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Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

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Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#41

Post by kalleboo »

sfk wrote: post #39

In other news ( http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en008.html ): "Use of a JAPAN RAIL PASS is strictly limited to the signer (hereafter "you") only." Surely an outrageous clause like this one can only be the product of big corporations and corrupt politicians. What about "the right to travel"?

That's completely reasonable. As is Netflix putting "only one household" in their ToS.

It'd be unreasonable if there was a specific law on the books in Japan that says if you loan out your rail pass you're branded a criminal (which in the case of Japan means you're deported for life) and get jail time, instead of them just taking it away from you and saying "you broke the terms, no more rail pass for you".

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#42

Post by pavel_lishin »

jim_h wrote: post #12
mike-cardwell wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. This is completely addressable using technology. No need to turn people into criminals. Why can't they just prevent any one account from viewing more than N videos simultaneously? Could make N 1 by default, and then charge people for family packs where N is higher than 1.

They already limit the number of concurrent streaming videos. Last time I checked, N == 1. (Other packages might have different options.)

Maybe our account is different, but my girlfriend and I have watched shows on two different devices simultaneously.

Maybe they limit it by IP? We were both at home.

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#43

Post by lotharbot »

The actual bill [0] modifies Tennessee Code 39-14-104 [1] (reproduced in the bill at "Under present law") in order to include "entertainment services" as a subset of "services".

Note that the bill does not make it illegal to share your password. It only makes it illegal to "avoid payment" or give services to "another not entitled" to them. Netflix TOS allow you to have up to six devices associated with your account, and to run simultaneous streams up to the number of discs in your plan [2] within your household [3]. This usage remains legal under the bill.

[0] http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive....

[1] http://www.michie.com/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn... and navigate to 39 then 14 then 104.

[2] http://www.netflix.com/FAQ?p_faqid=2902

[3] http://www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse#instant

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#44

Post by russell »

jcampbell1 wrote: post #30
cygwin98 wrote: post #13

I used to have a rosy glass over democracy as I came from China. However, news like this really pissed me off. A lot of those representatives are not working for the people who voted them, but rather the big corporates or whichever lobby groups. How come lobbying is even legal in the first place? It's actually glorified bribery. Please forgive me if I'm being a bit cynical here.

Lobbyists are just advocates for a cause. It is illegal for lobbyists to pay bribes. It is pretty easy to undo this type of legislation. All you have to do is send a direct mail campaign against a few state senators with the title "Joe Sentator is turning your child into a criminal... Have you ever shared an online password? Joe thinks you deserve 1 year in jail." It would probably cost around $10k to roast a few sta…

>> It is illegal for lobbyists to pay bribes.

In the US the bribes are in the form of campaign contributions. No money comes from the lobbyist, but if the legislator performs, contributions appear from various PACs (Political Action Committee) and corporations. With millions flowing to individual cmpaign committees, I despair that meaningful reform is impossible.

Much legislation is written by lobbyists (or their clients) because the issues are too complex for legislators or their staffs to understand. Is anyone surprised that some clause favoring the client or inductry is burried in the hundreds of pages?

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#46

Post by lotharbot »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #32
lotharbot wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://www.netflix.com/FAQ?p_faqid=2902 says you can have up to six devices authorized for one account, and you can use up to [# of discs in your plan] simultaneously, to a maximum of 4. http://www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse#instant specifies that this is "within your household".

I'm pretty sure your use of Netflix terms of service is between you and Netflix, not you and local law enforcement. It's a private contract.

From the exact same Tennessee law, a person commits the offense of theft of services who: "(3) Knowingly absconds from establishments where compensation for services is ordinarily paid immediately upon the rendering of them, including hotels, motels and restaurants, without payment or a bona fide offer to pay."

Your stay at a hotel or meal at a restaurant is private business between you and that hotel/restaurant. Local law enforcement only gets involved if you choose not to pay.

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#47

Post by RyanMcGreal »

In other news, the lawnmowing industry has successfully lobbied the state government to pass a groundbreaking law making it a criminal offence to loan your lawnmower to a neighbour. The practice of lawnmowersharing is claimed, according to an industry-funded study, to cost the industry $10 billion a year in lost revenue.

"Now that everyone who wants to enjoy a mowed lawn has to come clean and buy or rent their own lawnmower, we can finally put an end to the harmful piracy that has been driving the lawnmowing industry to the brink of collapse," said Dr. Lawrence Angelo, an industry spokesperson.

The barbecue industry is watching this closely as it attempts to secure passage of a law that would uphold barbecue terms-of-use restrictions preventing barbecue owners from flagrantly cooking food for dinner guests without a multi-user licence.

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#48

Post by jneal »

This sounds pretty ridiculous to me, but yet not surprising. I understand that giving out your password to random people should be illegal, but sharing it within your own house hold should not. I mean, what if it was illegal for your friends to watch TV at your house? We pay the cable or satellite company to give our home service, not us as in a particular person. Netflix I view the same way. When I rent a 2 day rental from Blockbuster, I can let everyone in my house watch it with me and I'm not breaking any laws. I can even let a friend borrow it so long as I can still return it on time. Why wouldn't Netflix be the same way?

I know it should be illegal to sell passwords in bulk, I have nothing against that, but why leave laws like this open so that we can start arresting dads for letting their kids use their Netflix? Stupid...

Re: Tennessee Makes it Illegal To Share Your Netflix Password

#49

Post by [deleted] »

chopsueyar wrote: post #27
markwweaver wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article does say that it is mostly to combat people harvesting and selling large number of accounts/passwords which seems reasonable to me. It is scary that they could go after people sharing with a friend with up to a year in jail though.

Unfortunately, there is nothing preventing the law from being applied in your 'scary' scenario. Additionally, if I share my password with my wife, and her sister 'borrows' it from my wife, and she gives it to three friends, and they each give it to three friends, who is responsible under this law? How do you prove it? Also, it is just really poor business to solve a problem using legislation which could easily be sol…

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