With the exorbitant prices streaming platforms have forced upon consumers, many of the latter have once again taken to sailing the high seas of piracy to consume entertainment.
That just won’t do for the streaming platforms, which is why a number of them are backing a bill that seeks to strike down online piracy where it stands. CBR reports how the Motion Pictures Association — which is made up of Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Sony, and other heavyweights in the industry — are supporting a bill that seeks to ban access to anime, live-action, music, and other forms of piracy sites in the United States (and quite possibly outside of it, too).
According to Torrent Freak, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA) on Wednesday, which is looking “to prevent foreign-run piracy sites from exploiting loopholes in existing law.”
The bill’s press release claims that digital piracy is “a massive and growing threat.” The release also states that piracy has not only cost over 230,000 jobs in the entertainment, technology, and small business sector, but the U.S. economy roughly $29.2 billion a year.
In order to mitigate this dastardly practice, the proposal would target piracy sites while respecting First Amendment rights; put forward feasible tech solutions in order to ensure this is done; and put measures in place in order to protect service providers from liability.
CBR notes that this bill seems to really just apply to the less tech-savvy members of the population, as it states the blocking order can’t “require service providers to take actions that would prevent users from using virtual private networks (VPNs),” one of the most popular methods of piracy around.
“The Motion Picture Association applauds Rep. Lofgren for introducing the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act.”
— common-sense legislation that aims to combat the growing harms caused by foreign criminal piracy,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the association, via the release. “Intellectual property theft drains at least $30 billion and 230,000 jobs from the U.S. economy each year.
“Foreign online criminals threaten American consumers with malware attacks, financial fraud, and identity theft schemes.”
Further information regarding this bill remains pending.
