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[Strife26]

It'll die in committee, nothing to get everyone's e-undergarments in a bunch over.

[Virex]

From the text and all the limits put on it, it seems more like this law is intended for say, TV shows that regularly use game footage without coordinating it with the game maker. You know, "unbiased documentaries" that talk about how the newest CoD is going to "RAEP YOUR KID"S MIND" and to drive the point home shows scenes of Hellgate London and Starcraft II. If someone makes 2.500 in profit from an LP-video, I think it'd be fair to at least give the makers of the game some credit...

[Neyvn]

Coming up next, You can no longer play any games with other people if they do not personally own the game and it must their copy that they are using. Thus making it against the rules to host Lan Parties. In all truth Lending games to your friends is technically against the Copyright Laws...

Code: [Select]

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the reproduction, distribution, adaptation, public performance, and public display of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in law, nonprofit libraries are authorized to lend, lease, or rent copies of computer programs to patrons on a nonprofit basis and for nonprofit purposes. Any person who makes an unauthorized copy or adaptation of the computer program, or redistributes the loan copy, or publicly performs or displays the computer program, except as permitted by Title 17 of the United States Code, may be liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to fulfill a loan request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would lead to violation of the copyright law.

[Soadreqm]

A felony? That sounds pretty serious. I thought pretty much everything to do with copyright was a civil matter.

[freeformschooler]

Coming up next, You can no longer play any games with other people if they do not personally own the game and it must their copy that they are using. Thus making it against the rules to host Lan Parties. In all truth Lending games to your friends is technically against the Copyright Laws...

But I what. Don't the new DS systems still have that things where you can play limited downloadable multiplayer with other DS users who don't have the game, on some games?

If so...

[Rilder]

You spoil the games for others as well as, if it is a bad game, show off its faults and errors.

Haha What? If I'm watching a lets play theirs a good chance I wasn't going to play it anyways, (For example I usually read and watch Lps of linear storyline games) either that or I own the game already and want to see how they play it.

However in some other cases, like LPs of Non-linear games it can actually cause me to buy the game, I know I wouldn't be playing Star Trek Online right now if it wasn't for PoptartsNinja's Lets Play of it, and I probably wouldn't own a copy of Silent Hunter 5 if it wasn't for a lets play showing me it wasn't as terrible as people say. (Admittedly it was a gift from a friend but my point still stands)

Really I think any slight profit loss is canceled out by profit gain, and if it isn't, maybe those game companies should stop putting out such shitty games that everybody reads/watches a LP of it instead of buying it.

[Aklyon]

If you're going to watch an LP, you know there will be spoilers, so that point is moot. Don't want spoilers? Then don't watch it, and don't complain about said spoilers you didn't see because you didn't watch it.

It is called lets play for a reason, not lets play the first mission or so and then stop because people will complain about spoilers. That is called a demo.

[Soadreqm]

Coming up next, You can no longer play any games with other people if they do not personally own the game and it must their copy that they are using. Thus making it against the rules to host Lan Parties. In all truth Lending games to your friends is technically against the Copyright Laws...

But I what. Don't the new DS systems still have that things where you can play limited downloadable multiplayer with other DS users who don't have the game, on some games?

If so...

If it's an actual documented feature of the game, then I'd say you'll have implied permission from the copyright holders to play the game with your friends, no matter what the laws say. Well, unless the laws say that the copyright holder doesn't have the right to allow people to use their product, and I know some copyright holders who'd lobby against that pretty hard.

[Nikov]

`(2) shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years, fined in the amount set forth in this title, or both, if--

`(A) the offense consists of 10 or more public performances by electronic means, during any 180-day period, of 1 or more copyrighted works; and

`(B)(i) the total retail value of the performances, or the total economic value of such public performances to the infringer or to the copyright owner, would exceed $2,500; or

`(ii) the total fair market value of licenses to offer performances of those works would exceed $5,000;'; and

So if EA sees you uploading a Machinima of Halo and says, "Hey you, people were going to pay us $2,500 to see that!" I suppose they have half a case. Or if the fair market value of your ten minute episode exceeds $5,000, so on.

I don't see it actually criminalizing Lets Play videos so much as making it a felony to host bootleg streaming television episodes. Fortunately for you all, there's a big block of Republicans in the Senate who hate anything with "D" or "regulation" in it. Expect everyone you regularly call a pig-headed party of no fascist to stand up for your right to show videos of X-Com to your buddies without being imprisoned on felony charges.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I noticed somthing weird about the party divide on this, acutally. While most of the supporters are Democrats, the opposition list on OpenCongress shows that a good deal of the ones listed as opposing the bill are apparently also Democrats. Very strange, that.

[Nikov]

Clearly this demonstrates the existance of C- sleepers within the Democratic party.

[scriver]

Someone of you knowledgeable of US law needs to answer a question of mine: Why would they make it a 5 year sentence? Is it a requirement for getting over a certain sum (ie, higher) of fines? To be able to take certain measures during investigation? Otherwise, it makes no damn sense. Hell, it doesn't make much sense anyway. I mean, they can't seriously be advocating that 5 years in prison corresponds well to crimes like this? Surely, such a sentence would be practically impossible? Please?

Clearly this demonstrates the existance of C- sleepers within the Democratic party.

Truly, the world starts with the Conservative Crime Squad already active - it sure isn't on easy mode, I mean.

[CJ1145]

I don't know whether to be happy that 98% of the internet that has seen the bill oppose it, or dumbfounded that 2% of the people on the internet that have seen it approve.

[Neonivek]

Why would they make it a 5 year sentence? Is it a requirement for getting over a certain sum (ie, higher) of fines? To be able to take certain measures during investigation? Otherwise, it makes no damn sense

Five yeasrs means that it isn't a minor crime and actually starts to go towards a "Serious crime" much more then that of ordinary theft.

[Soadreqm]

I don't see it actually criminalizing Lets Play videos so much as making it a felony to host bootleg streaming television episodes. Fortunately for you all, there's a big block of Republicans in the Senate who hate anything with "D" or "regulation" in it. Expect everyone you regularly call a pig-headed party of no fascist to stand up for your right to show videos of X-Com to your buddies without being imprisoned on felony charges.

Hell, I'd guess Let's Play videos are already technically illegal. They're distributing copyrighted material without the consent, or even the knowledge of the copyright holder. It's more the "felony" part I find surprising. Right now, if you share bootleg television episodes, the TV studio has to pay a lawyer to send you some seriously worded legal documents to do anything about that. And I think live streaming might be some kind of loophole right now, and technically not count as a copyright violation, which this bill would presumably rectify. But from what understand, making it an actual criminal matter would mean that the TV people could just report the suspected intellectual property thief to the police, who would be obligated to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrator to justice.
 
Also, hooray for freedom of speech!