If this bill is to pass *hypothetical*, would ZeniMax or gamesas be able to pass on permission to U.S. fans to post, stream, and watch content that is copyrighted or created by the company?

For example, if Gstaff got Mr.Howards attention and they addressed this issue right now and hypothetically give permission to stream and post videos, would that be good enough?

Also, If Arena and Daggerfall are freeware, would those Lets' Plays and Intro/Outro videos be forced to be deleted if S.978 passes?

As a person, the only videos I stream are Lets' Plays and clips from games I do not own *most of which are no longer in mass production*
-If this bill were to pass, I would be devastated.

This bill svcks.

I like gameplay videos. They help me

• see if the game is any good
  
• learn new things about a game I already have
  
• See all possible endings
  
• Let me laugh at creative uses of games to make humor

Will never happen. So many stupid bills have been created and never see the light of day, even if it did they can't control the internet.

Also lobbying is [censored] annoying.

I don't live in this USA, I can upload all the content I want. U Jelly US? ;p

Not on any US-based site you can't.

you missed the part where america pretty much owns the internet.

Just means someone from another country will make another youtube and make a killing from it,

Well forgive me for bursting your bubble, but they don't.

I'm pretty sure that if you really read into it, it won't stop people from uploading videos. I'm sure that user reviews and Let's play's and what not won't be effected like people think.

I can, and can't be touched for it. The website will get in trouble though for keeping it on their website.

The point they were making is the website will have it removed, probably quickly.
With a bill like this most websites would force videos to be reviewed before they can be published, and if that were the case it would never see the light of day.

If this bill passes (I doubt it will), People will simply stop using US websites and use other ones, and you can't block Americans from viewing those websites without infringing on their rights.

Also the level of management that would be needed to enforce this, America doesn't have the money.

ok... I hadn't heard anything about this and I generally don't listen to other people interpretations of what they think it means... This bill essentially adds this paragraph to already existing copyright laws...


‘(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-) 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


First off.... A and B both must be true for it to mean anything. Firstly.... it requires that actual damages are being incurred to the copywriters. Most video game clips in NO WAY cause monetary damage to a copyrighted work. If anything... it could be argued that it AIDS a copyrighted material to sell. Secondly... virtually all posted material isn't long enough to actually violate a copyright infringemement. I can quote a paragraph from a book here on the internet without violating the copyright license of that book. A 2 minute video clip of a 300+ hour game isn't violating copyright.

This is just more bunk scare tactics to get everyone upset. Clearly, this is targeted more at people posting music videos and full length movies which others might record in lieu of purchasing them legally.
Its really nothing to worry about from a video game perspective.

Likely, this is a handful of bought politicians drawing up a bill as part of a promise or favor return. Anyone in congress can draw up a bill and if you read all of them you would realize many of them are BS that could easily get people worked up. I'm guessing the people who wrote this don't even think it will pass.

Our legal system is actually really lax compared to most western type countries when it comes to copyrighted material posted on the internet. It has a lot to do with the judicial systems attitude of protecting free speech.

55% of the world's servers are in the U.S.

Sorry to burst your bubble..

this bill wil not affect skyrim directly but it will almost kill the online gaming community. it will plunge us back into the days where the only info we could get on games was ads on tv, gaming conventions in other countries (which us non americans won't hear about because of copyright infringment). want to watch some gameplay footage of a game your thinking of buying? well you cant because that'll be copyrighted. and even though america does not own the internet, they can still sue any website that uploads footage that orriginated in america. i thought america was the land of the free? if this bill goes through then your amendments will count for jack. oh and this bill expands into other media not just gaming so the gaming community won't be the only one hit.

also forgot to mention, any content that orriginates in america is subject to the american copyright laws. so, if a european site streamed content that orriginated in america then that site can potentially get sued for copyright. this bill won't pass because its so vague that it infringes on so many american freedom laws it would basically be equivelant of an internet state of martial law... which is unamerican.

And? The internet doesn't have shares, 55% doesn't mean you have controlling interest. 45% of the internet, which is nearly half, America has no control over. And that number will shift out of Americas favor.

Get real.

if this passes i will crap out a dragon and fly it to another planet not country PLANET! because if this passes i don't want to live on this PLANET anymore

write your senators about it, That is what i am doing. Show the gov't how big and powerful of a community we are.

edit:
according to wiki these guys brought it up Amy Klobuchar, Chris Coons, and John Cornyn. So if is passes go send them a angry letter

:sadvaultboy:

Better? if the bill passes couldn't gaming company's give a waiver to lets play's and commentaries?

this is bigger than skyrim man. it effects the WHOLE united states and our basic rights.

it is un constitutional

Lol, props to the fella who dug up mah ol' thread!

How does this help the gaming industry in any way? This hurts the gaming industry more than anything I have ever heard of, hell, it would probably hurt it even more than piracy. I have bought more games after seeing independent online footage than any form of advertising.

I simply will not drop sixty bucks on anything without seeing it in action, and commercials don't do it for me.