You could go to prison for sharing your Netflix password under strict new UK law

Do you want to spend some time behind bars next to crooks, murderers, and bandits?

Well, stop using someone else's Netflix password then. The UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has advised people this week that password sharing on a streaming platform like Netflix or Disney Plus amounts to piracy, and that users "may be a committing a crime".

The IPO said: "Pasting internet images into your social media without permission, or accessing films, TV series or live sports events […] or apps without paying a subscription is an infringement of copyright and you may be committing a crime."

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This applies to password sharing not only on Netflix, but other streaming services including Apple Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+.

What's worse, you could be liable even if someone is using your Netflix account without your knowledge.

The IPO told Newsweek it is "the member who created the Netflix account and whose payment method is charged" who will be held responsible for any activity that takes place on the account.

Fortunately for sneaky password sharers out there, it would require Netflix and other streaming platforms to take legal action against their users, something which is unlikely to happen any time soon.

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Netflix itself is very keen to clamp down on password sharing. Earlier this year, the streaming giant announced it would start charging an extra fee for those who share passwords with friends and family.

The crackdown will begin in early 2023, with early trials in Latin America suggesting the firm could charge up to £4 per month for password sharers.

An October survey found that 22.6% of Netflix users engage in password sharing or use an account paid for by another person.

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