5 ms·

UK Govt: Netflix Password Sharing Is Illegal and Potentially Criminal Fraud

31 points by shifty1 4y ago

lelandfe 4y ago
The page in question: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meta-counterfeit-and-piracy-campaign https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meta-counterfeit-...
cocacola1 4y ago
> Piracy is a major issue for the entertainment and creative industries. Pasting internet images into your social media, password sharing on streaming services and accessing the latest films, tv series or live sports events through kodi boxes, fire sticks or Apps without paying a subscription all break copyright law. Not only are you breaking the law but stopping someone earning a living from their hard work. Jesus. Soon, quoting something will be piracy.
- Tagbert 4y ago
  Click [here] to initiate your subscription for that quote. Failure to do so will result in legal consequences.
- amazon_illegal 4y ago
miles 4y ago
Man, these anti-piracy laws are getting really mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=ALZZx1xmAzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=ALZZx1xmAzg
mytailorisrich 4y ago
Password sharing sounds like using a false identity to obtain a service by deception... which is identity fraud under British law. Nothing particularly new here, though the police would need to be involved in order to test this.
- smileysteve 4y ago
  But they have profiles, which are designed for not a single identity.
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    Not a single identity but a very well defined set, a household, I believe. So if you know you are not part of that allowed set (and you do know) that is still obtaining a service by deception, IMHO. The way it is defined, fraud is quite an extensive offence under British law if you start carefully looking at what people do.
    - paxys 4y ago
      > very well defined set, a household What exactly is "very well defined" about a household? Are they using the IRS definition (obviously not, considering this applies worldwide)? Are unrelated people living together a household? What about families where kids are in college and come home for breaks? Domestic relationships that may or may not be recognized by a certain jurisdiction? What if some member is vacationing or traveling for work for extended periods? Or an extended family member (parents/grandparents) who lives with you for certain months of the year? It's easy for Netflix to arbitrary say "yes" or "no" to any of these, but you are saying it should also be okay for the government to arrest and prosecute you for getting it wrong?
      - mytailorisrich 4y ago
        They define it quite clearly, though it's of course always possible to argue at the margin, but "password sharing" implies that the person knows they are not supposed to use the service, anyway. I'm thinking the most common case is giving access to a friend a family member who does not live with you. It's the act of knowingly 'cheating' that potentially brings you into fraud territory, IMHO.
    - hackerman123469 4y ago
      What is not an extensive offence under British law at this point?
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
jerojero 4y ago
I had to stop using Netflix because they cracked down hard on password sharing, although it was only my family. I ended up without access to Netflix and reducing my familys plan to the middle tier as they don't need 4k or 4 screen if it's just going to be my mom and my dad. When we had the middle plan back in 2015 or so we genuinely struggled as 2 screens at the same time was very restrictive, after that, changing to 4 screens solved most problems. But now my family was being logged out because I was in a different household. It's alright, it's their decision. But I'm not going to pay for a 4 screen plan when it's just myself and I'm definitely not watching in 720p. I would consider getting Netflix again if they had a 1 screen 4k plan.
paxys 4y ago
The most frustrating part of this whole password sharing crackdown is that Netflix already charges for the number of simultaneous streams per account. Basic gets 1, standard gets 2, premium gets 4. And you pay a whopping $20/mo for that added privilege. Now suddenly the $20 isn't enough, and you must also prove the blood relation of people using the 4 streams that you are already paying for.
recursive__ 4y ago
chris_wot 4y ago
Surely the UK have better things to worry about? Like a cost of living crisis?
- NoPicklez 4y ago
  I find these types of statements stupid. Do you expect countries to focus on one thing at a time? Is it news that governments/companies have resources dedicated to solving different problems?
  - mehphp 4y ago
    Well it sure feels like they work on the former and not the latter.
  - chris_wot 4y ago
    It’s not actually a problem though.
8bitsrule 4y ago
Many drug plans begin with free drugs. An idea that probably goes way back in history. Is it just me, or am I noticing baked goods using less sugar these days? (Spoken as a once-upon-a-time cable TV addict.)
thefurdrake 4y ago
Gosh, if password sharing is going to be illegal, one may as well just subscribe to $piracySiteNo7823672 for the same price and a broader selection of shows. Imagine the audacity in telling people they can't share passwords. "But it's in the EULA you agree to!" ILied.png I don't care. I'll take what I want, when and how I want it. The only decision these companies get is whether I will pay them, or pay a competitor with a superior experience. Netflix was why I stopped pirating movies way back when, and Netflix is why I started pirating again. The same goes for Amazon Prime music; I stopped paying in good faith the moment they started cutting vast swathes of my library out from under me. Cause, meet effect.
esbranson 4y ago
The UK is irrelevant. It's doubtful we know anything about what actually goes on in European courts, since they don't have PACER equivalents.

31 points by shifty1 4y ago

The page in question: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meta-counterfeit-and-piracy-campaign https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meta-counterfeit-...

cocacola1 4y ago

> Piracy is a major issue for the entertainment and creative industries. Pasting internet images into your social media, password sharing on streaming services and accessing the latest films, tv series or live sports events through kodi boxes, fire sticks or Apps without paying a subscription all break copyright law. Not only are you breaking the law but stopping someone earning a living from their hard work. Jesus. Soon, quoting something will be piracy.

Tagbert 4y ago
Click [here] to initiate your subscription for that quote. Failure to do so will result in legal consequences.
amazon_illegal 4y ago

miles 4y ago

Man, these anti-piracy laws are getting really mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=ALZZx1xmAzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=ALZZx1xmAzg

mytailorisrich 4y ago

Password sharing sounds like using a false identity to obtain a service by deception... which is identity fraud under British law. Nothing particularly new here, though the police would need to be involved in order to test this.

smileysteve 4y ago
But they have profiles, which are designed for not a single identity.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  Not a single identity but a very well defined set, a household, I believe. So if you know you are not part of that allowed set (and you do know) that is still obtaining a service by deception, IMHO. The way it is defined, fraud is quite an extensive offence under British law if you start carefully looking at what people do.
  - paxys 4y ago
    > very well defined set, a household What exactly is "very well defined" about a household? Are they using the IRS definition (obviously not, considering this applies worldwide)? Are unrelated people living together a household? What about families where kids are in college and come home for breaks? Domestic relationships that may or may not be recognized by a certain jurisdiction? What if some member is vacationing or traveling for work for extended periods? Or an extended family member (parents/grandparents) who lives with you for certain months of the year? It's easy for Netflix to arbitrary say "yes" or "no" to any of these, but you are saying it should also be okay for the government to arrest and prosecute you for getting it wrong?
    - mytailorisrich 4y ago
      They define it quite clearly, though it's of course always possible to argue at the margin, but "password sharing" implies that the person knows they are not supposed to use the service, anyway. I'm thinking the most common case is giving access to a friend a family member who does not live with you. It's the act of knowingly 'cheating' that potentially brings you into fraud territory, IMHO.
  - hackerman123469 4y ago
    What is not an extensive offence under British law at this point?

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

jerojero 4y ago

I had to stop using Netflix because they cracked down hard on password sharing, although it was only my family. I ended up without access to Netflix and reducing my familys plan to the middle tier as they don't need 4k or 4 screen if it's just going to be my mom and my dad. When we had the middle plan back in 2015 or so we genuinely struggled as 2 screens at the same time was very restrictive, after that, changing to 4 screens solved most problems. But now my family was being logged out because I was in a different household. It's alright, it's their decision. But I'm not going to pay for a 4 screen plan when it's just myself and I'm definitely not watching in 720p. I would consider getting Netflix again if they had a 1 screen 4k plan.

paxys 4y ago

The most frustrating part of this whole password sharing crackdown is that Netflix already charges for the number of simultaneous streams per account. Basic gets 1, standard gets 2, premium gets 4. And you pay a whopping $20/mo for that added privilege. Now suddenly the $20 isn't enough, and you must also prove the blood relation of people using the 4 streams that you are already paying for.

recursive__ 4y ago

chris_wot 4y ago

Surely the UK have better things to worry about? Like a cost of living crisis?

NoPicklez 4y ago
I find these types of statements stupid. Do you expect countries to focus on one thing at a time? Is it news that governments/companies have resources dedicated to solving different problems?
- mehphp 4y ago
  Well it sure feels like they work on the former and not the latter.
- chris_wot 4y ago
  It’s not actually a problem though.

8bitsrule 4y ago

Many drug plans begin with free drugs. An idea that probably goes way back in history. Is it just me, or am I noticing baked goods using less sugar these days? (Spoken as a once-upon-a-time cable TV addict.)

thefurdrake 4y ago

Gosh, if password sharing is going to be illegal, one may as well just subscribe to $piracySiteNo7823672 for the same price and a broader selection of shows. Imagine the audacity in telling people they can't share passwords. "But it's in the EULA you agree to!" ILied.png I don't care. I'll take what I want, when and how I want it. The only decision these companies get is whether I will pay them, or pay a competitor with a superior experience. Netflix was why I stopped pirating movies way back when, and Netflix is why I started pirating again. The same goes for Amazon Prime music; I stopped paying in good faith the moment they started cutting vast swathes of my library out from under me. Cause, meet effect.

esbranson 4y ago

The UK is irrelevant. It's doubtful we know anything about what actually goes on in European courts, since they don't have PACER equivalents.