Recent proposed legislation will make the illegal streaming (not downloading) of copyrights a felony rather than just a misdemeanor.  Check out the proposed Senate Bill here, entitled Commercial  Felony Streaming Act.  This is not a surprising move as the music industry, headed up by the RIAA, has been on the warpath against illegal file sharing sites like Limewire for quite some time.  The RIAA, backed by the labels, has essentially drained the pockets of Limewire (and others before that) in litigation.  Now, with the deep pockets of the Hollywood lobby behind it, the government is stepping in to add an extra and potentially devastating punch not only to file sharing/downloading sites, but to those sites which illegally host streaming content.   

The proposed Bill modifies the current punishment provision of Section 2319 of Title 18 (Criminal Infringment of a Copyright).  What was once a misdemeanor, punishable primarily by fines, will now carry a much more severe penalty of higher fines and potential jail time.  The penalties will be identical to those imposed against the file sharing/downloading sites.  While the Bill is aimed at the proprietors of the sites that provide illegal content, experts expect to eventually extend to the users as well. 

The Senate subcommittee on the Judiciary approved the proposed Bill and it will go before a vote of the full Senate shortly.  Stay tuned for more updates.