18 U.S.C. § 2319C
Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
- (a)In this section—
- (1)the terms “audiovisual work”, “computer program”, “copies”, “copyright owner”, “digital transmission”, “financial gain”, “motion picture”, “motion picture exhibition facility”, “perform”, “phonorecords”, “publicly” (with respect to performing a work), “sound recording”, and “transmit” have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 17;
- (2)the term “digital transmission service” means a service that has the primary purpose of publicly performing works by digital transmission;
- (3)the terms “publicly perform” and “public performance” refer to the exclusive rights of a copyright owner under paragraphs (4) and (6) of section 106 (relating to exclusive rights in copyrighted works) of title 17, as limited by sections 107 through 122 of title 17; and
- (4)the term “work being prepared for commercial public performance” means—
- (A)a computer program, a musical work, a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or a sound recording, if, at the time of unauthorized public performance—
- (B)a motion picture, if, at the time of unauthorized public performance, the motion picture—
- (i)
- (I)has been made available for viewing in a motion picture exhibition facility; and
- (II)has not been made available in copies for sale to the general public in the United States by or with the authorization of the copyright owner in a format intended to permit viewing outside a motion picture exhibition facility; or
- (ii)had not been commercially publicly performed in the United States by or with the authorization of the copyright owner more than 24 hours before the unauthorized public performance.
- (i)
- (b)It shall be unlawful for a person to willfully, and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain, offer or provide to the public a digital transmission service that—
- (1)is primarily designed or provided for the purpose of publicly performing works protected under title 17 by means of a digital transmission without the authority of the copyright owner or the law;
- (2)has no commercially significant purpose or use other than to publicly perform works protected under title 17 by means of a digital transmission without the authority of the copyright owner or the law; or
- (3)is intentionally marketed by or at the direction of that person to promote its use in publicly performing works protected under title 17 by means of a digital transmission without the authority of the copyright owner or the law.
- (c)Any person who violates subsection (b) shall be, in addition to any penalties provided for under title 17 or any other law—
- (1)fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both;
- (2)fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both, if—
- (3)fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both, if the offense is a second or subsequent offense under this section or section 2319(a).
- (d)Nothing in this section shall be construed to—
- (1)affect the interpretation of any other provision of civil copyright law, including the limitations of liability set forth in section 512 of title 17, or principles of secondary liability; or
- (2)prevent any Federal or State authority from enforcing cable theft or theft of service laws that are not subject to preemption under section 301 of title 17.