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For Immediate Release
Contact: Email:,press@demandprogress.org

More Than 150,000 Americans Speak Out Against "Ten Strikes" Senate Bill

Demand Progress releases video decrying Sen Klobuchar's S.978, which would criminalize streaming

WASHINGTON

Demand Progress announced that more than 150,000 Americans have emailed their Senators to urge them to oppose S.978, sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in June.

Known as the "Ten Strikes" bill, the legislation would make it a felony to stream unlicensed content 10 times over the course of 180 days. Violators would serve up to five years in prison. Demand Progress Executive Director David Segal said, "This legislation is vague and heavy-handed. It will criminalize countless Internet users who post videos of karoake, video games, and cover bands -- and provide law enforcement with broad new authority to prosecute myriad Americans."

Hundreds of videos in opposition to S.978 have emerged on YouTube in the days since Demand Progress first issued an alert about the bill. In turn, those videos have helped spur thousands of Internet users to email their lawmakers. Demand Progress has edited many of the videos into a single video which explains S.978 and its likely ramifications. It is housed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IevBHt6IKX8

According to Segal, "The widespread, organic opposition to this bill could only have arisen through the use of a free and open web -- and that's a perfect demonstration of why it's so important to defeat ill-considered Internet legislation like S.978."

Demand Progress amplifies the voice of the people -- and wields it to make government accountable and contest concentrated corporate power. Our mission is to protect the democratic character of the internet -- and wield it to contest concentrated corporate power and hold government accountable.