Gamestreams soon to be a felony?

Technology and Gaming
#1

Looks like machinima, FPSRussia, Huskystarcraft etc. are in for a bad time.

Congress is currently reviewing a bill making it illegal to stream your copy-righted media on youtube. Now I can understand why artists, musicians, record labels and the cinematic induestry don’t want their content getting out for free ten times faster by means of youtube, making marketing virtually obsolete, earning shitloads of money and allowing their consumers to get informed before buying stuff.

But appareantly it makes streaming your gaming experience also illegal.
Thos are streams about you enjoying the game. There is no better way of convincing someone to buy your product. And guess what your customers are doing it for free, our of conviction (which is the reason why it is so effective, but tell that to the average maerkting retard). Following that logic you could imprison someone for telling you on youtube to go watch that great movie because it was awesome and for giving a resumee. Ok, there is no real analogy here, because games are physically interactive while movies are only mentally interactive.

But having little time for gaming myself I enjoy watching ScII vids, reminding me of the good olds Starcraft times. So to all of you guys in the beloved U.S. of A. time to get out pencil and paper and write some nerdrage letters to your congressman!

Here is the article.
And this is a vid of a bearded nerd explaining it to all the illiterates

#2

I doubt that most game compaines will persue people violating this law.

I think that companies realize that machinima, lets plays and general game videos help sales.

#3

A let’s play or a video of video game footage falls under any sane interpretation of fair use. Especially machinima.

This bill doesn’t change what does and doesn’t fall under fair use, it just updates the punishment for infringing via streaming video. So any stream that is currently illegal is now more illegal, and any stream that is currently legal is still legal.

The kicker is bolded. All criteria for what constitutes a violation is just referenced back to the current law.

I DO think 5 years is a draconian sentence for streaming pirated shit, but as with current copyright punishments, the maximum sentence just exists as a deterrent. It is rarely – if ever – used.

#4

Media corporations are such a bunch of cockgobblers

#5

I’m guessing this doesn’t really effect people outside of the US. Fucking stupid anyway, how are they going to control it even if the bill was passed?

#6

Seems you don’t know German Rights Management laws - we can’t even view half the Vids on the web due to our licensing company trying to charge Youtube 10eurocents per click and video (facepalm)

#7
#8

Sounds like Bollocks to me, good luck over there.

#9

Instead of taking care of massive debt they are just protecting the big company that can bring in a lot of taxes that they will waste. Now days the government doesn’t care about how much destruction or how illegal something is as long as they get some of the profits.

#10

SWAT teams busting into LAN parties, blastin’ em all

#11

This sounds like a screenplay I wrote. Crazy world we live in nowadays, huh?

#12

I don’t want to live in this country anymore.

#13

Meh… We’re still better off than most.

#14

But it will mean that You-tube and other American hosted sites will have to give a damm about what they let you upload. It Could cause big channels like Machinima be shut down entirely. Although You personally can’t be prosecuted if you don’t live in America, but any sites you use or people you follow that are based in the USA will more than likely have to cease and desist due to the broad wording of the bill.

#15

People need to start reading the whole thread. This guy is completely right, the bill doesn’t affect that.
The only thing that caught my eye was this:

#16

Oh the illusion.

#17

I found Half-life though the Freeman’s Mind machinima. Machinima, let’s plays, etc. are basically free advertising for game companies they’d be stupid to outlaw it.

#18

Thanks for the notice. While it technically already has been illegal and while the law is barely changing the elements of an offense, changing the sentence by increasing the punishment will probably lead to many lawyers working at subway quitting their job and beginning to harrass Youtuber’s for a percentage of the fines, effectively shutting them down. At least that’s waht I am afraid of.

#19

It’s sad but true.

#20

I still find it amusing that these retards argue about a bunch of rgb

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