Sharing Netflix, Rhapsody login illegal in Tennessee
(CBS/CNET/AP) - It's considered nice to share with your friends and family. But lawmakers in Tennessee say that when the sharing involves logins to services like Netflix or Rhapsody, it could be downright illegal.
State lawmakers have passed a groundbreaking measure that would make it a crime to use a friends' login to listen to songs or watch movies from a subscription streaming service.
And that law would apply even if the person with the subscription gives their buddy permission to use the login.
The bill has been signed by Tennessee's governor. And it was pushed by recording industry officials to try to stop the loss of billions of dollars to illegal music sharing.
They hope other states will follow. According to CNET, the legislation was aimed at hackers and thieves who sell passwords in bulk. But sponsors acknowledge it could also be used against people who use a friend's or relative's subscription.
"I think it's stupid," college student Josh Merbitz said of the law. The 20-year-old music education major at Middle Tennessee State University said he watches Netflix movies online using the password of his friend's father, with the father's permission.
Stealing $500 or less of entertainment would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,500. Theft with a higher price tag would be a felony, with heavier penalties.