A new campaign, titled Free Bieber, has been launched to raise awareness of, and try to stop, bill S.978. Currently in Congress, S.978 would make it illegal to upload a video of yourself singing a copyright song. Those who upload such a video could face up to five years in jail, which means that people like Justin Bieber could be criminalised. You can read bill S.978 here.
Justin Bieber shot to fame by performing various famous songs on YouTube. If S.978 comes into law in the United States, such actions would be illegal. And while it’s Bieber fans who are leading the charge against S.978, many others are concerned by the way the rights of large media companies are being championed by politicians over and above the rights of the American public.
While the Free Bieber website frames the debate in comical terms, the issues are serious. The power of entertainment corporations is growing around the world, while copyright law in most jurisdictions remains rooted in a pre-internet age. Not only are campaigners calling for S.978 to be scrapped, they also want an overhaul of copyright law so that it’s fit for the 21st century.
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