US Senator Proposes Prison Time For Twitch Streamers Broadcasting Copyrighted Material

The proposed bill could mean prison time for Twitch streamers receiving repeated DMCA strikes.

A recent “must-pass” omnibus bill proposed by the US Government might be a cause of concern for the world of Twitch streamers, as one controversial measure included in the bill would face Twitch streamers with jail time if they receive multiple DMCA strikes.

According to several reports, this measure was proposed by US Senator Thom Tillis. While it would generally be difficult for a proposal like this to pass on its own, being included as a part of the omnibus spending bill leaves plenty of room for uncertainty.

In case the bill is passed, any streamer broadcasting a song, album, or unauthorized video clip in a commercial setting will face a felony offense which can turn into a possible prison sentence.

According to a Protocol report, the proposal is facing some serious opposition from up to 18 organizations and tech groups.

For now, streamers can continue their routines as usual till a conclusion is reached, which shouldn’t take very long.

The Congress has confirmed that the bill must be passed before the government’s shutdown deadline on December 11th, which is when the fate of the proposal will be decided.