republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-113/section-2319c.md

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LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 2319C	Illicit digital transmission services	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	113	STOLEN PROPERTY	2319C	18 U.S.C. § 2319C	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s2319C	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	03c9bfff7a2c497c38ee52502bed83269a64db1675580f4684fc4b2ab48e69c2	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	d04f6d2bb900aae9a35723c910ee3a38317edc7d0827cc376cd38232dcc1fad4	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 2319C - Illicit digital transmission services

Text

(a) Definitions.— 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—

(i) the copyright owner has a reasonable expectation of commercial public performance; and

(ii) the copies or phonorecords of the work have not been commercially publicly performed in the United States by or with the authorization of the copyright owner; or

(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.

(b) Prohibited Act.— 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) Penalties.— 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—

(A) the offense was committed in connection with 1 or more works being prepared for commercial public performance; and

(B) the person knew or should have known that the work was being prepared for commercial public performance; and

(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) Rule of Construction.— 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.

(Added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Q, title II, § 211(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2175.)