does seem a bit extreme.
Heard about this on NPR.
It's to crack down harder on people selling tons of (stolen) accounts and account access, not to go after people sharing with their immediate families or with a few friends.
Great, so the guy readily admits he doesn't know what he's signing? He just signs because RIAA has a big presence there. Way to go TN, way to go.
In Haslam's defense... he was much better than the alternative.. which does not say much. This came about because of the RIAA lobbyists. The RIAA doesn;t understand that people that are pirating crap and not buying DVD's are not using netflix either. They download through torrents or whatever and get the files without the DRM. Silly legislation and a waster of taxpayer money.
Yeh no sympathy. If you can afford the internet connection and the PC/device to play it then you can pony up the $8 a month you cheap bastards.
Great, so the guy readily admits he doesn't know what he's signing? He just signs because RIAA has a big presence there. Way to go TN, way to go.
I agree, but the law, as it is written, is such that if I use my wife's username and password at home to watch netflix, I could be prosecuted and convicted of a crime. Is it likely? No, but the law is poorly written, it doesn't actually solve any problem and introduces a host of possible issues. Legislative fail.
Eh, the article clearly says this:
While those who share their subscriptions with a spouse or other family members under the same roof almost certainly have nothing to fear, blatant offenders say, college students who give their logins to everyone on their dormitory floor could get in trouble.
$8 a month for Netflix = A six pack of beer.
College kids can't figure this out? WTF?