Did the US government toughen penalties against illegal content-streaming services?
The expansive package of coronavirus-relief and budget measures enacted in late December 2020 also included a provision making it a felony, rather than a misdemeanor, to stream unauthorized content for commercial gain.
The 5,500-page bill incorporated legislation championed by North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Offenders who provide works intended for “commercial public performance” (including movies, TV programs, sports broadcasts and music) by means of “digital transmission” and “without the authority of the copyright owner or the law” may now be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined up to $30,000. Sen. Tillis cites figures stating that illegal streaming costs the U.S. economy nearly $30 billion a year and discourages creative production.
