COVID-19 Relief Bill Could Make Illegal Streaming A Felony Offense

Finally, congress is voting on a second relief bill nine months after the first pandemic lockdowns started through the US.

The modest $600 stimulus checks got most of the negative response. It even got Nancy Pelosi criticized online after she called it “significant.”

There are some strange clauses politicians, given that the bill is thousands of pages, that people didn’t catch on first glance. One provision includes a declaration on the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation process and another discourses the penalty for illegal music streaming.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina presented the “Felony Streaming” provision. According to Consequence Of Sound, Tillis’ proposal recommended to upsurge the penalty for those found guilty of streaming unlicensed works, whether it be television, film, or music making it likely for them to face up to ten years in federal prison.

The bill, along with making unlawful streaming a felony offense, would help those seeking to file copyright infringement claims. Rather than forcing copyright holders to go through the costly process of taking an infringement claim through federal court, the proposed system would make it possible for them to settle cases in a more streamlined manner.

Tillis isn’t the first senator to propose harsher action against illegal streamers. Nearly a decade ago, Senator Amy Klobuchar, who ran for president this year, made a similar proposal similar. That one did not pass, as people were concerned that the increased restrictions may end up sending Justin Bieber to jail.