During a recent interview with a Washington radio station, Justin Bieber said that he believes that Senator Amy Klobuchar should be “locked up” because of her bill that would make it a felony to illegally stream copyrighted content on sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
“Whoever she is, she needs to know that I’m saying she needs to be locked up — put away in cuffs,” Bieber told Hot 99.5 host Kane. “I just think that’s ridiculous.”
Klobuchar’s bill, known as the “Bieber Bill” or S.978, the Commercial Felony Streaming Act, states:
Makes unauthorized web streaming of copyrighted content a felony with a possible penalty of up to 5 years in prison. Illegal streaming of copyrighted content is defined in the bill as an offense that “consists of 10 or more public performances by electronic means, during any 180-day period, of 1 or more copyrighted works” and has a total economic value, either to the copyright holder or the infringer, of at least $2,500.
Justin Bieber’s mainstream success today stems from his fame via YouTube years ago when he became well known after videos of him singing covers of R&B songs went viral, which explains why the young Pop star has clearly taken offense to the Bieber Bill.
Also taking offense to the bill is a group called “Fight the Future,” who have launched a website (FreeBieber.org) that shows dramatized photos of Justin Beiber behind bars along with the words “Justin faces 5 brutal years in prison.”
But Sen. Klobuchar’s spokeswoman says Bieber fans have nothing to worry about. The Biebs won’t be going to jail, even if the bill miraculously gets passed.
She sent USA Today the following statement:
“Justin Bieber must have been misled about the content of this bill. It’s not about people posting their personal work on the Web. This is common sense legislation that passed through the Judiciary Committee with no objection from either party. The bill only covers the intentional commercial theft of things like books, commercial music, and movies, including foreign piracy.”
Sounds like that still applies to Justin Bieber to us. Most of the videos are of him singing OTHER people’s songs, not his own. He didn’t even get his “own” music until he got signed.
Regardless of the fact, the bill is stupid and is completely unnecessary, and therefore should not be passed.
